Effective event promotion comes down to getting the right message in front of the right people, consistently, across the right channels. This guide covers 15 proven ways to promote your event and sell more tickets — from free social media to email marketing, word of mouth, and paid advertising — with expert quotes and real organiser insight throughout.
You've worked incredibly hard to bring this event to life. You've pulled all the logistics into one place, secured a venue, sorted the entertainment, planned the schedule, and briefed your team. All that's left to do is fill the seats — and that, as most organisers will tell you, is the hardest part.
In TicketSource's 2025 User Survey, 65.5% of event organisers said that not selling enough tickets is their biggest fear. And 37.9% said marketing and promotion is their greatest difficulty. The two anxieties are completely linked — which is exactly why having a solid, structured promotional strategy in place long before your event date is so important.
This guide covers everything you need, from the reasons promotion matters in the first place, to how to plan your strategy, to fifteen practical tactics you can start using today.
Event promotion is just as important as event planning — but for many organisers, it becomes an afterthought. Here's why it deserves equal attention from the very start.
It lets people know you exist
You can plan an all-singing, all-dancing event, but unless you promote it effectively, people may simply not know it's happening. Promotion is your opportunity to tell people loudly and proudly — and of course, to sell tickets as a direct result.
"The earlier you promote the event, the better. Suggested minimum timeframes are around 6–8 weeks, but it's important to bear in mind the platform you're promoting on."
- Alix Charles, AD Digital
It builds your brand
Every piece of promotional content is an opportunity to build brand recognition. People who see your event and want to find out more will become familiar with who you are and what you have to offer — laying the groundwork for future ticket sales long after this event is over.
It expands your audience
Without active promotion, you'll only ever reach the people who already know you. To attract new faces — and to grow your events over time — you need a promotional strategy that puts your event in front of people who've never heard of you before.
It rewards your hard work
If you're going to invest months of effort into planning and delivering an event, you owe it to yourself to make sure the seats are full. Great promotion is how you make that effort count.
Set realistic expectations
Before you start promoting, set realistic KPIs. A local theatre show isn't going to sell 10,000 tickets, and that's fine. Look at your venue capacity, your typical audience size, similar events in your area, and your available budget. Set targets that are ambitious but achievable, so your team has something meaningful to work towards.
Outline your budget
Our 2025 survey found that 46.3% of event organisers work with a budget of £1–£1,000, and 14.8% have no budget at all. That's the reality for most community and grassroots organisers — which is why this guide focuses heavily on free and low-cost tactics. But whatever you have available, ringfence a portion for promotion as early as possible so you know what you're working with. Our event budgeting guide is a good place to start.
Know your venue and your audience
Your venue's capacity, location, and selling points all shape your promotional approach. Knowing whether you need to fill 50 seats or 500, and whether your audience is local or national, determines which channels and techniques to prioritise. TicketSource has a handy event venue checklist to help you cover the practical side of this.
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Plan your content strategy
Whatever your budget, the quality and consistency of your promotional content will define your results. Before you post a single thing, map out a content plan — what you're going to share, on which platforms, and when, right through to the event date.
A strong content plan includes a diverse mix of formats: announcements, behind-the-scenes content, countdown posts, attendee testimonials, short videos, and direct ticket-sale calls to action. Variety keeps your audience engaged without feeling like they're being sold to constantly.
"Create a content calendar where possible. Posting on social media regularly is important, but not always easy to do when you're busy. Having a calendar set out allows the marketer to set aside some time on a monthly basis to plan and schedule posts."
- Alix Charles, AD Digital
Update your website
The moment your event is confirmed, your website should reflect it. Update your homepage, add a dedicated event page, and make sure your ticket link is visible and prominent — not buried three clicks deep. Anyone who lands on your site through any channel should be able to find out about your event and buy a ticket within seconds.
Optimise for search engines
Only 4.9% of event organisers in our 2025 survey said they use SEO as a promotional technique — which means it's one of the most underused opportunities available. Optimising your event listing and website pages for search means Google can surface your event to people actively looking for something to do in your area, entirely for free.
"By ranking higher in Google's search results, your event page and business are more likely to acquire more organic traffic, ticket sales, social media shares and brand awareness — so it's super important and worth investing your time in."
- Andrew Stuckey, SEO Consultant
Our expert guide to event SEO walks through the key steps in detail.
Design eye-catching marketing materials
Whether printed or digital, your marketing materials are often the first thing prospective ticket buyers see. They need to stop someone in their tracks. Bright colours, high-quality imagery, and clear event details (what, where, when, how to buy) are non-negotiable.
Tools like Canva make it possible to create professional-looking assets for free, using customisable templates you can adapt to your branding. Crucially, make sure your digital and printed materials are consistent — the same colours, fonts, and imagery across your poster, your social posts, and your event page builds trust and recognition.
"Consistency is key. We always recommend that our clients' digital branding is echoed throughout their physical marketing materials to build the strongest brand reputation. Your branding has to connect with your audience and speak to them directly — do your research, understand your audience, and know your brand values."
- Chelsea O'Driscoll, WCS Agency
For theatre-specific design guidance, our article on how to create a standout theatre poster has tips that translate well to any event type.
Use email marketing
Email marketing is used by 73% of event organisers according to our 2025 survey, making it the second most popular promotional channel after free social. Done well, it is also one of the highest-converting — because you're reaching people who have already shown interest in what you do.
Your promotional emails should have a compelling subject line, feel personal in tone, and make it immediately obvious why the reader should attend. TicketSource integrates directly with Mailchimp and Brevo, syncing your opted-in ticket buyers automatically so you can reach your audience from the same place you manage your events. Our guide to event email marketing covers everything you need to get started.
TicketSource automatically captures marketing consent from every ticket buyer at checkout, asking whether they'd like to hear about your future events. Those opted-in contacts sync directly with Mailchimp or Brevo via Settings > Integrations, turning every sale into a potential audience member for next time.
Use free social media — and choose your platforms wisely
Free social media is the most widely used promotional technique among event organisers, with 78.7% using it in our 2025 survey. But posting everywhere without a plan is far less effective than choosing the right platforms for your specific audience and showing up consistently.
According to our survey data, Facebook is used daily by 80.3% of organisers aged 35 and over — making it the essential platform for community and grassroots events. Instagram is used daily by 51.3% of the same group, and is stronger for visual events and reaching a younger demographic. Here's how to use each platform most effectively:
"Facebook's features offer a real community feel that other platforms can't replicate. When publishing organic posts, make sure you actively reply to comments — it helps with overall engagement and reach, and your audience feels valued and 'in the know'. Be as authentic as possible; avoid stock content, and if there are artists involved, get them sharing on social media in the lead up to the event."
- Bryony Ranson, Senior PR Executive, Orchard Media and Events Group
"Using videos, competitions and Instagram Stories are the most successful forms of content for us. They help us gain high levels of engagement, new followers and ticket sales. To make posts stand out, use high-resolution images and short, catchy captions — and the premade templates in Canva are a brilliant shortcut."
- Genevieve Sioka, Calne Music and Arts Festival
"Each social media platform has a different user base and intent. For storytelling and immediate purchase opportunities for a social event, Facebook is my recommendation. If the event is corporate, however, don't forget LinkedIn for immediate access to professionals with a budget."
- Iris Kavanagh, Marketing and Communications Professional
TicketSource's promotion hub generates a shareable Ticket Shop URL, QR code, and embeddable booking button for every event automatically. Find them under Events > Publicise Events in your dashboard — ready to drop into your social bio, email footer, or poster in seconds.
Use paid social media advertising
Paid social ads are growing fast among event organisers — used by 46.7% in our 2025 survey, up from just 31.5% in 2021. When you have even a modest budget to work with, paid ads on Facebook and Instagram let you target people by location, age, interests, and past behaviour with remarkable precision.
The Meta Ads Manager covers both platforms simultaneously, which is a significant time saver. Start with a small test budget, use the best-performing organic post as your ad creative, and target a 10–15 mile radius around your venue. Our guides for Facebook and Instagram cover paid advertising in depth.
Use a quality ticketing platform
Your ticketing platform is part of your promotion strategy, not separate from it. A platform like TicketSource automatically pushes your event to a network of partner listing websites at no extra cost, integrates with your email marketing tools, and gives you shareable links and QR codes for every promotional channel. It also means that when someone does click through to buy, they get a clean, frictionless checkout — rather than losing the sale at the final step.
Create urgency with time-sensitive offers
Urgency is one of the most reliable levers in event marketing. Phrases like "only 20 tickets remaining," countdown timers to the event date, and limited-availability pricing tiers all encourage prospective buyers to act now rather than later.
"It's easy to set up discount codes, which is helpful because some promoters like to do an early bird special. If we want to boost sales for a specific event, we set up a discount code and put it out on Facebook. It's simple and straightforward."
- Alex Adams, Royal Hippodrome Theatre
TicketSource lets you create discount codes and automatic early bird price tiers directly within your event settings. Go to Events > Modify Event > Price Categories to add a time-limited early bird option, or head to the discounts section of your dashboard to generate promo codes for specific audiences.
Offer early bird tickets
Early bird pricing is one of the simplest and most effective tactics available to any event organiser. By offering a discounted rate for the first batch of tickets sold, you drive early sales momentum, create social proof (people can see others are already booking), and give yourself a financial cushion in the early weeks when anxiety about ticket numbers tends to be at its highest.
Read our guide on early bird tickets for tips on how to structure and time them effectively.
Work with influencers
When you work with the right influencer — someone whose audience genuinely overlaps with your prospective ticket buyers — the results can be significant. Influencers have earned the trust of their followers, which makes a recommendation from them far more persuasive than a paid advert.
"Influencer marketing is a huge tool for reaching a whole new audience. When we work alongside influencers, we're sure to select those who align with the brand, and who will bring meaningful engagement to their content."
- Chelsea O'Driscoll, WCS Agency
Our detailed guide to working with influencers to promote your event covers how to find the right fit and what to agree before you start.
Work with sponsors and local partners
Sponsorship isn't just about funding — it's a promotional channel. When a local business or organisation sponsors your event and shares it with their own audience, you gain access to an entirely new pool of prospective ticket buyers. Even a small local partner putting your flyer on their counter or sharing your event in their newsletter can make a meaningful difference.
Read our guide on how to acquire sponsorship for your event, and our article on collaborating with local businesses for practical starting points.
Offer multiple ticket types
Offering a range of ticket types widens your appeal and removes pricing as a barrier for people on tighter budgets. Concession rates for students, seniors, and those on lower incomes, group discounts, VIP packages, and family tickets all serve different audiences within your potential attendee pool. Our guide to the different types of event tickets explains when each works best.
Run social media competitions
For the cost of one or two complimentary tickets, a social media competition can generate a significant spike in reach and engagement. Ask followers to like, share, and tag a friend for a chance to win — each tag puts your event in front of someone who's never heard of you, at no cost.
"Posters in shops, leaflet drops and word of mouth are a huge part of selling tickets, so engage your cast in the marketing. You can do competitions to see who can sell the most tickets. When you do a leaflet drop in your local town, get in touch with the council to see if you can set up a stand for an afternoon, get your cast in costume and make it much more special."
- Shane Rose-Goodsir, Event Organiser
After the competition closes, follow up with a discount code for those who entered but didn't win — a warm audience that's already engaged is highly likely to convert. Our complete guide to social media competitions walks through the mechanics.
Use word of mouth — and make it easy to spread
Word of mouth is used by 58.9% of event organisers according to our 2025 survey — and it consistently performs because people trust recommendations from people they know far more than they trust advertising. Tell everyone you know personally, ask your cast, crew, and committee to do the same, and actively reach out to local clubs, schools, societies, and businesses who might be interested.
Digital word of mouth works too. A well-written press release sent to local media and community newsletters can reach hundreds of people in your target area for free. Our article on writing a press release for your event covers the key principles, even if your event isn't theatre.
List your event everywhere
Event listing websites are used by 45.9% of organisers in our 2025 survey — but given they're free and generate passive discovery traffic, the number should arguably be higher. TicketSource automatically pushes your event to a network of partner listing sites at no extra cost, but there are dozens more worth submitting to manually. Our guide to free event listing websites in the UK covers the best options.
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Start your free account with TicketSource today to explore the event management tools, or get in touch with our team to discuss the best ticketing strategy for your venue.
How early should I start promoting my event?
A minimum of 6–8 weeks before the event date for smaller local events. For festivals, touring productions, or anything requiring travel, 3–6 months gives your audience enough time to plan. The key is consistency throughout that window — regular posts and emails — rather than one big push followed by silence.
Which social media platform is best for promoting an event?
For most community and grassroots events, Facebook is the most effective platform — it has the highest daily usage among the 35+ age group (80.3% in our 2025 survey), strong local group functionality, and the ability to create Events that people can share. Instagram is the best secondary platform for visual events and reaching a younger demographic. If your event has a professional angle, LinkedIn is essential.
How do I promote my event with no budget?
Free social media, email marketing to your existing list, listing on free event websites, word of mouth through your cast or committee, local Facebook group posts, and a press release to local media can all be done at zero cost. TicketSource also automatically submits your event to partner listing sites at no charge, adding reach without adding effort.
What's the single most effective thing I can do to sell more tickets?
Start with a written content plan. Organisers who map out what they're going to post, when, and on which channels — well in advance — consistently outperform those who post reactively. It doesn't need to be complicated: a simple spreadsheet covering the next 8 weeks, with one post per day per platform, is enough to transform your results.
Should I use paid advertising to promote my event?
If your budget allows, yes — even a modest spend on Facebook or Instagram ads can reach thousands of people within a specific geographic radius. Our 2025 survey shows paid social ad use among event organisers has grown from 31.5% to 46.7% since 2021, reflecting the growing appetite for targeted digital promotion. But exhaust your free channels first — paid ads amplify an already-working strategy rather than replacing one.
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Terry is the Head of Marketing at TicketSource. He guides and manages our team to make sure we provide an excellent service that meets customers' needs, ensuring they come back time and time again!
Get to know more about Terry here