How far in advance should I start promoting an event?

For most local events, start six to eight weeks out with an early bird release, then keep a steady rhythm of posts until the night. Bigger events, festivals and anything people travel to need longer, often three months or more. Smaller, regular nights can work with three or four weeks.

How can I promote an event for free?

Share one ticket link everywhere, post regularly on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, use collab posts with performers and the venue, give promoters their own promo codes, email people who came to your last event, and list the event on free what's-on guides and community calendars.

How do I promote an event on Instagram?

Announce it with a strong image and the ticket link in your bio, then post line-up reveals, short reels from past events and stories with a link sticker that goes straight to tickets. Use collab posts so performers and the venue share the same post with their followers.

How do I promote an event on Facebook for free?

Create a Facebook event with your ticket link, invite your network, post updates inside the event so interested people see them, and share it in relevant local groups where the group rules allow it.

How do I sell more tickets for my event?

Create urgency with releases that sell out (early bird, then general, then final), give performers and partners promo codes so they promote it too, email past attendees first, post when each release is nearly gone, and make buying quick: one link and a fast mobile checkout.

Are paid ads worth it for events?

They can be, once your free channels are working. Start small: boost your best-performing Instagram or Facebook post to people near the venue who match your audience, and stop if it isn't selling tickets. Paid ads work best close to a release change or the final week, when there's a reason to buy now.

How do I promote a gig?

Get the artists to share it, post short clips of their music, use collab posts on Instagram, give the artists promo codes, list it on local gig guides, and put up posters with a QR code near venues and record shops. Announce with a limited early bird so the first wave of fans buys straight away.

What should I post about my event?

The announcement, the line-up or programme revealed piece by piece, short clips from past events, behind-the-scenes set-up, ticket release updates, practical details (times, location, what to bring) in the final week, and photos afterwards.

Organiser guide · 2026

How to promote an event

When to start, a week-by-week plan, free ways to promote on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and how to sell more tickets once people know about it.

Reviewed by Crawford Sudarshan, Co-Founder & COO, Tickify · Updated October 2026

When to start, and a week-by-week plan

Most local events need six to eight weeks; bigger events and anything people travel to need longer. The aim is a steady rhythm with a reason to buy at each stage, rather than one big announcement and silence.

1
6 to 8 weeks out
Announce the event with a limited early bird release. Put your one ticket link everywhere and ask performers, the venue and partners to share the announcement.
2
4 to 6 weeks out
Reveal the line-up or programme in pieces, one post per act or highlight, so you have a reason to post every few days. Give performers and partners their own promo codes.
3
2 to 4 weeks out
Move to the next ticket release and say so. Email everyone who came to your last event. Post behind-the-scenes content: rehearsals, the venue, the set-up.
4
The final week
Last call: post that tickets are running low (only if it's true), share set times and practical details, and remind people who've shown interest. Many tickets sell in the last few days.
5
After the event
Thank people, share photos and tag them, and export your attendee list so you can tell them first about the next one.

Free ways to promote your event

One ticket link, everywhere

Use the same link in your Instagram bio, Facebook event, posts, stories, emails, posters and your performers' and venue's channels. One link keeps every sale in one place and makes buying effortless.

Instagram posts, stories and reels

Post the announcement, then a steady drip: line-up reveals, short reels from past events, and stories with a link sticker straight to tickets. Use collab posts with performers and the venue so the post appears on their profiles too.

A Facebook event and local groups

Create a Facebook event with the ticket link, invite your network, and share it in local community and interest groups where that's allowed. Post updates in the event so everyone who clicked 'interested' sees them.

TikTok

Short, unpolished clips work: the crowd at your last event, a performer inviting people, setting up the venue, a countdown. Put the ticket link in your bio and mention it in the video.

Promo codes for the people promoting you

Give each performer, partner and regular their own promo code. It gives their followers a reason to buy, and gives the people promoting you a reason to keep sharing.

Email your past attendees

The people who came last time are your easiest sales. Export your attendee list and email them first, ideally with early access before the public release.

What's-on listings and local media

List the event on free what's-on guides for your city and on community calendars. Send a short note with the key details and an image to local radio, newsletters and blogs that cover events like yours.

Partners and the venue

Ask the venue, sponsors and community groups to share the event with their audiences. Make it easy: send them ready-made images, a short caption and the ticket link.

Posters with a QR code

Put up posters where your crowd already goes, with a QR code that opens the ticket page. Someone who sees it on the street should be able to buy in under a minute.

When paid ads are worth it

Get the free channels working first; ads amplify what's already resonating. Then:

•Boost your best-performing post rather than making a new ad from scratch.
•Target people near the venue who match your audience, and keep the budget small until you see tickets selling.
•Time ads for moments with a reason to buy now: the end of the early bird, a line-up announcement, the final week.
•Stop anything that isn't selling tickets, however good the reach looks.

Turning attention into ticket sales

Promotion gets people interested; how you sell decides whether they buy. Ticket releases give a reason to buy early, promo codes turn your performers and partners into sellers, and a quick mobile checkout stops people dropping off. For the full setup, see how to sell tickets for an event online.

On Tickify

Early bird and tiered releases, promo codes and guest lists are built in, and you can export your attendee list any time to email past buyers. It's free for organisers: a flat 5% booking fee is added at checkout and paid by the buyer, with processing included, so you keep the full ticket price.

Start selling tickets

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500+ fans on Tickify in real time

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First international sell-out

Revenge On The World Tour

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Repeat sold-out shows

Frequently asked questions

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