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Writer's pictureSanjay Manaktala

How to Grow Your Comedy Career and Why You’re Not Progressing as a Stand Up Comic




I’ve done comedy for over 13 years, with ten of those dedicated to getting on stage at least 3 times a week. I’ve seen young comedians become stars in less than 12 months, and comics with 20 years under their belt never move past the open mic.  


So I thought I’d write a blog post talking about something I know near and dear.  And that's on how to grow your comedy career. And while I'm still learning myself, there is a lot I'm happy to share that I'm confident will help anyone willing to put in the work.


Comedy is hard.  The sad part is most make it harder than it needs to be. 


If they just did a fraction of the things I’m going to talk about below, they’d likely be in a much happier place. 


THINGS COMICS FOCUS ON

THINGS THEY SHOULD FOCUS ON

THINGS THEY SHOULD WORRY ABOUT

THINGS THEY SHOULD ACCEPT TO LEARN

DRAMA

WRITING JOKES

SHADY BOOKERS

VIDEO EDITING

GOSSIP

FACEBOOK ADS

THEIR OWN EGO

VIDEO PRODUCTION

OPEN MIC CLIQUES

EVENTBRITE MARKETING

BRINGER SHOWS

DIGITAL MARKETING

NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS

TICKETMASTER MARKETING


SOBRIETY


Misery Loves Company


“If comedians spent just 1% of the time writing jokes as they did gossiping or complaining…they’d have nothing to complain about.   Because they’d already be making millions.” 

Comedians should write jokes, not about each other. 


However most comics see themselves putting in the grind at mics years after years, and can’t seem to catch a break.  They don’t realize this is actually self defeating and they need to look at this like a career.



Comedy is a lot like day trading or the stock market.  People think if I click a button I can make money….in the same vain they think all I need is to gel my hair, look good and walk up to a microphone.  Millions of dollars and beautiful women, here we come right?


WRONG. 


The things that look easiest are often the hardest.  Just like the stock market, the 1% makes money from the 99% who are attracted to it.  


In stand up comedy, while there occasionally can be naturals who break by pure raw talent (Eddie Murphy at 21 years old?), most will have to treat this like a career and learn a ton of things beyond just writing jokes.  



Your job is to get folks into seats and put on a good evening. There is no comic without an audience.


That is first and foremost step 1.  However, if you walk into any local bar or club in America, chances are you will see a singer who is prettier and has better vocals than 90% of pop stars making millions of dollars. 


Did you ever wonder why that is?


Like crabs in pot that bring down any crab that tries to escape, comics despite their best intentions have a hard time seeing others succeed. 



The market has responded to the new comer gaining fans, yet a lot older comics take this not as a learning experience but instead a way to voice their own insecurities.   


They’ll say “he steals jokes” or “she only got that cause she’s hot” or “one viral video and all of a sudden he’s the start huh?” 


The reality is this is the market telling you what you need to do to get your voice out there in the internet economy, instead of hanging onto the past and thinking we’ve living in the 90s. 



How to Grow Your Comedy Career | Why You’re Not Progressing As a Stand Up Comic


Now that you get the context, let’s get straight to it. 


1. You Refuse to Learn Any Other Skills to Support Your Art


In today’s digital age, a casting director isn’t going to pick up your blurry cell phone clip off Instagram and make you a star over night. 


Why should they? 


Twenty years ago the cell phone clip was considered a $500 recording from your local camera guy, and today you can get a local film student in your city to film your 30 minute set for the same price, and make it look like a Netflix special. 





Did you ever wonder why some of bigger names today like Mark Normand, Louis CK, Aziz and others are recording their specials themselves?  What do they know that you don’t?  


And trust me, it’s not “for the fans.”  It’s because it’ll sell more tickets to their live shows, and give them the email addresses of all their raving fans.  Which is way more valuable to their future sales funnels and next tours. 


Anybody who is going to spend $10 on a digital download or 10 minutes watching your reels on Instagram or YouTube is worth more than you selling your special for $50K to $2M on Netflix.  


And chances are by the time Netflix offers you $2M for a special, you’re already making that yearly doing clubs every weekend for $20K anyways. 


As comics all of this means when you’re sitting around at an open-mic, waiting to perform for 11 comics and 3 audience members, you also need to learn:


  • How to Use a Digital Video Camera

  • Video Editing

  • Digital Marketing

  • Instagram Marketing

  • Blogging

  • Wordpress or Wix or Squarespace

  • Photo Editing

  • How to Make a Simple Press Kit on Canva (Or you could literally just make it in Google Docs, Slides or Microsoft Word and export to PDF)

  • Get comfortable sending 10 personalized emails every week to comedy bookers across the country

  • Planning Tours

  • Probably ten other things I forgot (Podcasting, Web Design, Accounting, Event Marketing, Live Event Production, Writing, Media Outreach, and so on). 


Are you getting it now?  


Joke writing needs to be done at least 5-10 hours a week, if not more. 


However the average full time job is at least 40 hours and you need to use every minute OFF THE STAGE to maximize your earnings potential ON THE SAGE. 


But comedy is hard as it is?


Of course it is.  But it’s not impossible. 


2. Your Ego Won’t Let You Take Advice


As a 40-50 year old comic, it’s annoying to see kids laugh about some Kanye drama or the latest social issues, since your point of view on life might be more about marriage, politics and the economy.  


But in that same vain, why would a 22 year old only focused on getting lucky and making money care about what Biden is doing to your 401K? 





Every comedy scene from Austin to Memphis to Atlanta to Seattle has the big fish small pond mentality of “senior” comics who never leave the scene.  These comics have likely been doing the same set for 10 years and don’t grow as much as they should.  Partly because they might feel the world owes them something, or partly because they refuse to accept that nobody is going to grab them from out of the blue and give them a TV show.  


They say things like “I just don’t get social media” or “He may have a lot of fans, but can he kill in a club?”  





They might be right, but career wise, they’ll likely be wrong.  


Just look at how Dry Bar Comedy works. 


They’ve given digital fire power to road warrior comics who were never picked up by Hollywood, and now those comics can probably sell out clubs and venues across the country, because Dry Bar actually spent the time and money to market their 20 years of material. 


Did you notice in the thumbnail for Brad Upton's special above, it's not called "Brad Upton: Comedy Special" or "Brad Upton" Angry Old Man?" or any thing else that would the name of a traditional comedy special?


Nope. The title is literally the "hook" which is trying to entice viewers to click, which shows YouTube that this video should be promoted. And the thumbnail is stuff tweens will respond to (and their parents) like the Dune actors or other Gen-Z stuff.


What was stopping Brand and other comics from doing this themselves? 


Why didn’t they record and release these same sets all these years? 


While I don't fault Brad as he grew up in a different generation, the next crop of comics who get what this world will look like in five years (Comedy shows in the metaverse maybe?) will find their audiences sooner.


3. They Refuse to Promote


If a tree falls in the forest and nobody heard it, did it make a sound? Well in that same case, if you put out a great video and nobody watched it, did it suck?


Or did it just not have exposure?


I've had videos released that bombed, and then reposted the same video with a new thumbnail or title and then got 800K views.

Same video, same jokes, different packaging.


So many comics continue every day to think that since they killed with that ten minute set in the club, they will go viral and famous overnight.


While it may happen for some, ask yourself when was the last time you stopped rapid scrolling on Instagram reels and watched a ten minute clip of a comic you never heard of?


Go ahead, I'll wait.


There is a reason billion dollar media companies promote NBA games, Beyonce, the SuperBowl, movie releases and more.


Twitter is a great way to write and test jokes, build a fan base of live audience members, and then repurpose this content on Instagram.

Because the consumer today receives thousands of signals a day and it's hard to break through and get their attention. The only reason you're still reading this post is likely because you actively searched for this topic, and so you're already engaged.


But when you want to interrupt someones day with your video, they weren't looking for you. So you need to hold their eyes and ears for as long as possible. And promotion is an art almost like the art itself.


A great way to promote is to accept it as your morning ritual. I like to sit on Friday or Monday and plan out my posts for the week. I can get the whole thing done in an hour and not worry about it until next week.


Week

Monday

Wednesday

Friday

1

Stand-up Clip: A short video clip from a recent performance. Include a catchy caption that teases a bit of the joke.

Behind-the-Scenes Photo: A candid shot from a green room or setup, with insights into the life of a comedian.

Engagement Post: Ask your followers a fun question related to comedy (e.g., "What’s the funniest thing that happened to you this week?")

2

Tweet Screenshot: Post a screenshot of a funny tweet you made that gained some traction. Encourage followers to retweet.

Meme Creation:Create a relatable comedy meme and share it. Memes tend to have good virality potential.

Personal Story: Share a story or an anecdote from your journey in comedy, possibly with a photo from when you started.

3

Comedy Skit Video: Post a short skit or a spoof video. This could be something filmed specifically for social media.

Throwback Clip: Share an old stand-up clip and talk about your growth or a memorable performance.

Fan Shoutout: Feature a fan’s comment or a photo of a meet-and-greet, showing appreciation for your audience.

4

Collaboration Post: Share a video or photo featuring a collaboration with another comedian or influencer.

Inspirational Quote: Post a quote that inspires you in your comedy career, perhaps over an artistic image of yourself performing.

Weekend Gig Promo: Promote your weekend shows with a vibrant poster or video ad, encouraging followers to get tickets.

Conclusion


Navigating the world of stand-up comedy requires more than just the ability to write a good joke; it demands resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from every corner of your journey.



You still need to put in the work at the open mics.

The barriers you face, from handling rejection to mastering new skills like digital marketing and video production, are not just obstacles but opportunities to differentiate yourself and enhance your comedic career.


Embrace these challenges as chances to grow both your brand and your audience.


Whether you're a budding comic just starting out or a seasoned performer feeling stuck, remember that the art of comedy, much like any other art, evolves.

What worked in the past might not work now, and the willingness to adapt is what sets successful comedians apart.


Next Steps You Can Take Now


1. Refine Your Skills: Spend time each week honing your craft. Whether it's writing jokes, practicing your sets, or learning new skills like video editing and digital marketing, make sure you are constantly evolving.


2. Engage With Your Audience: Utilize social media not just to promote your shows, but to create a community around your comedy. Engage with your followers, ask for their input, and make them feel part of your journey. Not replying to comments because "you only got two comments on that video" is a sign you're insecure and doing this for the wrong reasons. Would you ignore a comedy set because you only had 7 people in the audience?


3. Plan Your Content: Refer to the content planning schedule above and start filling your social media with a variety of engaging content that reflects your unique voice and style. Regular posting keeps your audience engaged and helps attract new followers.


4. Seek Feedback and Mentorship: Connect with other comedians and creatives who can provide feedback and guidance. Join comedy forums, attend workshops, and don't shy away from constructive criticism.


5. Analyze and Adjust: Keep an eye on what content performs well and what doesn’t. Use this data to tweak your approach, focusing more on what resonates with your audience. Don't write for the sake of "writing what is popular" but learn that if a TV show picked you up, you'll be having to create jokes about things they want to cover, not you!


Remember, the path to becoming a successful comedian is a marathon, not a sprint. Comics need to be progressing every year, by writing new jokes and getting in front of more people to have an impact on society with their art.


There is a quote from Baby Reindeer on Netflix I really liked that I had to pause it and write it down:


"Some people run away by packing their bags, others run away by standing in one place too long."

Which one do you want to be?



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