Marketing and PR


Getting good press or media coverage of your exhibition is an excellent way to promote the event to a wider audience. Think about who you would like to see at your event and then work out how you can get the information to them. Think about where each group goes, what they read, where they shop, where they socialise and when they do these things. This will help you in getting information to the most effective places. 

 

Word of mouth
Word of mouth is often the best (and always the cheapest) way of selling the exhibition. You can do this by contacting friends, acquaintances, key people in local community groups, teachers, etc.. 

 

Mailing lists
If you have an established mailing list, held by your group, the venue or the artists involved, you can write directly to these named individuals, telling them about your exhibition and encouraging them to attend. If you are using other people’s mailing lists you will need to check the data protection situation.

 
Flyers / invite cards
A well-produced invite card need not cost a lot of money and can do a lot to promote your exhibition if you mail them through your mailing list and distribute them in places such as community venues, libraries, shops. Ideally you should use a high resolution image of one of the works from the exhibition and include the following information:
 

  • The exhibition title
  • A tag line or brief description
  • The venue and venue address
  • Days and dates that the exhibition is open for
  • Opening times
  • Local contact and phone number for information
  • Disabled facilities
  • Your promoting group’s name
  • Names of supporters and funders, and their logos.

 

Press/media release
A press release about your activity should include the ‘what, where, when, who’ information from your leaflet and a further ‘w’: the ‘why’, which is the story behind it.  Local journalists (including print and broadcast media) will be interested in a good local angle, such as whether your activity involves local people. They will also welcome a quote from you or someone else prominently involved. Your press release should include a named contact and telephone number for journalists to get further information (make sure the number is staffed). Send your release to the news desk, the arts correspondent (if there is one) and to the listings page. Listings cost you nothing and are a valuable way to get information to potential customers.  Remember

  • A picture will add to the impact
  • Ring the paper or radio station before you send something in
  • Find out the last day that details can be accepted. The deadline may be two or three weeks before  publication for a newspaper and longer for a magazine or newsletter
  • Follow up with a polite phone call to check if the story will be included in the paper

Further reading, external links: