1. Price in tiers, and let the cheap tier run out
One flat price tells the buyer there's no reason to act now. Three tiers — early bird at $15 (cap 40), general at $20, door at $25 — create a visible clock. When early bird sells out, that's a social-proof post. When general gets to the last 10, the page says so automatically.
2. Build the follow loop before you need it
Every buyer on TixKarma can follow your venue. Put 'Follow us for the next one' on the confirmation, the door, and the bathroom mirror. The next show, you post it and 300 people get an email without you doing anything. This is the single biggest difference between venues that grow and venues that start over every month.
3. Send two reminders
No-shows at small venues run 10–20%. Two emails — one a week out ('here's what to expect, doors at 8') and one the day of ('tonight!') — cut that roughly in half. TixKarma sends them to every ticket holder in one click from the dashboard.
4. Use discount codes to find out who actually sells
Give the opener a code. Give the bartender a code. Give the Instagram account a code. Cap them if you want. Three shows later you know exactly which channel moves tickets and which one is noise.
5. Mine the list the morning after
Export the buyers. Look at the zip codes — that's where the flyers go. Look at repeat attendees — that's who gets a presale next time. Tag the performer so their audience becomes reachable. The show isn't over when the lights come up; that's when the next one starts selling.
Common questions
About 20% of capacity. Enough to sell out visibly, not so much that you leave money on the table.
Three to four weeks out for a weekend show in a small room. Earlier if there's a known act; later and you compress your sales window.
Every buyer from your next three shows. Ask at the door, on the confirmation email, and in the reminder. It compounds fast.