Gig success tip #1 - Prepare awesome artwork

This is the first of my 10 steps to local gig success, in this case Preparing Awesome Artwork.

Ever since the invention of the printing press, entertainment promoters have strived to create artwork that grabs the attention of passers by and compels them to act on attending the show on display.

Quite simply, the more eye-catching the artwork is, the greater the likelihood of the viewer engaging with it and taking the desired action.

As it's the basis of all non-aural promotion, creating awesome artwork for your gig is the very first task a gig promoter needs to work on.

Typically that involves a master piece of art that you can then re-size into different formats for your various channels. In most cases that would be for:

- a facebook event page

- an instagram 'tile'

- a 'poster' (both physical and digital)

Horses for courses

Of these, the facebook event art needs contain the least text info because the body of the page carries all the details. Instead it should carry the main information of band name, venue name, date and any special info like support acts, whether its an album launch and so on.

On the other hand, artwork for 'physical' (ie printed) posters requires far more detail and - because you cant simply 'click' to progress the purchase or booking, should these days contain a QR code which links to the relevant ticketing or booking page.

Printed posters differ too from other artwork in that the headline needs to be legible from the other side of the room or street. Tiny print will simply not be noticed.

So who creates the artwork?

Ideally there would be budget to hire a great graphic designer even if its via a design 'contest' site like DesignCrowd, but typically someone in the band with the most graphic design skill takes care of this. But if a custom design isn't within your band's skill set, an artwork tool like Canva can be a huge help.

Many decry the use of artwork templates within Canva, but if you know what you are doing, you can simply use templates as a useful guide and alter what you need to make it distinctive.

It's also worth remembering that there are now so many artwork templates, the likelihood of another local act or venue using the same template is relatively low.

All important consistency

An important point to remember with artwork is the need for consistency when promoting a single show or tour.

The attention span of punters is increasingly limited so if you provide more than one piece of artwork for the same show, it can lead to confusion and even annoyance that they have been enticed by some new artwork for a show they already know about.

Remember that the average consumer is bombarded with up to 10,000 promotional messages over the course of a single day so its important that your artwork is clear, succinct and consistent.

Need professional help with your marketing? Reach out to Craig today.