Marketing for a Festival Promoter Shares Their Multi-Channel Approach
We use a multi-channel marketing approach to promote CenterFest, combining purchased and in-kind digital, print, television, and radio advertising. Our timeline follows a structured rollout to maximize engagement, beginning nine months before the festival with calls for artists and vendors.
Public-facing promotions ramp up three months before the event, ensuring broad awareness and excitement leading up to the festival. Our print advertising strategy includes distributing 300 posters throughout the Triangle region, placing ads in lifestyle magazines, and featuring billboards in local grocery stores.
Digital marketing efforts involve in-house email campaigns, social media outreach, and targeted email blasts through local arts and culture platforms. Television and streaming promotions are secured through local broadcast media and local government and public access channels, while radio advertising includes public service announcements on three local public radio stations.
To reach Spanish-speaking audiences, we place both print and digital ads with two local Spanish media platforms. Over the years, we have adapted our strategies to align with shifting audience behaviors, increasing our digital engagement while continuing to utilize traditional outreach methods that remain effective. In our digital strategy, we have increased our use of Instagram and streaming platforms.
Promotion of Artists
Once the artists are confirmed, we feature them on our website with a photo of their work, their name and studio name, city, booth number, and a direct link to their website. This allows attendees to explore artists in advance and connect with their work before the festival.
Our website also includes a festival site map and digital version of the festival program, making it easy for visitors to plan their experience. We prioritize a mobile-friendly design to ensure accessibility for users on the go. Additionally, we keep links from past CenterFest events live, allowing attendees to reconnect with artists they loved from previous years, even if they are not exhibiting in the current festival.
Tips for Artists
We provide artists with a media kit that includes graphics, logos, key festival details, and suggested language, along with important dates, times, and links. Artist-led marketing has been one of our most successful and visible strategies, helping to generate excitement and engagement leading up to CenterFest.
Successful artist marketing often includes posting behind-the-scenes content, such as work-in-progress updates with a message inviting followers to see the finished piece at CenterFest. Many artists share their booth setup process, previewing what attendees can expect.
On the day of the event, posts featuring newly sold pieces, booth displays, and interactions with visitors create additional buzz. Instagram has proven to be especially effective for this type of marketing, allowing artists to showcase their work visually while engaging directly with their audience. The combination of these efforts helps build anticipation and drives more visitors to the festival.
Artists can effectively market themselves during the show by using Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to share real-time updates, showcase their booth, highlight popular pieces, and engage with visitors. Live demonstrations or short videos introducing their work and creative process can create excitement and attract more attendees to their booth.
Having a takeaway item is also essential. Business cards, flyers with their show schedule, or a QR code linking to their website or online store make it easy for visitors to stay connected. The smaller and more attractive the takeaway, the better.
Collecting email addresses for a newsletter is recommended, to maintain relationships with potential buyers, share upcoming events, and promote future sales or commissions. By combining social media engagement with tangible materials and direct audience connections, artists can maximize both their presence during the show and opportunities for future sales.
More Advice
Artists should take full advantage of the media kit we provide. Using the provided graphics, logos, and suggested language helps create a unified message that strengthens both individual artist marketing and overall festival visibility.
Beyond using the media kit, artists can maximize their exposure by engaging with organic festival promotions that originate with Durham Arts Council and other media platforms. Sharing and interacting with CenterFest’s official posts on social media, tagging the festival in their own content, and using event hashtags can help expand their reach.
Collaborating with other participating artists for cross-promotion can also introduce their work to new audiences. It is important for artists to plan their marketing efforts strategically. Posting in the weeks leading up to the festival builds anticipation, while real-time updates during the event keep audiences engaged.
After the festival, following up with interested buyers and maintaining an active online presence can lead to future sales and commissions. Our goal is to promote CenterFest in a way that benefits every participating artist. The more artists engage with our marketing efforts and leverage their own promotional strategies, the more successful the festival—and their individual sales—will be.