5 Promotional Tricks To Draw Bigger Audiences
By Neon Entertainment Agent, Danny Mackey
Classes have started and the campus in now cluttered with flyers for all those events happening all over campus. Theater, music productions, club and organizational meetings and of course your own campus activities events. Here are 5 Promotional Tricks to help draw a huge audience at your next event.
1) Chalking – If your campus allows sidewalk chalk, this is the best way to promote a future event. Most students are looking down when they walk. Take advantage of this with a teaser for your next event. Plus, once it rains your promo just disappears and you don’t have to worry about going to take it down after the event. These are best done where people tend to stand around, like the outsides of residence halls or academic buildings or even by trash cans around campus. A fun tip: chalk arrow signs to direct the students to the building the event is building held or where tickets can be purchased. It’s also fun to raise a question and get the campus wondering what a symbol, hash tag or saying drawn in chalk all over campus means… follow this mysterious chalking by announcing what the symbol means on your programming board’s social media. For example; Having a concert? Maybe the band is Country Duo Dan+Shay?! Draw their logo (a blue plus sign) all over campus leading to the announcement of who your programming board is bringing to campus! Chalking is also a fun way to get your members involved!
2) Promo Going UP, on a Tuesday – Place your show promo in-between the stair risers in buildings that allow it. Cut long strips of paper and write or type a little bit of info on each so that by the time you reach the second floor they know you have an event coming UP! Pun intended! Do this every Tuesday or consistently and students will start looking for your event information.
3) Perfect Promo Places – Think outside the box when it comes to hanging posters! What is the best place to promote an upcoming show? If you have to put fliers up then try to find places that aren’t normally covered with a bunch of other fliers. My favorite place to put promotional fliers is next to the clocks in classrooms. Just think about how many people look up at the clock as the class time is winding down. Not only will they see they have 5 more minutes until they’re free to go outside and enjoy a beautiful day but they will also see that you have an event coming up that night or later that week. A fun tip: Once you get permission to hang posters in the Student Union bathrooms, create a ‘fun read’ Stall Story – similar to a short article or two, and tape them inside the bathroom stall doors. You could do this monthly and list your events coming up, what movies you’re playing in the theater, your member meeting locations… Do this consistently and students will get the hang of looking for updates!
4) Use Class as a Tool – This promotional idea also happens in the classroom. When you get to your class, talk to your professor and ask for permission to write your event info on the white board before your class starts. This way everyone will see it while they are waiting for the class to start. Plus, the professor will draw attention to it as they erase it to put notes on the board or maybe even leave it up! This one really works and sometimes you might even get a professor or two to show up to your event and see what you do!
5) Word of Mouth – This last one, is the best promotional method on any college campus. Word of Mouth will never go out of style! Personally invite people to the show. You can knock on doors in your dorm, tell students before class starts, sit next to people in the dining hall. People like to be invited and if they know the person who invited them will be there. They are more likely to show up. Plus, you might even gain more members on your activities board or a new BFF! A fun tip: Exchange social media names or handles and follow each other so they can see your event promo on your Instagram and Twitter!
Using these promotional tricks will help you get your event noticed and talked about and that is what really draws a crowd. Good luck promoting your next event and if you’re in need of programming, give your Neon Agent a call and they can help you provide award winning entertainment on campus!
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