Gig success tip #6: Printed posters still rock… in ways digital can’t!

Given the dominance of digital when it comes to promoting shows, its easy and also common for the trusty old warhorse of printed gig or tour posters to be overlooked.

But not only do printed posters hit where digital avenues might miss, they also add all important tangibility visibility to what is after all, a non digital, real life event.

Lets face it, its so easy to simply scroll past a social media post promoting a gig you may be interested in.  And maybe you didn’t get to open that email from one of your favourite venues that contains information on the gig you just missed!

Good old print helps avoid these common problems with digital promotion.

Print is real-world, tangible, prominent, affordable and often impossible to ignore.

More captive than digital

I mean who hasn’t been sitting at the traffic lights when a colourful and well designed poster has attracted your attention and let you know about a gig you were yet to hear about?

Or that you had heard about but just needed that visual prod to remind you to take action on attending the gig?

Yes no matter how often you visit your socials or tune in to your favourite radio station, posters can command your attention in ways that aren’t so easy to ignore.

More affordable than ever before

As for affordability, big office suppliers like Officeworks offer printing that is inexpensive and usually convenient, while others like your local print shop know they have to be financially competitive to survive in a tough market.

And design ‘software’ like Canva allow you to create artwork that complements your digital pieces with just a few clicks in their incredibly convenient workspace.

Where to stick it

So once you have your poster, where are you going to display it?

There are plenty of options available to you that will reach the audience you are planning to attract.

The critical and free one is the venue you are playing at.

Most venues provide areas where posters for upcoming shows can be displayed.  But there are also some hidden surfaces that can be invaluable.

One of the most underutilized is also the most under-rated.  But its one that offers the ultimate captive audience.

The most captive audience of all

Walls and doors of toilets, particularly where patrons are doing their business, may well capture the most captive market there is. 

Lets face it, they ain’t going anywhere till they are done.  And your poster can be right in front of their eyes till they are.

Don’t be sheepish about their placement.  Yes the wall above the urinal in the gents and the back of cubical doors at eye level everywhere else are perfect!

If the venue you are playing at doesn’t offer this uniquely captive opportunity, try persuading them of the merits of it.  Remember its in their interests too!

Other than that, there are often supportive cafes, launderettes and community centres that might let you put your poster up.

And if it’s a more substantial gig, rock poster distribution services are available to prominently display your posters in the areas you want for a reasonable fee.

Jump onto venue posters

The other free opportunity when it comes to print is to ensure you get your gig onto the ‘gig guide’ posters that smarter venue operators arrange.

Inclusion in these costs you nothing but like your own poster, will attract punters that might otherwise not know about your gig. 

If the venue you are playing at doesn’t currently do this, its worth encouraging them to consider it for all of your mutual benefit.  You could even get other acts who are playing there to join you in encouraging them!

Old world, new world

But even old school posters haven’t been spared from embracing the digital age.  In recent decades the inclusion of a web address has provided an important ‘call to action’ for those wanting to find out more.

Even more recently, QR Codes linking to ticketing or info pages are even more valuable as the camera on your mobile makes for a seamless means of capturing immediate interest and hopefully ticket sales or bookings.

More than ever, this development blurs the lines between offline and online in ways that actually mimic the ‘click’ in digital advertising.

‘Amortising’ printing costs

A really effective way of reducing your printing and any distribution costs is to ‘amortise’ the cost of the poster by promoting several gigs at once.

For example, instead of creating a poster for every show on your tour, simply create one for the entire tour and list all the dates you are playing.

Or if not on tour, list all your gigs for that month (or two months etc) on the one poster.

Fundamentally this divides your costs evenly over the number of shows advertised instead of lumping it on an individual show or shows.

Another great cost-saving technique is to print a more generic poster with a blank space that the venue and date details can be added to by hand or by over-printing.

In summary, printed posters do take a little more co-ordination than their digital equivalents but in most cases the extra effort pays real dividends for both your act and the venue you are playing at.  It should certainly get a guernsey in your gig or tour’s promotional mix.
Need professional, yet affordable help with your marketing? Reach out to Craig today.