Festival season is approaching, and after almost two years of cancellations and disruption, many music fans are looking forward to attending live events and watching their favorite artists in action. If you’re planning a large-scale event, or you’re looking to organize an event to create a buzz around your own music, here are some tips to get people talking and send ticket sales soaring.
Get social
Social media is a fantastic platform for promoting events and advertising tickets. If you don’t already have social media accounts and profiles, it’s a great idea to set up a new account and start posting content to build anticipation and let people know exactly what you’re planning. Choose platforms that are popular among your target audience, for example, Instagram for 16-40-year-olds. Use market research to find out more about your ideal customer and how they spend time online. You can use the findings of surveys, focus groups and online polls to choose marketing methods and social channels and gather information related to pricing and what kinds of promotions are most likely to encourage people to buy.
Social media is a powerful marketing tool, but it also provides incredible opportunities for musicians, bands, promoters and event planners to get to know customers better and to establish strong relationships. Use social platforms to provide information about the event, encourage followers to connect with others who are interested and start building relationships with the audience.
Prioritize clarity
When people read or hear about events, such as festivals and gigs, they often have questions and they want answers before they buy tickets or book seats. Prioritize clarity when marketing your event. Let people know the date, the time, the location and venue, the artists performing and the start and finish times. Add information about ticket prices, payment plans and transport and accommodation, and include contact details on every post, flyer or email to ensure that people who still have queries can contact you.
Spread the word online
Most people now use search engines, social feeds or news platforms to access information and find out more about events. The beauty of online marketing is that you don’t need a huge budget or the latest technology to spread the word. Post blog articles that are optimized for keyword research, share social media posts and create an email contact list. If you have a computer, a smartphone or a tablet, you can keep in touch with prospective buyers and respond to queries, no matter where you are or what time of day it is. If you encounter tech problems, such as slow connection speeds or a laptop not charging, use online guides and forums to address the issue as quickly as possible and keep checking social accounts, email and enquiries through your website. Once you start generating hype among your audience, you can encourage followers and subscribers to share content and tell their friends about upcoming events.
Don’t forget local audiences
Online marketing is a brilliant tool for event organizers and musicians and artists, but it’s not the only way to attract attention, especially if you are targeting a local audience. If you want to encourage residents to attend a festival on their doorstep, or you’re planning a small, intimate gig, using traditional marketing methods can be hugely beneficial. Print flyers to post through mailboxes, take out adverts in local papers and magazines and ask local businesses to promote or support your event.
You can also use local SEO (search engine optimization) to drive traffic to your website or social feeds. If people in the area are looking for festivals near them, or they want to know what’s going on during the summer, for example, you can use optimized content to climb the search rankings. If you’re not experienced in SEO, you could consider hiring a digital marketing agency or working with freelancers who have expertise in this area. It’s also an excellent idea to contact local and community websites and newspapers that have sections dedicated to events and activities and to advertise through community-based social media groups. People often like to share posts with friends and family or tag people they know who might like to attend when they see adverts for festivals, shows, concerts or gigs.
Events are back on, and many of us are looking forward to a packed schedule of gigs, shows and festivals. If you’re planning an event, it’s essential to create a buzz and encourage people to buy tickets and bring their friends and family members. There are several ways to spread the word, build anticipation and connect with audiences that are likely to have an interest in your event. Use social media, spread the word online and target local audiences.
