[Follow Rank: Frozen Foods IslePoints: 10568.75]

Promoting shows is a constantly evolving game, and there are a lot of different strategies to achieve it. I’m a big fan of creative marketing ideas that are cheap and engaging. People who have worked with me over the years know that I like to stir the pot, and it works really well for marketing purposes.

I’m going to share some of my favorite methods for promoting shows off the top of my head and then come back to add more over time. If some of you dear visitors chime in we can create the collective bible of DIY concert promotion.

Selling Tickets 101

Full disclosure: I’m still a small time promoter. I just have a lot of ideas.

Collaboration

My favorite way to sell concert tickets is by creating collaborative content with the artists who are performing. Whether this is interviews, which are my bread and butter, or creative video content. It works wonders and it creates genuine value outside of advertisement. Doing collaborative work improves the overall spirit of a production and not only makes it seem like a bigger deal, it also makes it more rewarding for the people involved.

Starting Fake Beefs

Extra Chill’s most successful marketing scheme to date has been the fake beef between Nordista Freeze and Daddy’s Beemer that we used to promote our show at Royal American with Nordista Freeze in February 2020. People were really engaged with the plot, which was entirely invented and not really discussed but everybody was in on it. It worked and it was one of Extra Chill’s most successful events to date. Learn more about that here.

Collecting Emails

This is part of a long term strategy. Collect those emails. Over time, it snowballs into more and more people who you have direct access to communicating with. These are your number one supporters, or at least the ones who want to hear the information directly from the source. Email subscribers take the least amount of convincing to get them to press play or buy something.

Ads

Yes, ads. Buying ads works. Especially social media ads when it comes to selling concert tickets. Because your fans spend their time on social media. The bad thing about it is that it contributes to the social media masses. They have developed a pay-to-play algorithm where you can’t easily reach an audience if you’re trying to sell something unless you pay for an ad. It’s the unfortunate reality of the internet in 2024. Unless you are an algorithm-cracker (think Noah Kahan), which must of us are not.

Handing Out Flyers

This is such an old school method that is overlooked in the game of promoting concerts. Printing small, pocket-sized promotional flyers that have all the information needed to attend a show. Then, go out and show your face as much as possible in town during the weeks leading up to your show, and carry the flyers around with you.

Not only will people literally see you out and be reminded of your event subconsciously (if they know about it), you will also have the opportunity to hand out flyers to strangers. Those same strangers might be looking for something to do on the night of your show.

Hanging Posters

This one is also old school and it works. The more obvious locations the better. For instance, I saw one time that Easy Honey postered up the entirety of electrical poles on Calhoun street. They wrapped the poles completely in tape and it was awesome. Everyone who walked down Calhoun saw it.

So of course I stole that idea and did the same thing. You can’t really get away with it anymore because the city cracked down. But it works.

SEO

This is a big one and it drives Extra Chill. SEO. Such as, getting people searching the internet for “live music in Charleston” or whatever town you’re in to come play. This involves getting your show mentioned in local media, so that you enhance your presence on the web. This is part of what makes Extra Chill’s Live Music in Charleston roundup so valuable, because of how many people search for that each week and find us.

---

Ultimately, concert promotion is a multi-faceted game. These are just a handful of ideas to get the discussion started. I’m going to come back and add more over time, as technology evolves and as Extra Chill continues to grow. Others can feel free to chime in with their own ideas that work.