Getting halfway through the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a show is an achievement in itself, especially if you are performing in it as well as promoting it. However, getting cut-through can be a challenge. This year, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe reports 3,663 shows that will undertake over 52,000 performances across the month.
As far as this year’s stunts go, I particularly liked how New York based character comic Julia VanderVeen did a photoshoot with a real-life horse to promote her show My Grandmother’s Eyepatch (ZOO Playground, Playground 1, 12:45), embracing the landscape of Edinburgh and giving a nod to a character in her show.
But what if you can’t hire a horse? I caught up with Lizzie Earl, founder and CEO of Nibble – a platform that can connect comedians with trusted freelance PRs who have been pre-screened in advance and come highly recommended – as well as a seasoned PR and marketing pro, for her top tips on the best ways to drive show awareness in the final weeks.
Adapt and Refine
Lizzie says: “Speak to your audiences after the shows and get feedback on what made them come, what they liked, what they would tell their friends about the show. Most brands do extensive consumer research when marketing their business or products, you can do the same even on a smaller scale to refine your key messaging and make sure you’re communicating the things that resonate with audiences that loved it. You can use this insight to better connect with future Fringe attendees.”
Word of Mouth is Key
Lizzie says: “Word-of-mouth is the best PR and marketing. Getting the word out about your show among your peers, friends and family, and via audience members, has huge value as third-party endorsement. Not only does it build trust as it is a personal recommendation, but it doesn’t cost a penny.
“How can you turbo charge this? Think of a creative way to encourage word of mouth, in the same way that brands do. Is there something in your show you can use? For example, if your show or storyline features an interesting prop or mentions something that people would want, can you offer guests at the end the chance to win it in return for sharing the show on social media, posting a review, or telling their friends to come?
“Just make sure you have a mechanic to capture the people who are spreading word of mouth about you, and make good on your promise.”
Tailor Your Media Pitch
Lizzie says: “There is nothing worse than, as we call in the PR industry, ‘spray and pray’ which is where lazy PRs email hundreds of journalists the same press release, without any personalisation or targeted direction.
“You probably have a journalist contacts list or are utilising the list that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe puts together for acts; however, this is only one part of a media outreach strategy.
“Make your show stand out and make it relevant to what is happening in the world or culturally now, to help give the media the ‘why’ they need to be featuring you in particular. It may sound counter intuitive, but make your pitch less about you and more about the story they will write. Research journalists and find ones who are already interested in the topics or themes in your show, and tailor a pitch directly to them. Avoid clichés and don’t send a wall of text. A good pitch explains the story for the media in a few sentences, and always include great images that are high resolution, but not too big; 1MB is enough without clogging a journalist's inbox. They won’t thank you for that!”
Keep It Visual
Lizzie says: “And talking of images, whether it's posters, social media content, or photo, most humans are visual creatures so having eye-catching materials in a sea of competing content can help you to stand out.
“One PR tactic that works well at the Fringe is a creative photo-call. This is a visual moment that will create an interesting and unusual photo, which acts as a news story in itself and generates media coverage that lets people know about your show.
“What ‘assets’ do you have at your disposal? Do you have an interesting prop or theme that can be brought to life visually? Have a look at photos that have generated coverage before and see what it is about them that makes them eye-catching and interesting for the media. The Royal Mile is usually the backdrop to many of these photo moments and can create not only media coverage, but intrigue and that ‘word of mouth’ marketing among those passing by.
“Invite local photographers at the newspapers and relevant media titles to attend by sending them a ‘photo call’ alert – a short email with the date, time and location of the photo moment, along with a description of what it will be and some short information about your show.
“If you have the budget or a photographer friend, capture the images yourself at the same time and send them to the picture desks at all the national, local and relevant arts media.”
Consider Hiring a Freelance PR
Lizzie says: “Great PR does take time, and if you are very busy running your show, taking on freelance support can take the heavy lifting off your plate – and it doesn’t need to cost the earth.
“Nibble works specifically to connect startups and individuals such as artists to freelance PRs for hire as an alternative to working with a PR agency, when they don’t have the budget.
“We interview and vet every freelance PR before they join our platform to establish their credentials and experience in sectors including arts and entertainment.
“This means they will have key media contacts and a reputation with the press that makes them more likely to be considered by a journalist managing a busy inbox, based on the quality of their previous work and ability to give journalists great stories.
“It takes the guesswork out, and a freelance PR can help you push your show to reviewers, interviews, and create other PR opportunities to maximise awareness of your show.”
Embrace Collaboration
Lizzie says: “You can also gain exposure from collaborating with your peers, whether that’s attending pop-up open mic or comedy mixed-bill events, or finding other ways to support each other.
“Team up on the flyering, make it fun, and consider giving each other shout-outs on social media or collaborating on reels.”
Use Social Media
Lizzie says: “Proactively prepare short ‘taster’ video clips of the most interesting parts of your show to entice people to engage and share online. This not only creates wider awareness of the show among potential attendees but allows those who can’t make the festival to discover your work.
“Also, consider behind-the-scenes content that shows the work behind getting your show on the road. It will build rapport with your audience and show a different side to the Fringe.
“If a piece of content is doing well – boost it! You don’t need to spend a lot to do that, and it will help your content reach more audiences.”
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