It’s a scenario most promoters know all too well – you’re certain an event is going to be a blockbuster sell-out, but a few weeks out from the event ticket sales just aren’t where they should be.
At this point it can feel like no amount of last-minute marketing activity can flick the needle. Hindsight truly is a beautiful thing, but to avoid getting stuck in this nightmare it’s essential to invest in your marketing from day one.
According to Michael Julian, the Head of Elrow North America and CMO at Electric Zoo / MADE Festival, the biggest ‘marketing moment’ of any festival is the event itself. You’ve produced a great show and fans are desperate for more – they’re actively telling their friends how much fun they’ve had, and how they can’t wait to come back.
“That’s the time to invest,” says Michael. The content you share and promote during this time adds context to those organic conversations taking place between fans. Without it, you’re paving the way for your competitors to swoop in and capitalize on the hype your event has created.
As time goes on, fans’ calendars start to fill up and bank balances are allocated elsewhere – this is why it’s essential to get those fans across the line as soon as possible. And the sooner fans get hold of their tickets, the longer they spend telling their friends about your event.
“The sooner fans get hold of their tickets, the longer they spend telling their friends about your event”
When you’re advertising your festival several months out, Michael says the focus should be on engagement rather than individual sales or the cost per ticket sold. This is because you know for each ticket sold, that person is likely to recommend your event to more and more people – “for the next 286 days, they're your number one promoter”.
Going hard early on doesn’t mean replacing initiatives further down the track like artist-led content campaigns or social media takeovers. And With an extended campaign cycle and a boost in early ticket numbers you’re free to experiment with a wider variety of marketing tactics later on. “Whatever happens, you’ve got to bring a lot of quality in throughout the journey,” says Michael.
Using Audience Republic’s presale registration platform, you can leverage the hype around your launch to reach more fans and collect more first-party data like email addresses and phone numbers. Capturing data like this helps reduce advertising costs for the remainder of the campaign and for future events too. Reach fans directly via email and SMS to promote your events, rather relying so heavily on Facebook & Instagram ads.
Learn how the presale registration platform works, schedule a demo with one of our team today.
