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Promoting Your Show

Tips on how to make your production a success 

It’s a philosophical question for the ages:  If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?  Same could be said of theatre:  If you produce a play or musical but nobody is there to see and hear it, does the show really go on?

Over the years, Pioneer Drama authors have provided some pretty good tips about how to promote your upcoming production, which we’ve linked throughout this article.  But ongoing technical advances and a shift in the way people consume information makes it a message that bears repeating — and revising.

Sure, some forms of promo never go out of style.  Posters, buttons, and flyers are a great way to circulate information about a show anywhere face-to-face interactions take place and foot traffic remains steady, from the hallways of school to the local coffee shop, library, or rec center.  (And Pioneer’s Graphics Package makes these methods surprisingly easy and affordable.)

Print, too, is still a viable medium in many markets.  Though many newspapers are going the way of the dodo bird, there’s still a broad demographic who turn to community papers and neighborhood newsletter calendars for current cultural event listings.  And as Pioneer’s Lori Conary — a former news editor herself — once pointed out, editors love having small, prepared press releases with photos they can use to fill space in a pinch.  Considering newsrooms continue to shrink year after year, this remains as true as ever.

Another tip from Lori that remains relevant are short radio spots.  Because radio and TV stations are bound by FCC licensing regulations to provide a certain amount of community service programming each year, many fulfill that obligation through the use of PSAs aired regularly on community bulletin boards.  Don't be afraid to call local stations and find out what’s available!

But in the end, digital is the go-to these days for most armchair advertisers.  It’s fast.  It’s easy.  And the bigger your cast, the broader your reach.  Whether you favor a purchased ad on Instagram or SnapChat, a Facebook event, e-mail blasts, a blog, vlog, or tweet, the key in the ubiquitous world of social media is distinction.  Here’s some tips on how to be seen online:

A picture is worth a thousand words.  And what better platform for producing engaging visuals than theatre?  Pictures are a no-brainer with social media platforms like SnapChat and Instagram, and engaging photos can help boost engagement for Twitter and Facebook postings, too.  Our tip?  Bypass the standard staged cast photo and find those special “behind the scene” moments that will pique the most interest with your intended audience.

Words matter.  Any old-school newspaper editor can tell you that the headline makes or breaks a story.  Same goes for event posts!  This advice from author Mike Steele’s 2014 newsletter column about promoting your show still rings true:  “Repeatedly posting the same message of, ‘Come see our show...’ can get stale.”  We agree!  So, mix it up, and keep it engaging.

Know your audience, and understand your platform.  Chances are, you aren’t going to reach little Jimmy’s grandma through a SnapChat post or a Twitter ad.  In other words, if you want the biggest bang for your buck, it’s imperative to know who you’re trying to reach and how to reach them on their platform of choice.  And if you want to be broad, that’s okay, too.  Just be sure to customize your event posts and promos to each individual digital platform, rather than taking a “one size fits all” approach.  Be sure to preview your ads or posts before making them live!

Make sure the time is right.  In “11 Effective Ways to Use Social Media to Promote Your Content” at Curata.com, Neal Schaffer recommends not taking this common sense tip for granted.  “For maximum engagement, the content you’re sharing needs to reach as many people as possible.  So you have to go where the crowd is — and when they are online and active.  Then you can compile a posting schedule to ensure you post during a certain time of day.”

As Schaffer points out, different platforms may not have the same “peak times.”  Again, it often comes down to knowing your intended audience, such as students — as well as experimenting.  Some social media platforms have features designed to aid you in this process, such as Facebook Insights.  In addition, “third party tools such as FollowerWonk help estimate the best times for some platforms,” says Schaffer.

Repeat.  There’s no “one and done” in online promotions.  Data suggests repetition is effective — to an extent — since many social media users won’t see your posts the first time, anyway.  And for those who do, make sure to keep it fresh.  Changing headlines, content, or images will help keep potential audience members engaged!

Obviously, there’s no simple solution for filling seats, and what might work for some won’t work for others.  The trick is to try different approaches to see what works best for your theatre group or drama club.  And, of course, trust your cast and crew!  We all know how digitally savvy kids can be these days, so don’t hesitate to turn to them for much of the “heavy lifting.”  In some instances, you could be fostering the start of a lucrative career in marketing or advertising!