Expert PR Agency share their top tips to Help Your Show Get the Spotlight It Deserves
With the Edinburgh Fringe kicking off in the north last week or a host of vibrant local performance events like Manchester’s HOMEground Festival or London’s Underbelly Festival springing up across the UK, performers are again faced with a timeless challenge: How do you stand out when the streets are overflowing with competition?
With hundreds of acts across the UK feverishly flyering, listing on event sites, and flooding social feeds with promos, it’s easy for your show to get lost in the noise—especially when audiences are bombarded with QR codes, shouty invites, and more choices than they can possibly see.
Many performers know the gut-wrenching pain of putting heart and soul into a performance only to play to half-filled seats. But it doesn’t have to end that way. Armed with top tips from our industry experts, you’ll give your show its best shot at a full house.
With over 2 decades of industry experience our experts at leading PR agency, Holyrood PR have seen it all from empty theatres to sell-out sensations.
We’ve seen what works—and what doesn’t. Now, our team of experts is sharing the most valuable lessons to help your next show shine.
Don’t underestimate the value of traditional media
With endless productions battling to get noticed digital promotion is no longer optional but an essential element for achieving visibility. From listing your show on popular event platforms to flooding social feeds with eye-catching content, every act is online. But with all the competition jumping on the trend you need something to make your show stand out.
This is where the value of traditional media coverage through earned PR – interviews, reviews, and feature articles in trusted outlets comes into play. Unlike self-published posts or paid promotions, traditional media coverage earned through strategic PR signals quality and legitimacy to your audience with exposure in respected publications.
Such media coverage across respected outlets carries weight and suggests to your audience that it’s a production worth their time.
Local media can be particularly powerful, helping you harness audience trust and position your performance as the standout choice among respected local critics, arts editors, and cultural commentators.
This is why it is crucial not to overlook the importance of traditional media in the digital age and to ensure that you are building relationships with local media outlets, which are trusted and respected in the areas you want to target. If anything, smart public relations is more powerful now than ever—especially for performers trying to stand out in a saturated space.
Implementing a strategic PR campaign which understands and respects the power of traditional media coverage, can elevate your show from just another listing to a must-see event, helping your show to stand out from the rest and boosting ticket sales, building credibility, and giving your performance the platform it truly deserves.
Be different on digital
Traditional PR helps to put your production on the map; a good digital presence gives your audience somewhere to go next. And in an era of hashtags, Stories, Reels, and reposts, simply showing up on social media isn’t enough.
Here’s how to elevate your grid and boost engagement without falling into the scroll-and-ignore trap:
Simple tips to elevate your grid:
Select the right people:
When promoting a production, it can be tempting to go after the biggest name you can afford – someone with a massive following and blue tick credibility. But that isn’t always the smartest move.
Large influencers who often partake in sponsored content, brand deals and PR events can come across as inauthentic. This is why it is crucial not to underestimate the power of micro influencers, particularly when trying to target specific local communities.
Micro-influencers tend to be more relatable, more engaged, and more trusted by their followers. In fact, recent studies have highlighted that micro-influencers receive significantly more favourites per follower than larger influencers, suggesting deeper audience connection and engagement.
For local productions, this kind of grassroots digital buzz is far more valuable than a fleeting shout-out from an internet celebrity with no real link to your show.
Avoid Oversharing:
Staying visible in the run up to your show is crucial, but there’s a fine line between curation and saturation. Posting multiple times a day, tagging every account you follow and using every available hashtag can do more harm than good.
Instead of focusing on volume, you should prioritise high quality, visually stimulating content that will resonate with your target audience. Each post should serve a purpose—whether that’s building anticipation, offering a glimpse behind the scenes, or highlighting a member of your crew.
Research suggests that social media content focusing on visual richness, personal connection, and strategic use of emotion consistently performs best across social channels. Think carefully composed images, authentic captions, and a tone that aligns with your show’s personality.
The goal isn’t to flood your feed—it’s to create moments that stop the scroll and spark curiosity.
Not Every Platform Fits Every Show:
With everyday production companies reaching TikTok virality overnight, everyone wants a slice of the TikTok success.
It’s flashy, it’s fast, and it can feel like the quickest route to overnight visibility and huge ticket sales. But here’s the thing: if your audience is more “dad on Facebook” than “teen on TikTok,” you might be shouting into the wrong void.
Throughout the decades we’ve found that the best PR campaigns start by establishing who the audience is, and where they’re likely to be.
If your target audience is largely women in their early 20’s then TikTok trends may just be the way to go, however, if your audience is middle-aged theatre-goers or local retirees then it might be worth thinking outside the box.
Busy mums or tech-shy audiences are less likely to be spending their time on modern platforms like TikTok and Reels. Instead, you may find them on more niche specific sites which suit their demographics more. Online interest forums such as mumsnet or other hobby pages may be a better route if you plan to target a specific audience outside of a younger demographic.
Local community Facebook groups can also be a great way to attract a local audience that wouldn’t typically be reached through more modern platforms with younger audiences. These groups are often filled with people actively looking for nearby events, activities, and recommendations—especially those who prefer offline experiences but still rely on social platforms for local updates. Sharing your event in these spaces can lead to organic word-of-mouth and increased community support
By understanding your audience’s online preferences, you can make your digital strategy smarter and more targeted towards the correct demographic, boosting your visibility and ticket conversions.
Conclusion
In a crowded event market, talent alone won’t fill the theatre. You need a smart, strategic approach that helps your show stand out from the rest.
Over the decades we’ve seen firsthand the value of a well-balanced campaign, blending traditional media coverage with digital techniques that meet audiences where they are.
From securing trusted press coverage and targeting local media to crafting audience specific online content, the most successful campaigns are those that think beyond the stage and speak directly to the people most likely to buy a ticket.
With the right PR strategy that meets your audience where they are, you won’t just get eyes on your show—you’ll get people in the seats.
