Here’s a hard truth I’ve had to learn as an artist: Your audience don’t care about your Fringe show. They just want a great night out.
As an artist, it’s so easy to get caught up in what we’re trying to create. And naturally, when we do tell people, we want them to love it.
But that causes problems if you let that creep into your marketing. Because you’re not selling circus, or comedy, or cabaret. Or a show about love, or global warming, or father–son relationships.
You’re selling an experience.
Why sell an experience and not a show
For an audience, shows are a means to an end. They’re just one of many sparks to make life just a little bit more tolerable.
All audiences are different, and they all have different needs.
To sell your show to them, you need to understand them and those needs. But I don’t mean age, gender, and occupation. I’m talking about:
- What do they crave? A girls’ night out? A romantic date? Family fun?
- Who are they want to spend time with? Friends, loved ones, kids?
- How do they see themselves? Cultured? Adventurous? Hilarious?
If you know who they are, and what they really want, you can write words that push them to slap down the dollars and buy tickets.
But your competition for that attention isn’t just other shows.
It’s nightclubs, pubs, restaurants, house parties, art galleries, and even staying in and watching the new episode of MAFS. It’s everything else they could do instead.
Instead of pitching your show as a “cabaret extravaganza”—what’s going to meet the needs of your perfect audience? What are they trying to get out of coming to your show?
- Don’t sell cabaret – sell a fun night out with the girls!
- Don’t sell circus – sell a sexy date night that’ll spark romance!
- Don’t sell comedy – sell a night away from the kids where you can leave your stress at the door!
If you can tap into the experience they’re looking to get, you’ll be much more likely to attract their attention, and ultimately, their attendance.
Let’s look at some examples of how we can take generic ‘show’ marketing and twist it to focus on ‘experience’ marketing
1. An interactive puppet show
The audience are parents looking for activities that will keep their child happy and busy – and make them feel like better parents.
- Old show message: This puppet show is packed with humour and colourful characters!
- New experience message: Sing, laugh, and learn with your little ones at this delightful puppet show! Create lasting memories as your kids get up close with lovable characters and learn important life lessons.
2. A one-man play about Alexander the Great
The audience is white-collar professionals who are looking to feel cultured and smart in front of their peers in the office kitchen.
- Old show message: Delve into the fascinating life of Alexander the Great in this captivating play.
- New experience message: You’ll walk away spellbound with deep insights into the true history of Alexander the Great, the tragedy of his downfall, and how he still impacts our politicians today.
In each of these, the focus is on the experience, and not the performance.
But you can’t just say it! They have to believe it.
How to sell an experience
When picking how to spend their money, your audience considers two things:
- Are they going to get the type of experience they want?
- Do they trust you can deliver it?
If you can do that, people are willing to part with their hard-earned cash.
This is how you can double down on each of these:
1. Offer a better experience
If you can give them something extra that other shows (or experiences) can’t, you’re more likely to win the sale.
Here’s some of the ways you can make the experience better – without making a single change to the show.
- Round table seating cheese and nibbles for cabaret nights with friends
- Onstage pre-show dining with mood lighting for romantic couples
- Q&A with the cast for those who want more cultural knowledge
- Meet the characters to bring your show to life for kids
These don’t have to be big things either. A free glass of wine or a themed cocktail could be all you need to tip the scales in your favour over the competition.
2. Prove to them you can deliver
One of the great injustices of life for new bands is that you’ll sell more tickets as an Eagles tribute act than with your own songs.
Tribute acts sell tickets because they deliver a safe expected experience that people know they are going to enjoy.
And what we’ve learned time and time again is that people will choose the safe bet.
But if you’re selling something unknown, how can you build trust?
There’s a few tools most artists are already using; reviews, stars, and audience testimonials can do wonders for your credibility. But use them wisely.
You want feedback that sells the experience. Take these reviews:
- “We had an amazing night out. 10/10 would come back again. Loved every second”
- “The rope work of the skilled acrobat was deft, powerful and intricate”
Choose the first. A great experience beats great talent every time.
Final thoughts before Fringe kicks off!
Stop selling shows! Start selling fun, culture, memories, romance – an experience. Give them what they want, and they’ll be back for more. Fringe after Fringe after Fringe.
Now get back to rehearsal!
