Advertising for Shows
Sunday October 28, 2007
A show promoter's number one job is to get customers to the show. What is the best way a promoter can advertise a show?
Television and radio advertising can be very effective; however, these are expensive ways to attract crowds. Direct mail can
also be an effective way to get buyers to the show, especially if the promoter has an established mailing list of previous
attendees. Banners, balloons and signage seem to be the marketing approach of choice to get customers to the event, however,
as we all know, sometime this just isn't enough. If you had the chance to give some advice to a promoter before the show,
what would you suggest to help them do their job of getting people to the show?
Comments
What would I suggest to help promoters with their advertising efforts? I would have to say think big, reach out beyond your local community, city or county. Do more target marketing to people who come to shows verses anyone who reads the newspaper, for example. If you want people who go to shows come to your show, go to where these people shop - i.e. craft boutiques and antique stores - get a simple yet informative flier in the store and see what happens. Create excitement and incentives for customers to come to your show. What sets your show apart from all the others that occur the same day as yours and put that in your advertisements. And lastly don’t wait until last minute to advertise. Do subtle advertising 3 weeks before a show, press releases and such 2 weeks before a show, and 1 week before a show do road signs, sandwich board signs and balloons right outside the event location.
Here’s a few tips:
1) Contact your local newspaper if they’d want to run a story on your market. This is a free publicity for you if they do decide to do a story on your market.
2) Of course don’t forget holidayers’ magazines too. we have a few around our area (illawarra in NSW, Australia) and they are all too happy to run free ads for your market because it’s a holiday attraction for them.
3) Sometimes I visit other markets happening before mine, to distibute my own fliers advertising my market. You might pick up some more stallholders that way too.
4) Ask your current stallholders if they can advertise and give out fliers too. Some of these stallholders are professionals, so they attend and sell their crafts in other markets too.
Good Luck!