The Web Changed, We need to Stick Together.
I started on the Web in 1996, back then, even until about 2001, it was all about sharing links, for free.
Then Google went on the stockmarket, started ad words and then links became a commodity. That's why they used to have link farms, pages with thousands of links on them.
Google cracked down, other search engines followed suit. If you have a link from a quality website, you got higher ranking. If you linked back, the ranking went lower. So sites would ask you to link to their sister site.
Google cracked down on that too.
They want to sell links, they don't want us sharing. BUT. It doesn't affect your website if you honestly share links to similar websites when you are doing it, not for profit, but to genuinely help browsers find what they need. Quid pro quo. We can only be in one place at once.
The fact that most entertainers don't currently link to each other gives power to companies that hire kids to go out cheap. Or the sites like Bark, Addtoevent et al, who prey on our lack of networking.
Sites like the one above shot themselves in the foot as they tried to be Lord and master of the links and either Got greedy or asked us to jump through unnecessary hoops, or both.
The sites that do well now, do so because they scrape the information from our website to copy onto theirs. Watering down our website originality and attracting browsers to "their" content, stolen though it may be.
When searching for a Magician or Children's Entertainer, Singer, Band, Juggler, Clown or anyone for that matter.
You find yourself looking at countless websites, trying to find the one who you like the look of and ticks the boxes, you contact them and either:
1/ Sorry, I'm not available on that date.
Or
2/ The fee for their professional services is higher than you anticipated.
Even though you may find the perfect supplier, you move on to try and find "Someone cheaper"
This is understandable but when the event is important, why leave entertainment last or with the smallest budget, when it's the entertainment that will elevate the event and make it worthwhile and memorable?
At least when the one you want, who is booked elsewhere, can refer you and help you find another professional.
Sadly, the time has come when even performers don't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. (I do).
Many will take your details and rather than pass them on to a suitable pro, they will sell those details on a Facebook group, for commission.
If I can't do a gig, I say so.
If I don't know anyone suitable, I say so.
If I do know someone, I pass on the details and hope they'll do the same for me.
Some do, most don't. I know who they are and guess who I stop referring.
The sad fact is though, when entertainers do this, they fall foul of the companies that feed off our content.
Rather that say "I have the perfect replacement" and give them their number. They mess around taking details, as if they were agent, and push it out there, in the hope of 15% or 20% of the fee.
Sometimes they even mention a fee (a lower fee) and then expect others to work for that.
This allows the client to look around and try to find someone else at that price point.
Bark does it, they tell people, wrongly, the price to expect to pay. This is usually far lower than realistic.
So, without going on and on, the solution is to go back to the days when we linked.
Even if you see someone as direct competitors, it's not for you to judge (unless you don't like them or they are no good, unreliable or whatever) just share their details and let the client decide.
Kindness is Magic.
Much love and peace.
Chris P Tee the Approachable Magician.
