How to Grow Your Audience
It is easy to underestimate how hard you need to work as a performer or artist to ensure that you gain a large audience - and that can go for big names as well as unknowns. The following, in no particular order as they say on The X Factor, is a list of tips from Fringe organisers. It is by no means definitive. If you have your own tips that you would like to share please contact us. This page is designed to complement our publicity page.
- Don't assume you will have an audience. However good you are, you will need to sell yourself in a crowded Fringe. One entrant told us how she held a small exhibition in a busy church café, assuming that an audience was a given. People came - to drink tea - and didn't necessarily notice the pictures. Things greatly improved for the entrant's second show after she publicised the event properly getting a press release into the Buxton Advertiser.
- Use our community links scheme to generate interest in your target group eg children
- Know who your target audience is
- Get publicity material to Fringe Desk in time
- Distribute flyers and posters to plenty of places and the best places for your target audience
- Once Fringe has started take time to talk to staff on Fringe Desk. If they know what your show is about its easier to answer questions from the public and point them your way.
- Try the personal touch in handing out flyers yourself.
- Take any opportunities to talk to prospective audience members, e.g. in the Fringe Club. Also talk to other performers, the more people in the
- know who can talk about your show the better.
- Make the most of Fringe Sunday and Carnival day to give out flyers, dress up in costume and attract attention
- Think about involving local people in the performance itself eg dance companies in the past have held workshops in local schools, then had a curtain-raiser involving those students, thereby securing themselves an audience of the students' families and friends
- Be accessible. Even if doing something avant garde or challenging meet the audience halfway by offering some explanatory info with your publicity and programme notes
- Consider an unusual, characterful venue eg Shakespeare in a cave was a winner in 2011 while one comedian used a café venue to create a cabaret atmosphere
- Consider adding extra value and something different eg free snacks, workshop element, promenade performance, interactivity, something that makes it seem like an event
- Do masses of publicity using the media list provided by the Fringe - see How to write a Press Release
- If you have an attractive cast, show them off in publicity pictures.
- Think of an interesting angle for the press - eg the first time... a new collaboration... return of an award winner... local angle... youngest performer... oldest performer... human interest story
- Consider doing something topical or newsworthy
- Use digital marketing/social media
- Watch timing of show - eg beware the impact of the Carnival on middle Saturday afternoon and evening. Don't put a children's show on late in evening.
- Watch pricing. Some audience members can feel short-changed if charged a lot for a half hour show. Rightly or wrongly they tend to equate length with value for money
- But... shows over two hours may be difficult for audience members to fit into a busy Fringe schedule
- Make the most of your 50-word programme entry to really sell your show. If you've won an award, say so. If you've had a good review, quote it. If you are from outside the UK say so as it means you are international!
- Be sure to submit a photo for the programme.
- Enter early so that your details are on website for longer and you get picked out in early press and magazine articles.