Social media is an indispensable tool for comedians to build fan bases and sell tickets. It’s also a ton of work and frequent frustration. Enter digital marketing agency UpHigh, which represents such marquee names in comedy as Ken Jeong, Matteo Lane and Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, and has launched two platforms to “replace and unify marketing strategies, fan engagement, and data insights — all into one streamlined hub,” according to the company.
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The online platforms, UpNex and UpHigh University, are intended to transform how comedians and touring entertainers navigate digital marketing and addressing the most pressing challenges of today’s online landscape.
“From high-level marketing tools to fan engagement essentials, UpNex consolidates everything into one intuitive dashboard,” according to an UpHigh release. “Users can seamlessly integrate and schedule social media content, track event listings and ticketing trends, manage email lists and community platforms, sync with Shopify and other merch storefronts, and tap into robust analytics powered by AI. With full integration across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, it’s a game-changer for comedians, their managers, and agents alike.”
“UpNex was built to help artists and their teams take control of their data, connect with fans, and grow their audience all in one powerful, easy-to-use tool,” UpHigh founder/CEO Ryan Handelsman said in a statement. “It takes fragmented data from social platforms, analytics, communication tools, and more, funneling it into a single user-friendly location.”
“UpHigh has done incredible work with our clients over the years when it comes to managing their social presence and navigating the ever-changing algorithms,” said Rachel Helix — a manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, whose comedy clients include JR De Guzman — in a statement. “The introduction of UpNex is an exciting and natural step that will help to keep the power of data at work for the artist in a more seamless way. After previewing the platform, I’m very excited to onboard my clients and to put this all-encompassing tool to work for their careers.”
“Social media started as something fun but quickly turned into a business I didn’t understand — and don’t necessarily want to become an expert in,” said Johnson-Reyes. “However, the business I am in, that I want to focus on, needs expertise in social media. I am so grateful to the team at UpHigh for allowing me the opportunity to focus on my true craft while trusting that my social media ‘business’ is taken care of, growing, and thriving.”
UpNex costs a base fee of $97, and the company says the artists retain all of their data, which is stored in a secure online warehouse. More information can be found here.
The second platform, UpHigh University, is designed as a hands-on learning tool to teach entertainers the skills needed to navigate the ever-evolving world of social media, including, according to the release, “best practices for handling complex social media algorithms, content creation, posting strategies, audience engagement, monetization, and more. Students receive clear, actionable steps to overcome common social media challenges, including low engagement, changing algorithms, and stagnant follower counts.”
UpHigh University offers two educational programs: Crash Course Start in Comedy — a free, prerecorded class intended to teach students the basic tools needed to build a comedic brand and online presence — and Master Your Craft, which includes live training sessions, Q&A events, and three workshops tailored to specific challenges. Tier One, Foundation for Growth, costs $79/month; Tier Two, Acceleration for Growth is $99/month and gives subscribers access to an interactive component where they can brainstorm ideas, submit questions and “get real-time feedback from peers and experts.” Tier Three, Ready to Go Pro, currently has a waitlist. More information can be found here.
