Welcome to part three of our Edinburgh Debrief series!
In this edition, we’ll share some of the insights on marketing, PR and social media gathered from Ayesha Hazarika, Harriet Braine, Pauline Eyre and Rebecca How when they joined us for a special edition Time of The Month: An Edinburgh Debrief.
PR and Social Media
We asked our panellists what key pieces of advice they would give when it comes to PR and social media.
Harriet: seriously consider hiring a PR; they can be worth their weight in gold.
Ayesha: social media is key; be active and present; have a thought out strategy.
Pauline and Rebecca: encourage those who’ve attended the show to tweet about it.
Another great recommendation from the panel was to encourage people to write reviews against your show listing on the Fringe website. You can then share these reviews, along with any others on your social media channels.
Marketing and promotion
First and foremost, flyering your show is absolutely critical. Think about putting your name in the title for increased awareness… and if you’re thinking of getting yourself in the brochure or app – definitely consider including your name at the start of the show if it begins with ‘A’ as titles are listed alphabetically!
Wherever you decide to flyer, make sure you also engage people in a chat: you’re more likely to make an impact and be remembered.
There was an overall consensus within the panel that when it comes to promotion, you have to think strategically and commercially.
Think strategically
Are there other shows with a similar topic to your show? Consider collaborating with them and flyer each other’s audiences.
Where would your target audience hang out? Go flyer there!
Always make sure to flyer close to your venue as it gets nearer to the start time.
If you are nervous or don’t have the resource to do as much flyering as you’d like, Harriet’s suggestion is to get yourself spot on compilation shows and use it as an opportunity to organically promote your show.
Think commercially
If you are in a big venue, you will need a big poster in order to compete.
If you have paid for poster distribution, make sure to do an audit!
You can get into the printed Fringe brochure if you pay a little more – look out for the early bird offer.
Pay it forward! If you’re new to this – get some training by agreeing to flyer for a fellow act.
Watch out for our final part of our Edinburgh debrief series about when is the right time to perform at Edinburgh and how to cope!
