Before heading out on your next tour, consider mapping out how to market yourself on the road. It will increase attendance at your shows, increase fan loyalty and help sell stuff! It does require a small investment: a wireless broadband card for your laptop. (Most cell phone companies are now giving them away for free with a $70 per month rate.) This will enable you to be online anywhere you can get a cell phone signal. Now those countless hours in the van can be put to good marketing use; making Myspace friends, writing in your blog, contacting people that are on your lists in the towns you are headed to, and thanking the fans that signed up on your lists at the last show.

Here are a few more ideas:

1. Gather Instant Message handles from your fans and categorize them by city. A day or two before you arrive send out an IM to all your fans in the area and invite them to the show. If you get some good responses, guest list them!

2. Contests should be held in each city. Make an announcement on all of your profiles (Pure Volume, Buzznet, Myspace, your blog, etc.) Give your fans an email address to contact you and tell them to put their city in the subject line.

Contest options are endless:
-The best story of what you have done listening to one of your songs.
-Best mash-up of one of your songs.
-Tribute to the band.

Anything that will stimulate their participation in your band. Then post the winner and their submission on your blog/Myspace, etc. the day before you arrive and the winner gets a guest list spot plus 3 and a band package. (cd, t-shirt and signed poster from the gig.) The band presents the pack to the winner at the end of the show and buys them a drink. Your fans will never forget their experience with you.