I was looking through the musician's classifieds on Craigslist, and found this great article:
Having trouble with your ad? Try making it not suck
I come on here about once a day, hoping maybe to find a fun-looking group to join. Recently, however, it seems to be the same exact set of ads posted every damn day. Let's examine some of the crappy ads that are up right now.
"Bass Player wanted. We like it epic. How about you? - (Boston)"
You like it "epic". What the fuck does that mean? You can't tell shit by reading this. Fortunately, the posting content is good, but you're missing a lot of people who don't want to click on your ad because of that godawful title. You describe yourself as being like Muse, maybe include that. Suggestion: "Bass player wanted for Muse-like band - (Boston)"
"Bass Player needed - (Boston - Providence)"
Less bullshit than above, but still the same lack of information problem. However, the post content is terrible (just a link to a website). I don't want to go to your website to figure out if I want to join you guys. Describe your band, and what you're looking for. Also, Boston and Providence are significantly far apart. Where do you actually practice/gig?
"GUITAR - (providence RI)"
This is like the king of shitty ads. Do you play guitar, or are you looking for a guitarist? Worse, the posting itself doesn't even clear that up. You play "all instruments"? Really? Including lap dulcimer, oud, psaltery, and cittern? No? Then list what you fucking play, or what you want to play in a group. Also, maybe preview your post so you don't get those stupid copy/paste typos. Get your shit together, adrian. I also don't care about your life story.
"Join the Horn section of the IOA! ! - (Brighton - Sound Museum)"
You've been posting that same ad every day for weeks now. The reason you're not getting anyone is because you sound like a bunch of monkeys banging on shit and screaming into a mic. Learn to sing and play your instruments, then look to expand. More people is just going to make it more shitty, especially the kind of crap players that you're going to attract.
Here's a perfect example of a great posting:
"Gigging classic hits band seeks bassist with strong vocals - (Andover, MA)"
It has a clear, concise title that describes the core of what they're looking for, and without any bullshit filler. Then, the posting elaborates by giving a good list of bands they cover, what they expect from the new member, what they have, and even where they tend to gig, all without being a gigantic wall o' text to read. WRITE YOUR ADS LIKE THIS.
