The events that sell out are announced early, repeated often, and shared by more people than just the organizer. Give people a clear reason to come and one ticket link, announce in waves over about six weeks, get your performers, sponsors and early buyers to share it, and use real deadlines to turn "maybe" into "bought".
Below: a 6 week promotion plan, what to post on Instagram and Facebook, free ways to get the word out, and what to do in the last week when most tickets sell.
Before you post anything: get these ready
- One clear sentence about why to come. "Live salsa band, a beginner lesson at 7 and dancing till midnight." Not just the name and date.
- One ticket link you'll use everywhere. Every post, flyer and bio points to the same page.
- Three or four great photos or short videos. From past events if you have them, or of the performers, the venue, the food.
- Your price plan, including an early bird deadline. (How to set it.)
- A list of people who will share: performers, presenters, vendors, sponsors, the venue, friends with a following.
A 6 week promotion plan
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6 weeks out | Announce the date and the reason to come. Open early bird. |
| 5 weeks out | Share the first big name or highlight. Send performers and sponsors ready-made posts. |
| 4 weeks out | Post photos or a short video. Put up flyers with a QR code. |
| 3 weeks out | Early bird last call, then early bird ends. Announce the full lineup or program. |
| 2 weeks out | Share a behind-the-scenes post, a performer's video, or a "what to expect" post. |
| 1 week out | Countdown posts. Remind people of the next price change. Ask buyers to bring a friend. |
| Day before and day of | Final reminder, practical details, "tickets at the door" or "sold out". |
Most people buy in the last week or two, so don't stop early. The early weeks make them aware; the deadlines make them act.
How to promote an event on Instagram
- Post in the feed for each big announcement, with the date and the hook in the first line of the caption.
- Use Stories often. Countdown stickers, link stickers to your ticket page, polls ("Which song should we open with?"), behind-the-scenes clips.
- Make Reels of the vibe: 10 to 20 seconds of the last event, the band rehearsing, the space being set up.
- Collaborate. A collab post with your performer or venue shows up on both accounts.
- Put the ticket link in your bio and say "link in bio" in every caption.
How to promote an event on Facebook
- Create a Facebook event with the ticket link in the description, and invite people. When they click "Interested" or "Going", their friends may see it.
- Post updates inside the event page (new lineup news, a photo, "early bird ends Friday"). People who clicked Interested get them.
- Share it in local and interest groups, following each group's rules. Community groups, neighborhood groups, groups for your music genre or hobby.
- Boost one post if you have a small budget. Target your city and interests that match your crowd, and send people to the ticket page.
Free ways to promote an event
- Your email list. It often sells more tickets than social media. Send the announcement, the early bird last call and the final reminder.
- Group chats. Ask friends to drop the link in theirs. One trusted message in the right chat beats a dozen posts.
- Flyers with a QR code at cafés, record shops, studios, libraries and community boards.
- Local listings: community calendars, local news event listings, radio station calendars.
- Partners: a business that fits your crowd can share your event with their customers, often in exchange for tickets or a mention.
- Bilingual posts if your community speaks more than one language. People come when they feel invited.
Get other people to share it
Your audience is small compared to the combined audience of everyone involved.
- Send performers, vendors and sponsors a mini kit: two images, a short caption and the link. The easier you make it, the more they'll post.
- Ask each one to post on a specific day, so the posts spread across the weeks instead of all at once.
- Thank and reshare every post about your event.
- Ask early buyers to invite a friend, maybe with a "bring a friend" ticket for two.
How to sell more tickets in the last week
- Real deadlines: "Price goes up Friday at midnight."
- Scarcity, if it's true: "Only 20 tickets left."
- Practical details: parking, what to wear, what time to arrive. They answer the last questions stopping people.
- A personal message to people who came last time.
- A reminder to buyers to bring a friend, with the link.
Common mistakes
- Announcing once and expecting it to sell. People need to see an event several times before they act.
- Different links in different places. Pick one ticket link and use it everywhere.
- Only posting the name and date, with no reason to come.
- Starting too late. Two weeks isn't enough for most events.
- Stopping too early. The last week is when most people decide.
How to do this in Eventasaurus
- One link everywhere: on a single event's Overview, click Copy ticket link. Your page looks like your event, with your logo, banner and brand color.
- Tickets on your own site: Embed gives you a Tickets Widget to paste into your website.
- Early bird and price steps that show "next price" on your page, so your deadlines are real. (Here's how.)
- Promo codes for partners, sponsors or a radio giveaway, with limits on uses and dates, under Promo Codes.
- A presale for your list: a Secret ticket type plus an Access Code, shared with Copy unlock link.
- Messages to people who already bought: under Messages, send updates like "bring a friend" or parking details, up to 2 a day, or schedule them for later. (Messages go to ticket holders, not to people who haven't bought yet.)
- Spanish and French pages, checkout and emails for every visitor whose phone is set to those languages.
Your buyers pay the ticket price, with nothing added, so the price you promote is the price they pay. You pay 1% per order ($1 minimum), plus Stripe's card processing.
FAQ
How far in advance should I promote an event?
About 6 weeks for most local events, and longer for festivals or anything people travel to. Keep promoting right up to the day, since many people buy in the last week.
How do I promote an event on social media for free?
Post on your own accounts, use Instagram Stories and Reels, create a Facebook event, share it in local groups, and ask performers, vendors and sponsors to post too. Email your list and use flyers with a QR code.
How do I promote an event on Instagram?
Announce in the feed, post Stories often with a link sticker to your ticket page, make short Reels that show the vibe, and do collab posts with your performers or venue. Keep the ticket link in your bio.
How can I sell more tickets for my event?
Give people a clear reason to come, use one ticket link everywhere, set real price deadlines, get everyone involved to share, and keep promoting through the last week.
Should I pay for ads?
It can help, especially a small boosted post on Facebook or Instagram aimed at your city and interests. Start with free promotion and your network, then put a small budget behind the post that's already working best.