Promoting a Music Festival & Concert with some Top Tips to help you move forward!
The world is changing and so is the way we promote a festival, show, or event. So it's time for change…
Taking a step back and seeing how the world has changed over the past year if you looking to put on your festival or you are at the next stage of your event, this article looks at some points to help you move forward!
We’ve all heard the term “If you build it, they will come”.
Well, with music shows and festivals, this is not the case. Especially if you don’t have big artists' on the lineup. Once you’ve booked the venue and performers, it’s time to get promoting. This process should start as early as possible.
Whether you are planning to make a career out of music promoting or you're looking at the DIY approach, there is a lot of work involved.
Sometimes, the promotion and PR gets pushed to the bottom of the list, which can be to the detriment of your, show, or festival.
Don’t neglect physical advertising!
Around 45% of all advertising is expected to be online. We spend a lot of our time on the Internet and our smartphones!
Yet sometimes, traditional methods are still the best, reaching a local audience is one of the best benefits. It doesn’t get more traditional for a music event than physical advertising, posters, flyers & street team, etc.
A concert/festival poster is essential. It’s a golden opportunity to grab people’s attention. And you can usually put up posters for free in many relevant places (you just have to ask) with a BIG smile and friendly attitude.
People tend to block out most forms of advertising.
There are plenty of people at music stores, clubs, venues, pubs, and bars who are happy to pay attention to what bands and artists are playing.
Physical advertising may only cost you the price of printing. Placed (with permission) in the right location, it is still very effective, creating a “memory peg” for a more lasting impression with your current and the future audience going forward.
Really Involve your performers to the max!
You need to be careful to do this in a way that doesn’t annoy or isolate the performers you have already booked. Some music promoters will only allow bands to play if they promise to sell a certain amount of tickets to fans.
This isn’t a good way to keep on the good side of your performers, but I beleieve its a nesssary for, bands & artists to take responsabilty especaily at the begining of there career to do all they can!
When you book your bands or artists, speak to them about ways they can help you to promote your show/festival. Bands want to play in front of as many people as possible, so it is in their interest as well to get their fans to come along it makes great sense.
It really doesn’t take much effort to share a gig/show on social media or to an email marketing list. The better you carry out the other steps of promotion such as creating great artwork, the easier it will be to convince people to share.
Make booking tickets as easy as possible...
Have you ever been redirected to a ticketing site that looked really unprofessional?
There is NO excuse to not have a system in place for people to buy tickets for your event.
Once you’ve done the hard work of making your event sound appealing, don’t give customers a reason to move away.
An untrustworthy site, poor choice of payment methods, or a confusing checkout process can lead to a lost sale, this is not a good start!
I would consider paid ads if the budget allows!
Profit margins can be tight when it comes to putting on any kind of event today. So it is easy to see why promoters can be reluctant to spend money at the outset, this can be very tight!
Fortunately, you can tailor paid advertising so specifically, that even a small outlay can result in bodies through the door if you do it right.
You must be on social media…
Making the most of social media is a real no-brainer. It is free, and there are plenty of ways to share your event.
It doesn’t have to become full-time, but even simply using an event page with and inviting people via social media can be powerful.
Around 41% of Facebook users interact with event pages each month.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the three main social media platforms for most but consider your target demographic.
Use the press and free listings…
Event listing websites are normally free of charge. It’s also where plenty of people go to find gigs & events!
On a more local scale, a search for “gig listings [the town your event is in]” will show you any local listing options. Work out how to get in touch with these and share your own event, it works really well.
Provide photos, artwork, and as much information as you can (without writing an essay).
The press in the area can also be a powerful tool. This is a little more of a “hit and miss”, but it is worth approaching local newspapers and radio stations. A lot of local press is really happy to have something to share.
Attention to detail for your event artwork!
Most of the methods used to promote a music event involve something visual. Your advert, your listing on an event website, and your poster all need to look professional.
If people see an unprofessional poster, flyer, or advert, it is natural to draw the conclusion that the event will be unprofessional.
But, some graphic or art students will even be willing to create artwork and promotional material for a discounted rate for your event.
I have done this many times and works really well.
Time to get promoting your festival!
There are many, many ways to successfully promote your music event.
You’ll probably find that you favor one social media platform. This is fine, as long as you are reaching out and covering multiple marketing areas.
Taking action is the most important step for promoting your show. Be relentless, professional, and contact as many people as you can to build a great buzz for your show/festival!
By Pete Moore
