Music Artists... Here's some free promo game.

Hey all... Just joined a few minutes ago. Great to see so many new artists here.

I'm a college student and interning at a music venue that primarily has smaller indie artists playing there. I created this promo playbook that we give out to our booked artists to give them some marketing strategies they can use to sell more tickets and bring in some more bread.

Hope you enjoy, let me know if you need anything clarified.

Jake :)

Pre-Sale & Countdown Strategy

Tease the Announcement (2+ weeks before):

"Something’s coming… any guesses?" (Post a blurred-out venue pic, setlist hints, etc.)
"If we did a show in [city], who’s pulling up?" (Story poll to gauge interest & engagement)

Build Fan Excitement (1 week before):

Ask for Fan Input: "What song NEEDS to be on the setlist?"
Early Opt-In: "DM us ‘FIRST’ for an early access ticket link before anyone else."

Final Push Before Tickets Drop (24 hours before):

"Tomorrow. 10AM."
Use story reminders, countdown stickers, and pinned posts to drive urgency... You want your fans excited and ready to get those tickets before they sell out.

Ticket Sales Strategies

1. Social Media Engagement-Based Giveaways

Tag-to-Win: "Tag 3 friends in the comments and share this post for a chance to win 4 (or however many you please) free tickets*!"
Follow & Share: "Follow [artist], repost this story, and tag us for a chance to win tickets*!"
Best Comment Wins: "Comment your favorite song + tag a friend. Most creative answer wins 2 tickets*!"

2. UGC (User-Generated Content) Challenges

Lip-Sync or Dance Challenge: "Post a video using our song with the hashtag #ArtistShow2025 to enter for a chance to win free tickets*!"
Fan Art or Cover Contest: "Create fan art or a song cover, tag us, and the best one wins free entry for you and a friend!"
Recreate any viral videos you see on IG Reels or Tiktok

3. Ticket Boosters

Referral Contest: "Buy a ticket and refer 2 friends—if they buy, you’re entered to win 2 free extra tickets*!"
Group Giveaway: "Buy 2 tickets and get entered in a raffle to win 2 more for free*!"

4. Sign Up for Free Tickets

Email List Sign-Up: "Sign up for our newsletter for an exclusive chance to win 2 free tickets*!"
Text Club Entry: "Text ‘SHOW’ to [number] to be entered to win a free ticket*!"

5. IRL Activations

Scavenger Hunt: "Find our secret poster in [city], post it to IG stories tagging us, and win a free ticket*!"
First Arrivals: "First 5 people to arrive wearing our merch get a free drink on us!"

6. Buy Tickets for a Cause

Charity Tie-In: "For every 10 tickets sold today, we’ll donate X% to [Charity Name]. Bring your friends and double the impact!"
Vote for a Cause: "Vote where our donations go—comment your choice or vote in our poll!"

Typically, 2-3 engaging posts using these methods will do the trick! Remember to always keep these relevant to your target audience... For example, if your fans are very artsy, the fan art challenge would be a great option.

Post-Show Recaps

Why Post Show Recaps?

Recaps capture the moment, build a deeper connection with fans, and remind people why coming with you on your music journey matters.
Even for intimate shows, sharing the experience keeps your audience engaged and makes them want to be part of the next one.

Show Recap Format

1. Thoughtful Intro (Warm & Reflective)

"Last night at [Venue] was something special. Thank you for sharing the moment with us."
"Still feeling the energy from last night—here are some moments we won’t forget."

2. Content Format Options

Montage Recap: Soft-cut video of crowd singalongs, close-up shots, vibey performance moments (less hype, more atmosphere). Adding a voiceover personalizes it further.
Fan Reactions: Ask fans what song they were most excited to hear or what brought them to the show, then post a quick montage video on IG/TikTok.
Photo Dump: Black & white edits, warm lighting, behind-the-scenes moments, shots of the crowd lost in the music.
Voiceover Vlog: Collect a montage of quick 1-2 second moments throughout your night and do a VoiceOver of how everything went down (Central Cee is an artist that does these well on his TikTok and is well known in this group).

3. Chill Captions with Engagement

"If you were there, drop your favorite moment below."
"What song should we play next time?"
"What was your favorite song from the set?"
"If you took any cool pics last night, send ‘em over."
"If you made it out, tell us your favorite moment."

Editing & Consistency Tips

Stick to a moody aesthetic that’s consistent with the vibe of your music and socials.
Keep your social feed cohesive with similar colors and tones.

Here are some real life examples of these three examples used by real bands and artists to sell out shows:

1 comment

Viral Vision

skool.com/viralvision

I will teach you how to go viral as a musician :)