BOCA RATON – Comedian Mike Vecchione uses social media for more than self promotion.
He now treats platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as a proving ground for new material.
“It’s a good way to test if a joke works,” said Vecchione, following his Jan. 19 headlining performance at the Boca Raton Farmer’s Table for Comics Crushing Cancer. “It’s a good way also if you have a kernel of a joke, to try it out and see what people think of it.”
It’s a practice that runs in stark contrast to many comedians, who tend to withhold bits from social media until they are complete and generate audible laughter.
The process is relatively new for Vecchione.
Until a few months ago he would post those aforementioned finished performance bits, but a new social media manager convinced him that posting video of himself more regularly would increase his overall social media presence.
“You need to put out content every day, so whatever it takes,” Vecchione said.
There are no mafia families in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/xE2F58HIsv
— Mike Vecchione (@ComicMikeV) January 16, 2023
That daily content is often a simple tight shot of Vechhione’ face, with him delivering a portion of the joke he’s currently writing.
“It’s interesting to see what the reaction is online, what works online,” Vecchione said. “We all want to be successful online to sell tickets.”
If Vecchione gets a good response from a new social media post, he’ll take that kernel and start working through it on stage.
Once he gets the bit where he wants it, it’s back to social media to share the full bit.
“The real question is, When you work something out onstage, how long until you release it?” Vecchione said. “I think the answer now is you just release it right away.”
It’s a process he believes could work well for those early in their comedy career.
“It depends where you are at,” Vecchione said. “If you already have a huge draw you don’t want to give away all the material. You want to wait for that hour everybody’s waiting for. But if you haven’t broken through yet, I think that you release the material and when you are ready to do the hour just put it in the hour.”
Vecchione’s hour is almost here.
In a few weeks he intends to release his own comedy special entitled “The Attractives.”
Produced and directed by comedian Nate Bargatze in association with 800 pound gorilla, “The Attractives” will likely debut on YouTube.
“They did a great job with it,” Vecchione said. “I’m really proud of it.”
