Community theatre productions can bring connection, excitement, and joy to all involved – from the actors on stage to the production crew and audience. They’re a part of the cultural fabric of our communities. A lot of effort goes into putting on a great show, and all the moving parts can seem challenging to manage on a tight community production budget. Good marketing can help.

Theatre marketing does more than sell tickets to a show – it keeps audiences engaged between shows, attracts new volunteers, and keeps potential cast and crew members interested in and up to date with what’s happening. Of course, a big part of marketing for theatre companies is also the end goal of selling tickets, so in this article, we’ll dive into both how to market a theatre production and a theatre business. We’ll cover all the steps to promote your theatre productions and company to a wide audience, so you’ll have a full house for every performance.

Contents

1. What to include in your theatre marketing plan
2. Theatre marketing strategies
3. Marketing your theatre production
4. Selling tickets
5. What to do post-production
6. Make it happen

What to include in your theatre marketing plan

Your marketing plan is a roadmap of how to promote a theatre show. It lays out how you’ll fill your seats via engagement with your target audiences. It’s crucial to get your planning right from the get-go. This section looks at goal setting, understanding your market, and SWOT analysis.

Set your goals

Consider having a think tank with some members of your theatre community to clarify exactly what you want to achieve. Is your goal to:

  • Increase attendance (by how much)
  • Build your brand
  • Extend your reach to new market audiences
  • Attract more volunteers and members

Define your market

To optimise your ticket sales, ask: who do you want to reach out to? Who is your target demographic? Hint: it’s probably people in your region who are interested in live theatre and the arts.

Your target age groups could vary significantly depending on the type of performance you are working on. For example, the Croydon Main Street Traders Association in Victoria is probably aiming at children with its Celebrating Superheroes event (although many adults also enjoy superheroes). With loads of free kids’ activities and prizes for the best costumes, it sounds like a lot of free fun for families.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It is a situational analysis tool often used by businesses and organisations to plan projects and understand who their competitors are. Your strengths could include anything from your loyal following of repeat customers to the uniqueness of your event. Understanding your competitors will also give you insights that can help to inform your theatre marketing strategy.

Outline your marketing calendar

Put everything related to your theatre event in a calendar. Now work backwards from the production dates to ensure that your advertising, promos, printed materials, etc, are completed and delivered on time. Also, add other local events and your competitors’ events to your calendar so you can make timely adjustments and won’t be surprised by any unexpected date clashes.

Theatre marketing strategies

To meet your marketing goals, you can employ various tactics and strategies to promote your theatre company and your productions. The following section lists key assets for your marketing toolbox.

Improve your website

Is your website up to date with current details, attractive imagery, and eye-catching multimedia? You could consider:

  • A production blog to keep audiences updated on your show
  • Uploading rehearsal photos
  • Time-lapse videos of set production
  • A podcast featuring interviews of the cast members and crew
  • Backstage images and video

Your website should also include logos of your sponsors and partner businesses.

Up your SEO

Search Engine Optimisation is critical for getting your landing page URL on the first Search Engine Results Page (SERP). That’s because not many people go past the first SERP. Using local listings and relevant #hashtags will help people find your theatre company and production. Tasks to consider include:

  • Updating your theatre’s Google listing
  • Adding location-based keywords to your website – phrases like ‘community theatre in Brisbane’, ‘musicals in Melbourne’, ‘theatre auditions on the Gold Coast’
  • Keeping your contact information on all social media profiles up to date
  • Creating listings in local directories – think about your local Chamber of Commerce or retailers association, regional tourism, and economic development organisations, etc. Even better if they link those listings back to your website

Go social

In 2022 more than 82% of Australians use social media and that figure climbs each year. As a free marketing tool – or even with paid social media advertising – you can reach many people and use clever targeting to make your promotions effective and cost-efficient. Some tips include:

  • Choose your social channels to meet your audience’s interests
  • Post regularly and consistently
  • Use the correct format/media for your channels, eg, video for TikTok and Instagram Stories, competitions or surveys on Facebook, etc.
  • Consider fun ideas, such as having one of your production’s characters take over your social media accounts for a week, or host an ask-me-anything session for a character in an upcoming performance

Social media will certainly help you sell more event tickets, and at Eventbrite, we’ve got all the expert tips you need to do it with ease.

Email your subscribers

Email is the best, most cost-effective marketing channel, so keep your email lists up to date. Consider email list segmentation to avoid targeting potential customers with irrelevant information. Offer extra insights about the company or production to create value for your subscribers – make them feel special!

Media relations

Establishing great relationships with your media contacts can result in valuable free coverage for your theatre productions; it’s worth devoting time and effort to cultivating these contacts where possible. Here are some ways to do just that:

  • Create a list of media contacts within your database and send them relevant information
  • Make one person within your company the main point of contact for all media enquiries
  • Undertake media training for all individuals who will speak with the media
  • Prepare talking points for interviews
  • Run through practice questions with a colleague and get their feedback
  • Create a media pack for upcoming productions (more details about that below)

Advertising

  • Advertise where your audience is looking – the work you’ve done above on knowing your audience and defining your market is critical here
  • Seek out free ad listings on local noticeboards and in regional and community newsletters
  • Embrace printed materials such as posters for shop fronts and flyers for mailbox distribution
  • Use Eventbrite’s advertising planning guide for community events and template for planning your marketing and advertising activities

Marketing your theatre production

When your theatre company is first getting ready to put on a production, it’s time to step up your marketing to ensure you achieve your desired ticket sales. This section looks at some strategies and tactics to include in your marketing.

Put together a media pack

A media pack for each production is a way to present your brand and event professionally. Include a press release, high-resolution images (with permission to use them), multimedia files, and contact details for cast members and crew who are willing to be interviewed by the media. The assets in your pack can then be published across multiple platforms to create a production synopsis for ticket listings and general advertising. It’s important to keep everything consistent. And don’t forget to include complimentary tickets for reviewers!

Reach out to influencers

Celebrity endorsements have always been a powerful advertising tool, and social media has changed how we view them. With micro-influencers and peer-to-peer endorsements becoming more powerful, influencers can help event creators reach a greater audience and create some buzz in the lead-up to events. Try strategically targeting social media influencers who share a passion similar to the theme of your show.

Give away some complimentary tickets

These are much sought after and can create hype around your production. You can use complimentary tickets in different ways, such as for:

  • social media competitions (tag a friend or involve influencers)
  • media – newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV
  • raffle tickets at local events
  • reviewers

Think outside the box

If you don’t have a big marketing budget, get creative and think outside the box. For example, you could build anticipation and raise funds for your upcoming performance by hosting other events in the time leading up to the main attraction. You can come up with ideas related to your specific show or theatre, like a Broadway karaoke night or an improv workshop with the performers. Try to craft promotional events that will attract an audience similar to the one you’re targeting with your production. These programs will introduce new people to your organisation and inform them about your upcoming performances. Also, suggest that cast and crew members reach out to their friends and family about awareness or fundraising events to take advantage of word-of-mouth promotion.

Selling tickets

Offering different ticket types allows you to cater directly to various audience members. This additional variety and flexibility will broaden your appeal and help you sell more tickets. This section looks at how you can potentially sell more tickets to your theatre productions.

Early bird tickets

Offering a price incentive for early ticket sales helps to bring in sales sooner. This means that as a seller, you can gauge the interest in your event and tweak your marketing and advertising as needed.

Group tickets

Group tickets encourage more sales by locking in additional people. Here you have an opportunity to offer a price incentive for group participants and grow your audience incrementally.

VIP tickets

VIP tickets can attract those already interested in your event and those involved in the production. You can sell these at a higher price to your most valuable and loyal ticket holders by value-adding with benefits like backstage passes or interaction with the cast.

Bundled tickets

Working with other local organisations or businesses is another way to expand your audience and appeal to a broader range of people. Know a great local chef, restaurant, or food truck? Maybe you could turn your show into a dinner theatre, or partner with food and drink vendors to provide refreshments before or after your event, or during the interval. These partnerships can provide attendees with a more memorable experience. Consider partnering with a local caterer or restaurant to create a themed dinner that highlights the unique experience you’re offering.

In South Australia, the Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (ACE) group does all of the above with their ticketing on Eventbrite. ACE builds upon the legacy of over 100 years of innovative experimental arts practice through exhibitions, studios, public programs, professional development opportunities, and publications. ACE expands the edges of contemporary visual art practice, embraces diversity, and provides a space for artists to take risks. It uses Eventbrite to help achieve this for a huge range of events, such as its Nice to Meet You artist talks and its many unique, inclusive, and immersive art experiences.

What to do post-production

When the curtains have closed on your final night, there is still hard work to be done. Post-production is the time to get your audience’s feedback and learn more about them through data. Here’s our list of post-production essentials:

  • Use your event data – event reports and analytics are easy with Eventbrite
  • Data means you can understand your audiences, find out which shows sold best and worst, and then develop strategies for next time
  • Send follow-up emails with exclusive details
  • Survey your attendees to find out what they did and didn’t like

Make it happen

Now that you have the key points for marketing your theatre production and company covered, it’s time to bring it all together. With a thorough understanding of theatre marketing, you can have sell-out shows. For easy marketing and communications, try Eventbrite Boost – the destination for those who create memorable event experiences.