This week I continue my discussion of using offline event promotion ideas. In Part One we discussed the importance of targeting specific audiences for your event marketing efforts. No matter whether you are using offline or online channels, the importance of targeting cannot be overstated. Part one addressed radio, television, media partners, event flyers and posters as part of your any offline event promotion strategy.
Other Offline Media Channels for Event Promotion
Billboards as an Event Promotion Tool
Billboards advertising is a great way to promote your event. The cost is relatively low, and it can reach many people traveling past them. If you want to get the maximum impact for your money, you’ll want to be strategic about where you place them.
The location of the billboard will influence how many people see it, so take advantage of high-traffic areas. You don’t need access permission from businesses or landowners for existing billboards leased by billboard companies. However, if you’re looking for a particular location (like near businesses that cater specifically to your target audience), contact them ahead of time and ask their permission first before buying ad space on any billboards nearby their buildings or properties.
When it comes to billboard placement, you’ll also want to consider the time of day your audience is most likely passing by on their way home from work or school. You can purchase billboard space in a high-traffic area for a relatively low price, so it’s worth considering if you want to get the most bang for your buck. However, make sure to plan since most billboards have long lead times before they’re due.
Billboards come in a variety of sizes. There are what we think about billboards which are static in nature which in many places are being replaced with digital billboards. Digital billboards allow billboard companies to share the billboard with multiple advertisers by changing the content at periodic intervals. Digital billboards can also provide motion to the advertisement and are also more likely to be viewed by passing motorists.
Blip is a great affordable platform to get started on your digital billboards. Blip’s pricing is based on the locations(s) and time(s) you choose. They charge for each 7.5 to 10 second exposure on a rotating digital billboard.
Portable roadside signs are an option as well in you have a good place to put it. While most only permit words, some have a flashing directional arrow. If you have a great location and a big budget than a mobile LED video wall can be located on it. That provides any functionality you need to market your event. They are very expensive to purchase or rent though.
Using Promotional Partners for Event Marketing
Promotional partners are businesses that you can partner with to promote your event. They are often companies that want to reach the same audience as you, like other event planners or local businesses. They’re also typically willing to help in exchange for a discount on tickets or other benefits like free food and drinks at the event itself. The best promotional partners will be able to offer some form of value beyond basic advertising channels, for example. providing discounted transportation options or providing entertainment during set changes.
To find a good event promotional partner:
- Find out if any local businesses would benefit from promoting your event by looking at their website and social media platforms, especially Twitter or Instagram where they may have posted photos related to similar events they’ve attended in the past year.
- Determine if their market is a good fit with the audience you are targeting.
- Contact those companies directly via email or phone call, asking what type of help they would provide in exchange for being listed on your website under “Promotional Partners.” Make sure their contributions are something worth offering, though—if all you’re able to check off is “social media promotion,” it might not be worth doing unless there’s some sort of additional benefit involved like free food/drinks during the show!
Direct Mail as a Tactic for Event Promotion
Direct mail is a fast and effective way to get your promotional material to hundreds, thousands or even millions of potential concertgoers. Unlike email you are delivering a tangible item with a longer shelf life. Quality pieces may stay in sight for days or longer after it’s first viewed. Because direct mail is something that can be held and felt, it elicits more engagement that viewing something on a screen.
When you choose direct mail as a marketing tool for your live music event, you’ll have the ability to target your audience by selecting from a variety of mailing lists that are available from both traditional and online sources. You can also create and use your own mailing list if you already have one in place.
Direct mail provides an opportunity to reach people who aren’t on social media or don’t frequently visit websites where they would see digital advertisements promoting live events like yours.
The first step to sending out direct mail pieces is to compile a list of potential recipients. There are many companies that allow you to target who gets the mailing down to the zip code level. The sophistication of big data companies, which compile information on consumers from both online and offline sources, also allow targeting consumers based on a large amount of online data about people’s digital footprints that allows targeting based on an individual’s preferences and personality.
Once you’ve compiled a target list, it’s time to create the mailer itself. You’ll want it to include a catchy headline that grabs attention and gets them excited about attending your event (e.g., “Last chance!”) and an invitation explaining where and when your event will take place (e.g., 12 p.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, July 30th at Venue Name).
By taking the time to understand the benefits of direct mailing and how it can help promote your concert, you will be able to reach more people than ever before. The best part about direct mail is that it gives you complete control over how your promotional material is distributed, so you can tailor it to fit your needs and preferences as well as save money by using less expensive postage options like bulk rate. The biggest downside of direct mail is the cost to print and mail your event promotion piece. That’s the reason email has replaced direct mail for many marketing agencies.
Using Newspaper/Magazine Advertising for Events
Newspaper and magazine advertising is a great way to get the word out about your live music event. You can target specific demographics by the print medium you select for advertising. A good ad can describe your whole package, and make your ad stand out from the crowd—if it’s done right.
A good newspaper or magazine ad can make the difference between selling tickets and giving them away for free. The key to getting people to view your ad, read it and act is to create something that is eye-catching and relevant. A catchy headline is an essential part of any newspaper or magazine advertisement. It should get your point across in a few words or less, but still be clever enough to attract the reader’s attention. It’s also important the headline reflects what you are offering – if you’re promoting a concert, make sure it says something about the event.
Here are some tips for creating an effective newspaper or magazine ad:
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- Make your ad stand out: When it comes to newspaper/magazine advertising for promoting live music events, one of the most important things you can do is make sure that your ad stands out from others. This can be done by using a different font, color, layout and the right graphic. You could also try using an illustration rather than an image or vice versa (or both). If your ad is too busy, readers may not fully absorb the message that you are trying to convey. They may also be confused about what message conveyed because of all the visual information on display.
- Describe the whole package: A well-designed ad that includes all the following elements will help you attract more attendees:
- A description of the event, including a brief description of what it is and who will be performing.
- The date, time, and location of your event.
- A call to action for readers (e.g., “See this show! Tickets available here” “Scan for Tickets”).
- A photo or illustration that shows what kind of experience people can expect from attending your event (e.g., if it’s a concert, include photos from previous shows).
- Place your ad in a section likely to be seen by your target audience: It’s a good idea to review the section in which your ad will appear. This will help you choose the right category and placement. If you are targeting a specific demographic, place your ad in the right section of the newspaper or a magazine they read.
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If you’re advertising to an audience interested in music events, then it may be more effective to place your ad near articles about live music performances than it would be if you placed them near articles about sports games or other topics unrelated to live performances. Finally, if your target market is primarily located within proximity of where your event will be taking place, such as those living in Austin, Texas, then it would make sense to place your advertisement closer towards the front or back pages of newspapers/magazines published by local publications catering specifically towards Austin residents rather than national publications whose readership covers all over America.
Using Guerrilla Marketing & Street Teams for Event Marketing
Guerrilla marketing is a type of marketing that uses surprise and unconventional methods to promote an event. It’s effective because it’s unexpected and gets people talking. If you want to promote your live music event, guerrilla marketing may be the way to go! Here’s where word of mouth promotion is critical. There are many examples of effective guerrilla marketing tactics. A good one is the photo bombing by Fiji water at the Golden Globes.
Another one is Bounty’s Use of Life-sized messes in on the streets of New York City.
The most credible offline channel is word of mouth, which relies on people talking about your event to their friends or colleagues. If someone says something positive about your event, it’s likely that those people will want to know more and come along too.
Word of mouth marketing through actual talking or social media posts are effective because it doesn’t rely on one person at a time but spreads through a network of people connected socially or professionally. This means that if someone tells you that they went to an event with their friend and enjoyed it, then you may be more likely to go as well! Another term for this is “viral marketing.” For specific tactics, you can find more here.
To start, you need to choose the places where you will promote your concert through Guerilla marketing tactics. The key is to choose easily accessible locations where people of your target market may be found or will result in publicity and social media mentions because of the tactic used.
Using a Street Team to Promote a Concert
You can hire a street team to promote your event. Basically, a street team is a group of people who go out into the streets to promote and event. It’s important you do this since there are many local businesses and organizations (as well as other musicians) who will be competing for your target audience’s attention. If you want to make sure your concert is successful and bring in more attendees than other events happening around town, it’s wise to invest in hiring a professional street team to go out into the community and spread awareness about your event.
If you don’t have the money or resources available to hire a professional street team, consider organizing one yourself! You can reach out on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter and ask people if they would be interested in helping promote your event by handing out flyers and giving information at events happening around town. You can also set up reward systems for your street team that include free or discounted admission to your event, tee shirts, food, or other incentives.
The only thing that can truly be said about guerrilla marketing is that it involves creativity and a lot of hard work. There are no shortcuts to success when it comes to promoting your live music event, but if you want it bad enough then nothing will stop you from achieving your goals. The best part about guerrilla marketing is that there are no limits to what you can do with this type of advertising because there are so many ways in which it can be done.
Earned Media Use for Promoting Live Events
The cheapest event promotion strategy is what is called “earned” media, as opposed to “paid media,” i.e., paid advertising. Earned media is publicity that you get that you don’t need to pay for. It takes the form of PR news releases, article written or posted about you event, as well as using viral marketing so people spread the word to their personal or online networks about your concert, festival, or other live event. Guerilla marketing is a great way to generate earned media for any live entertainment event.
Telemarketing Use to Promote Live Events
Telemarketing companies tout the use of their services as a highly effective strategy to promote events. Their claims of the personal touch through one-on-one communications to boost sales and process registrations to events is highly suspect, given people’s reactions to telemarketing calls. Modern telemarketers claim they can target the specific people you want at your event. In today’s environment of overwhelming spam calls, I would not recommend telemarketing to promote your event.
No Matter Which Offline Event Promotion Channels You Use, Remember Your Audience
Any channel you use should target a specific audience, luxury homeowners in a specific area, past live event attendees, families with small children, for instance. Remember it’s better to address on one audience clearly than to muddle your message by trying to resonate with several at once. That’s why using buyer personas can help you with finding the right message to a specific segment of your target market.
Event Marketing with TSE Entertainment
We hope you’ve found this blog helpful as you plan your next event. Remember the best way to promote an event is targeting and by being creative. Don’t forget about the tried-and-true methods event promotion tactics that may be better suited for some situations. Offline channels like newspaper and radio ads can be great ways to reach out to people who aren’t necessarily looking for events on social media. If you want a full-service entertainment agency that can provide all of the services you need, including event promotion, consider TSE Entertainment. We can also provide more specific advice on how to promote an event online or offline. Contact our team today!
Related Posts:
How to Promote Your Live Event: The Importance of a Dedicated Website
7 Event Marketing Strategies for Your Next Concert Promotion