Whether you’re on tour or have a one-off show, the ability to harness social media’s reach to promote your performances to current and future audiences is invaluable. Whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, or X, each platform serves as a way to inform people about your career activity and persuade them to join in on the fun. In the same way that people love pictures on restaurant menus, the public loves getting a look into what an artist’s show is like. It will undoubtedly look like something they’d want to experience in person, and suddenly you have new attendees at your next gig. Thus, sharing the before, during and after of everything about your live performance in snippets online is the best way to promote the shows and get people to buy tickets.
Words, pictures and videos all tell a different story, and there’s a platform for each. Visuals will be what pulls newcomers into your world and make them want to get involved, so while X is great for announcements, focus your efforts on Instagram and TikTok. Because Instagram is designed for both, most artists use it as their primary promotional tool. Here’s what you can do to get the word out about your performances, and how the stars have been doing it in recent months.
1. Post Your Show Announcement and Dates
Whether a fan purchases a ticket right away or takes a mental note that you’re performing soon, they must be able to find the details if they try to find it later. Post your show announcement, ideally a poster with the date, location, and time, on your feed and keep it there. You want to make the information as accessible as possible to all those with or without tickets. The announcement can be either a static image or video. Here’s how Coldplay did both:
2. Post Reminder Stories and Links
Make sure to give people as many opportunities to buy tickets as you can. The easiest way is by posting a reminder story about the show a few days after tickets have gone on sale, a few days before the show, and the day of, each including a ticket link. This will also inform anyone who may not have seen your announcement that you have an upcoming gig. You want to avoid someone visiting your page to buy a ticket and not being able to find out where, so add the ticket link to your bio as well. If you’re on tour, have an individual poster for each show with its respective details. If you have any other events going on before the show, post them too!
3. Post Show Photos
Make people want to come to the next one by posting high quality photos of your performance. Try to include action shots of you, pictures of the crowd having a blast, and any visually captivating images that provide a snapshot of the energy in the room. Instagram loves high quality content, so the algorithm will give you a nod as well. Make sure to tag the photographer, label the show, and thank all those involved! Those who attended will likely comment and share their thoughts, further strengthening the bond with your community all while increasing engagement and reach on your socials as well. Here are some recent examples:
4. Post Highlight Footage
This is where you can really entice viewers to come to your next show. Video content is everything nowadays, and performance footage is the sneak peak any fan who didn’t have the opportunity to come would want to see on their feeds to stay in the loop. This is why it’s an excellent idea to have a videographer at your shows, though you can use fan videos as well! Post fun highlights that demonstrate what a great time your live performances are for the audience. They could be funny, or emphasize the sense of belonging and community you create through audience interaction.
5. Post BTS of Friends, Crew, and Travels
There’s nothing an audience loves more than getting a more intimate look at what it’s like to be an artist. Share BTS photos and videos of your friends backstage, the crew during setup, or your entourage as you set off on tour. Touring means traveling, so don’t be afraid to let your following in on how the constant moving around has been and what you’ve enjoyed in each place you’ve visited.
6. Repost Audience Members’ Stories
Encourage attendees to share videos of the show on their stories by reposting any that you’ve been tagged in! It’s a great way to reach their followers, get closer to yours, give everyone a peek into what the show was like, and lure people into your fanbase. They may also have captured a moment you didn’t register or your videographer wasn’t filming, so look through your tags and interact with the sharers. You’ll get to watch snippets of the show from their eyes and appreciate how great the performance was.
Conclusion
There are so many ways to promote your shows on social media, but the best is by expressing gratitude for those who came and sharing your favorite moments from the gig with them. Others who did not attend will want to take part in such an experience and connect with you and your music the next time around. The more genuine the posts, the more intriguing to the public.
—
Share your music on Groover 🧡