If you’re a band planning out your next live gig, you probably have a lot on your plate. You have
to book the venue, plan out a line-up, practice your music, and so much more. But is all of that
enough to have a full house at your performance? Unfortunately, it isn’t. There’s still one thing
you’re missing out on.
An effective promotion strategy.
To be able to attend your show, your fans need to know enough information about it. And one
great way to do that is to create hype within budget.
Promoting your gig can be a tough job. But it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. If you’re
looking for a few foolproof ways to promote your live performance on a budget, check out these 4 fresh ideas.
Create a social media hashtag
Create an engaging hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to let the world know about your
performance. Frequently use the branded hashtag on your social media content to make the
most out of it, and to acquaint your followers with it.
Another way to use hashtags is to find a popular hashtag that is already trending and is relevant
to your genre. Use a popular and relevant hashtag to rake in a big flow of traffic toward your
event.
If you’re creating your own hashtag, make sure it is:
1. Relevant and descriptive enough. You can use your event or band name along with the
current year.
2. Unique enough for fans to remember it.
3. Short and easy to pick up.
Build hype through Facebook and Instagram stories
Stories are a great way to engage an audience in real time. And they are especially useful if
you’re a band looking to create excitement about your music.
Record clips of your practices and put them up on your Facebook and Instagram stories. Add a
fun caption to let people know what they can expect from your gig and what to look forward to.
You can make your stories more engaging by creating a behind the scenes highlight on your
Instagram page filled with stories of your practice sessions, set up, and much more.
Stories like these will make you seem more relatable as a band, and will help fans become
more involved in your activity as a musical group.
Engage your local audience with vibrant posters
Social media is a great way to reach out to the world. But sometimes you need more direct
measures to engage those in closest proximity to you. If you’re a local band, this is especially
relevant for you.
Look for places in your community that have high foot traffic and have a set of eye-catching live
performance posters ready to be put up. Target local grocery stores, newsstands, and cafes.
Make sure to put up posters in the window display of your venue. Designing a professional
poster might look challenging, but it’s a lot easier than it seems. With online design tools like
PosterMyWall, you can get free access to a wide range of music posters and concert flyers to
use and customize according to your needs.
An ideal gig poster should have the following attributes:
1. Your band name and logo at the top
2. The name and logo of your venue alongside your band logo
3. A fun photo of your band performing together
4. All important information related to your gig
5. A QR Code in one corner that can link fans to your website or social media
Partner up with your venue for fun offers
Your promotional strategy might be working fine on its own, but a great way to take it further is
to partner up with another known name. In this case, focus on partnering up with the venue
you’re performing at to diversify your target audience and compel people to attend your event.
Your goal is to have a full house at your gig. So make sure you’re making your audience an offer
they can’t refuse. If you’re playing at a local bar or pub, strike a deal with the bar to offer a free
round of drinks to all attendees the night of the gig. If you’re performing at a cafe, add a 20%
discount coupon on a coffee-based drink of the customer’s choice to your gig posters and
encourage your fans to bring the posters with them to avail it.
This will not only entice fans to show up, but will also help boost the business of the venue
you’re partnering with, which may encourage them to keep you coming back for more
performances.
Final thoughts
Trying to make it big in the music industry can be tough for small, local bands. You have to
make sure you’re consistent not only with your music, but also with keeping in touch with your
fans and promoting your performances.
With these 4 simple hacks, you can market your music the right way and have your fans count
down the days until your much awaited live performance
