Everyone’s feeling the sting of petrol, food and interest rate hikes.
And you can bet your bottom festival dollar that marketing costs are on the rise, too.
So, why are your ad costs spiraling out of control faster than grass turns to mud at Glasto? What’s the secret to marketing your festival on a budget? And which tactics will give you the best ROI?
Digital and paid social: we’re looking at you.
Back in the day (I.e. before our friend Covid showed up), digital advertising was a cost effective way to reach large audiences. But, when the world stopped going out in 2020, we went online instead.
In fact, adults started spending 28% more time online (puzzles clearly aren’t for everyone 🧩). And that sent pay-per-click (PPC) into a frenzy.
PPC costs and competition went through the roof - leaving event and festival promoters no choice but to shake up their marketing strategies.
Festival fans are a loyal bunch - and it’s up to you to know and nurture them.
Of course, you love your audience. But the magic really happens when you own them. Not in a ‘you will do what we say’ way; in a ‘we want to connect with you and give you what you want’ way.
That means abandoning your reliance on third-party publishers. Yes, it seems easier to outsource all that data management stuff - but it can actually limit your marketing efforts.
Here’s the thing: if you take ownership of your audience, you can access all that rich data whenever you need it. Names, email addresses and phone numbers - it’s all there for you to tap into anytime.
It’s called CRM (Customer Relationship Management).
Chances are, you’ve already got an audience sitting right there in your ticketing sales data and email list. A purpose-built CRM system will help you consolidate that data into one spot, meaning you can easily get an overview of your total audience, know them intimately and market to them accordingly.
Not only will this strengthen your relationship with your audience, it will help you sell more tickets.
Take the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach. It works.
It’s always been the most powerful form of marketing out there - today more than ever.
Not only is it completely free, it’s trusted. In fact, the Nielson Trust in Advertising Study revealed 88% of respondents trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel.
Fans really are your biggest endorsement (and they’re pretty handy at creating FOMO within their networks, too!)
The figures speak for themselves: on average, SMS has an incredible open rate of 98%, with 90% of messages being read within 3 minutes of receipt.
No wonder it remains one of the most effective and affordable marketing channels.
Don’t forget the humble email. A McKinsey and Co study discovered email marketing acquired 40 x more customers than Facebook and Twitter combined!
With the right CRM software, you can use email to cost effectively reach your whole database (or a specific segment) quickly and easily.
Marketing your next festival doesn’t have to cost more than a Secret Solstice VIP package. Truth be told, some of the most effective ways to sell more tickets are also the most economical.
Want more tips on making your next presale campaign a sellout? Check out the Audience Republic platform and arrange a product demo with our team today.
