Publicity Tools

Attracting an audience will not happen by itself. It needs frequent and consistent information being in front of your target audience. It's time to get planning!

This sheet tells you which tools to use as part of your Marketing Plan. Read it in conjunction with the Publicity Planning sheet and your Show Sheet.

The main methods you should use for every show:

Marketing Sheets

You will receive a 'Marketing Sheet' 8 weeks before your show date. It contains detailed information about the show, who to sell tickets to and where you can find further information. Promoters have found them useful when writing Press Releases. Please note that they are NOT meant for the public to see, so please don't pin them up on notice boards, etc.

Word of mouth

Long before you have the posters and leaflets get people excited about the show. Talk about it, keep talking about it, let everyone know and create a ‘buzz’.

Promoter tip – "Get the local rumour network going about the show"

Posters and Leaflets

You will receive these approx. 8 weeks before your show. Posters and leaflets alone don’t sell tickets - they remind. However, if you use them in the right place they can work as part of your publicity. Think about the best way to use them and remember: “a leaflet in the hand is worth two in the (dusty) pile’’. Hand out leaflets at local meetings and at other shows, find a good foyer or shop window to have a large display of posters, preferably where tickets can also be bought, or do a leaflet drop door-to-door around the community.

Posters, stickers or bills that are put up without the permission of the property owner is 'fly-posting'. Fly-posting is a criminal offence. Your local authority will have an advice page on their website about fly-posting (and an opportunity for it to be reported!).

Our advice: ASK PERMISSION

Promoter tip – "People need to see a poster/leaflet about an event three times before it registers."

Press Release

Forget about paying for advertising – this is free! Read the Press & Media page in this section of the Promoter Handbook for information on how to promote your show using local newspapers, parish magazines and community newsletters.

Letters

Create a mailing list so you can send a personal letter and a leaflet, e.g. to the pupils at a local school or to members of a local folk club - and always try to follow it up with a phone call. And don't forget to use the information about the performance on your Marketing Sheet.

E-mail

Create an E-mailing List. It is a free way of getting your message out and one you can do several times in the run-up to the performance to remind people. Make sure to include a link to your Event Details page on the Live & Local website and to your own village website if you have one. ASK PEOPLE TO FORWARD the message to their friends and it gets to an even bigger audience. Alternatively, copy the pictures and information from your Live & Local Event Details page to use in your own way.

Social Media

 

Live & Local Network

With nearly 200 Promoters across the West and East Midlands there are plenty of people who will be more than willing to share their experience, ideas and audience. Talk to your neighbouring Promoter - they may well agree to sell some tickets, put posters up, hand leaflets out or even to lend you a stage! Take a look at the Using Your Local Promoter Network page for more ideas about making use of this network.

How does Live & Local help you carry this out?

Information

It’s our job to find out as much as we can about each show and to keep you updated as the date of your show gets nearer. We send a Marketing Sheet along with a publicity image out to you 8 weeks before your show.

Posters and leaflets          

These are supplied by the performers or created in–house by us. You will get these 6 weeks before the show.

Tickets

We supply you with professionally printed tickets and a suggested Box Office System. You will receive these 6 weeks before the show. We provide Ticket Sellers Notes with your tickets that you can give to your ticket sellers. They give a brief description of the show with other details such as the length of the show and who the show is suitable for.

Press and Mailing Lists

Your show will be listed in What’s On section on our website, in general press releases and we keep reminding our e-mailing list about your shows. All this helps to draw in an audience from further afield and boosts your ticket sales.

Live & Local Website

Use the website to find out more information about your show and for a link to the company's website. Direct your audiences and local press to your Event Details page and find out which other local venues have shows near you so you can get your leaflets to them and advertise your event at their shows!

Tips and Advice

Here are some tried and tested tips from other Promoters.

• Have a plan of what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it and who’s going to do which bits of it;
• Tell influential (and enthusiastic) local people about the show;
• Get the message out to your target audience at least 3 times before the show;
• Use local opportunities (and call in favours) – local events, friends, colleagues and businesses - to get the word out.

 

Who is the target audience? 

• Use the information provided in the Menu and on the marketing sheet;
• Think about local interest groups that the show might appeal to, e.g. for a children’s show target schools, parent groups, brownies, youth groups;
• Consider how you will tailor your marketing plan to reach your target audiences.

 

How to build a regular and loyal audience

• Try to involve all of the committee in the event (even if it’s just small jobs);
• Create ambiance to encourage people to come back. Small things can contribute to the quality of events – nibbles, decorations etc;
• Create a wow factor!
• Publicity – keep doing it and repeat in multiple forms;
• Remind people of the success of previous shows – reviews, news stories etc;
• Ask your community what type of shows they would like to see next time;
• Use the personal touch – phone calls / personal notes attached to flyers;
• Speak to key people who have lots of contacts within the community;
• Get each member of your committee to target/sell tickets to a specific area/part of the village;
• Gather information about regular attenders – create an e-mail list and use this to send information;
• Work with other local groups and halls;
• Distribute regular locally ‘branded’ information about all village hall events.

 

Different ways of promoting the show

• Create an email list;
• Use community/venue websites;
• LOUD methods – an A-board outside the venue or even a sandwich board and bell!
• Ask the milkman to deliver flyers for you;
• Get kids involved by asking them to make posters;
• Speak to the community about the show, tell everyone you meet!
• Use the local radio and press – it’s free;
• Run workshops alongside events – perhaps link with the local school;
• Speak/present to groups that use the hall, go to large events taking place in local hubs and speak to them;
• Have food/nibbles as an incentive for people to come, make it more of a ‘do’
• Write to schools if promoting a kids show;
• Offer transport to the elderly;
• Get lots of people involved – make them feel special and wanted and then they will bring their friends along;
• Sell tickets in tables of eight;
• Think beyond the village – market to neighboring communities;
• Ask a shop/pub in the village to sell tickets;
• When posting / giving a customer their tickets, give them some leaflets and ask them to display them or give to people to help promote the show.

 

Ways to encourage people to book earlier

• If a previous show has sold out, tell people;
• Provide ‘Early Bird’ discounts;
• When you have a show, ensure tickets for your next event are for sale - even if the shows are months apart you can start to promote the next one. Use a leaflet with info about the next show that doubles up as a discount voucher for that event;
• Use a personal approach.

 

What to do if there are no bookings with less than a week to go

• See What to do if tickets aren’t selling section of the Handbook;
• Contact Live & Local;
• Get back to the people who have already booked and ask if they can spread the word/ bring others;
• Contact local radio stations and local press;
• Offer discounts – group offers;
• Use your mailing list;
• Contact your local Arts Officer;
• Contact other nearby promoters;
• Talk to ticket sellers, pubs, shops, libraries etc;
• Face to face selling – make sure EVERYONE knows about the show.