I’ve been doing large scale event promotion for over 20 years, and developed a very specific, choreographed approach that is not recorded elsewhere. I learned this through years of “doing it,” making improvements every year, viewing stats, and participants, and finessing my approach in real time. This method of promoting large public1 events works, especially for things like annual festivals, but the method may be adapted to other events too.
First, here’s the emotional philosophy, which is like a dance. The dance is everything, because events are built to create and carry on positive vibes2.
All event promotion does 3 Key Things for the viewer of your marketing, in a continual, spiraling cycle that crescendos approximately 1-4 days prior to the event:
- reflects energy
- educates audience on features, logistics, and desired behaviors
- recognizes and reflects happy participants (IE, shows new people “how it’s done” and helps long-time fans see themselves with you again).
With that said, aim to make every piece of collateral a gift to your audience, whether they buy anything immediately or not.
If you are making art inside your marketing, not “hooks” to catch people, you can feel awesome about your work, and attract the highest-quality visitors.
I’m telling you now, if you do these things, the tickets will sell themselves, and/or people will show up when it’s time if a “door” event. We are not aiming at post like and engagement per se3, we are aiming at REAL live people showing up to share in something good.
So sometimes, your posts may land like duds on the Internet, but be fire in real life. This is to be expected and FINE.
That’s an event: people arriving in person, not engaging with posts4 which can be done from anyone’s bathroom by moving some fingers around a screen.
Timing is everything: how to roll out digital marketing over time
FIRST (preferably right after your event closes for the year) : Pull together a find-able5 web location (website, event listing and/or other fairly static place) that includes all the basic details like:
- Name
- Tagline/Quick Description
- Date
- Location
- Featured artists and/or activities (if available)
- Ticketing info & links OR
- Sign up CTA (call to action) for more news or ask for a follow, or (better still) an email address or text.
In all digital media presentations, check that your images are inherently beautiful in composition, in subject matter, or some other way. This often means, natural, colorful, and/or expressing ENERGY like dancing, smiling, or movement.
NEXT: Tell your current audience, friends, family and community that the event is happening. Ask them to tell friends, and share links to “sign up” and “learn more.” This is like an MC saying “let the fun begin and I need YOU!” This can be done a year ahead
PRESS RELEASE: Write a narrative-style, fact-laden press release that includes the above basics within a copy written construct that enables the reader to 1) feel like they are there and 2) has all the details, AND a link to more details.
Get this Press Release out to friendly editors, event guides, and also send to all regional calendar listing agents to get your event on their radar.
In all Press Releases, formal or informal, include one solid photo of your event and include photo crediting information, and who to contact for more high resolution images and details.
If you make it easy for the press to cover you, they will. They need quality content too.
3-6 MONTHS OUT: also run a suite of Digital Ads on Meta and/or Google that:
- announces the event as extraordinary, well-loved, annual, or brand new
- gathers leads/signups for new folks by targeting a slightly expanded audience from your most loyal fans.
- includes a way for folks to feel they are on the early “inside” like by selling Early Bird Access, or Family & Friends discounted tickets, or similar. If this does not make sense, then this is the time to invite vendors and photographers, volunteers, and other people who will be invested in your success. They are your audience too, and often, your greatest promoters!
Advertising an event is no time to be lukewarm or so cool.
Seriously, people are hungry for energy. Give it to them in every single communication. You are inviting them to a party, you need to treat it as a fun, loving place to be, and they’ll come bringing the party.
This is YOUR way of supporting the stars of the even
I’m going to pause here. I think this is going to be much longer than one post. Maybe a training is in order next. EMAIL ME HERE if you are interested in learning more. Please mention “Event Marketing” in your subject line.
FOOTNOTES
- 500 – 10K + visitors ↩︎
- If you want your event to have any other kind of vibes but those of love and celebration, you may not use these tips. ↩︎
- If you aim at higher stats as provided to you by Social Media companies, you are building their empires, not necessarily your own. Please be cognizant of the difference. ↩︎
- See further exploration on this here in “Stories v. Stats” ↩︎
- Find-able in this case means it is easy to find on a Google search. ↩︎
