Publicity too late

Yesterday I got no fewer than 5 emails from friends regarding the closing of
one of Lincoln's long-time bars, P.O. Pears. An article appeared on the
Lincoln Journal-Star's website shortly after.

People signed up to an email list from the bar, and received notice from the
owner announcing the closing. And it seems that it was also sent when it was
made public to the local paper as well.

I don't subscribe to the P.O. Pears list, in fact I'm not even a big fan of
the place. Despite that I got more emails about the closing than I ever got
from them about anything.

So I have to wonder, if this kind of grassroots buzz floated with the
CLOSING of the bar, what could have been done while the damn thing was OPEN?

Now, I'll make an exception for the "shock factor" and that bad news travels
faster than good. But how many of you get email from people saying,
"hey.such and such cover band is playing at so and so's place tonight?" How
many times do you get little emails from friends wondering what everyone's
going to do this weekend?

I get emails and text messages from people saying they're getting concert
tickets, and will sit in line and buy them for everyone interested. Or, I've
had people who knew a guy who played in the band and has a few free passes.
Maybe it's "ladies night" and there's always something going down. Do you
see where I'm going?

Why do the fans of some bar or cover band not have a problem marketing the
place where the concert takes place, even if they don't realize it, but for
some reason race fans and car owners and drivers insist up and down that
they won't do a track's marketing for free, dammit! That's their job.

If someone in a band sends emails to friends to watch them play, why can't a
driver do the same? If people who have fun at a certain bar email their
friends to go out with them, why can't they do the same for the racetrack
they like to hang out at, especially if going there is a fun experience, and
not just a racing one?

So the task I put forth is obvious but seems to need reminding.

Race tracks: get your info out there and not just to the die-hards but offer
yourselves up to the masses. Get the word out but also do things on your end
that make the offer attractive: start the show on time, make it fun, make it
a pleasant experience. Leave the fan talking up the place when they leave.
Throw out a little incentive, after all you're asking not only the fan but
other people who work hard for their money. Offer an incentive; say package
deals on ten tickets, or buy 5 get one free -whatever. Fan appreciation
nights are cool but give something out to the people who work hard to get
you those people on a regular night.

Race Fans and Participants: Perhaps some of you already do this and good for
you. But I ask you this: how much do you like racing? The fact is there's a
lot more bars than racetracks and like the guy running the place or not, if
they weren't there you wouldn't be racing. If you like racing and you like
racing where your at, then do it for your sport. Get the word out. Invite
friends. Send out emails to your friends. Buy them a ticket once. If you're
getting tickets to the big show, get everyone's tickets at once. Sit
together and have a big-old party.

Despite the constant back and forth between promoters, racers, and fans,
we're all in this together. If we lose one group, the whole thing comes to
an end. And you see how long tracks sit idle - there aren't many people who
will pick up the pieces.