Student engagement has been a hot topic lately on campuses. How can you get more students to your events? On the flip side, and correlated – marketing (or lack there of) – has been a hot topic amongst artists and performers going to college campuses only to find small audiences in front of them. Some artists are even hesitant to perform on college campuses because of some recent viral videos of artists performing to empty campus rooms.
Even more telling, is the artists performing to empty rooms are walking around campus and are unable to find even a mention of their name anywhere. No wonder no one was in the crowd – no one knew about the event.
Booking live events is not an “if you build it they will come” scenario. Hosting live events takes marketing effort. And not just effort by a marketing student or the graphics person on the a student programming team. Marketing should absolutely be an all-team effort. No one will come to an event they don’t know about.
How can you prevent an empty house? Here are 5 signs your marketing isn’t what it should be:
1. Your team members don’t follow your organization on social media.
Your team should follow your organization’s account and take initiative to share and repost your event marketing. As stated above, marketing is a team effort.
2. You are not searchable.
This means information about your event isn’t as available as you may think. If you Google the name of your university / campus + the artist / event name and nothing shows up, that’s a bad sign. Make sure your event is listed on campus calendars, your org’s landing page if you have one, and anywhere else students might search for events.
3. You fail the 5-second test.
In 5 seconds, can someone look at your event poster and clearly tell the “What/who, where & when?” Clear, concise visual marketing with LESS information on the main image is better.
4. You missed the “Rule of 7.”
The Rule of 7 is a marketing theory that a potential customer needs to see your event advertised 7 times before they make a purchase/decide to attend. That doesn’t necessarily mean they need to see 7 posters, or your social media ad 7 times, but a mix of various marketing tactics – from sidewalk chalk to table tents, to posters and social media images, to ads on your student union tv screens and more. If an artist walks onto the campus and into a building where they are performing, and cannot find one mention of themselves, they immediately know they might have a small crowd.
5. You’re not bragging.
If we cannot find past photos of your events, post-event recap videos, or campus newspaper reviews of your event, you need to brag more. Post photos and videos of the event. Better yet, find creative ways to get your audience to post, tagging your organization. These are the best sales tools you have for creating FOMO, and getting people to come to your next event. Showing people having a great time is a fantastic way to build your audience.
If you find yourself cringing at the above 5 signs because your next event hasn’t been marketed as well as it could be, remember that you and your team can do a lot in a short amount of time. Sidewalk chalk, social media pushes, and word of mouth are quick ways to bring some last-minute attention to your event. If there are 10 students on your team, have them each text 5 friends and you have 50 people that are now aware of your event. It’s never too late to dive back into marketing. And, don’t forget to brag about your events afterwards, even if you have to strategically photograph from more flattering angles to make your event look full and exciting.
For more helpful marketing info, read our article Event Marketing Essentials.
Jolene Chevalier
Founder & Talent Buyer | How To Concerts
Jolene has been a middle buyer for over 15 years, helping colleges and others with their concerts, comedians, and speakers. (And, yes, she is named after the Dolly Parton song.) She would love to talk with you about helping to book, plan, and prepare for your event.
Jolene Chevalier
Founder & Talent Buyer | How To Concerts
Jolene has been a middle buyer for over 15 years, helping colleges and others with their concerts, comedians, and speakers. (And, yes, she is named after the Dolly Parton song.) She would love to talk with you about helping to book, plan, and prepare for your event.
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