How to Master Your Venue Marketing Strategy 

It’s no secret that the events industry is booming. 

With an estimated industry worth of more than $2 trillion by 2028, as a venue owner you face fierce competition when it comes to attracting attendees and boosting ticket sales. 

That’s where a clutch venue marketing strategy comes in. 

Venue marketing is the art of promoting your event space to attract potential attendees and build a community of loyal fans. However, mastering venue marketing isn’t easy. You may even feel like you’ve used up all your best ideas. 

At Eventbrite, we’ve helped event creators and venue owners like you promote more than 5 million events — so we know what the most successful venues are doing to bring in throngs of engaged event-goers. 

In this article, we’ll share their “secret sauce” so you, too, can master your venue marketing. 

What are people looking for in a venue? 

The key to effective venue marketing? A deep understanding of your target market and their needs and desires. 

People are seeking a place to meet a community of like-minded individuals that not only reflects who they are but also who they aspire to be. Studies show that belonging and connectedness are associated with a sense of well-being.

To create a cult-like following and encourage recurring ticket sales, it’s crucial to understand that your venue is not just a physical space — it’s a space that enables individuals to become who they want to be. 

To determine what will attract your target audience to your venue, ask yourself what they’d want to experience and how you can market the unique features of your venue to cater to those desires. 

Where should you promote your venue? 

Knowing where to market your venue is just as important as understanding who you’re targeting, as it ensures you’re reaching the right audience. 

For example, marketing your venue on TikTok might result in a low return on investment if you’re a bar targeting music lovers who enjoy classic rock’n’roll artists. However, for a nightclub like Brick that is trying to build a community of young party-goers, regularly engaging on this platform would be a profitable investment. 

Let’s look at the top places you should consider promoting your venue.

Reach your ideal audience through email

Email marketing is still one of the most reliable ways to reach your target audience. 

With a few changes to your existing email copy, you can significantly impact your venue’s appeal to potential attendees.

Some ideas include: 

• Creating weekly newsletters that highlight upcoming events or interviews with different performers  
• Encouraging direct responses by including a question at the end of your emails 

In your email marketing campaign, it’s important to remind your audience that joining your email list is like joining an exclusive club. You can boost attendee loyalty and engagement by offering discounts, early access to tickets, and other members-only perks.  

For example, using phrases like “priority access” and “exclusive offer” makes a potential attendee feel like they’re getting VIP treatment that “regular” attendees miss out on. 

One way to elevate your email marketing campaign is with Eventbrite. With Eventbrite’s integration with Mailchimp, you can send up to 10,000 branded emails a day! 

Remember to let your enthusiasm for your venue show in your email marketing campaigns. Ask yourself: why do I love my venue? Then use the answer to craft engaging email copy.

Leverage Eventbrite to increase ticket sales 

Eventbrite is an event marketing platform that connects event creators with attendees and drives ticket sales. In 2021, Eventbrite creators reached an audience of over 83 million unique buyers. 

The reason why it works so well as an event marketing tool is that it directly targets individuals who are interested in events at venues like yours. 

It does this by: 

• Giving personalized recommendations based on a user’s previous attendance and search history
• Showing your ad to people who live or are visiting within 50 miles of your event location 

To increase your events’ visibility, you can create a free advertisement on Eventbrite or amplify your audience reach through Eventbrite Ads. 

Establish credibility through Google 

Marketing your venue on Google goes beyond using paid search or display ads.  

It’s an opportunity to showcase your reputation to your community and establish credibility within the events industry.  

In order to achieve this, it’s crucial to consider search engine optimization (SEO) and analyze what ranks in the top 10 search positions when someone searches for relevant keywords. For example, if you often feature rock bands at your venue, you’d want to include keywords like “rock music venue” and “live rock concerts” on your site, as well as the names of any popular artists you’ve hosted. 

It’s also critical to ensure your Google Business Profile is current for local event-goers. 

When optimizing your venue’s presence on Google, consider questions like: 

• Are there featured customer reviews from reputable sources such as Tripadvisor, and are these positive or negative? 
• Is my venue easy to locate on the first page of Google? 
• Are there any negative articles or reviews that need to be addressed?

If you have received negative reviews, make sure you reply politely and professionally within a short time frame. 

From here, you can focus on hiding these negative reviews from the “most recent” list by encouraging as many satisfied attendees to leave positive reviews as possible. For example, you could offer a “buy one, get one free” promotion for any person who has left a review. 

Boost your venue’s visibility on social media 

At their best, social posts are snappy and fun while still providing essential information. 

It can be difficult to convey what’s great about your venue in such a limited space, but with some innovative social media strategies, this can be achieved with finesse.

Use Facebook’s event promotion feature 

When marketing your venue on social media, it’s a good idea to think of Facebook as your “workhorse.” 

Facebook’s event page feature allows you to market your venue to local artists and community members.  

You can also leverage Eventbrite’s seamless integration with Facebook to help analyze real-time data and create custom lookalike audiences. This will give you the insights you need to understand who’s responding to events at your venue and enable you to tailor your marketing efforts to align with your target audience’s preferences. 

Pro tip: Use Facebook Event ads to boost visibility and create buzz around your venue.

Create buzz through TikTok 

A 2022 study found that 40% of people aged 18-24 look for recommendations on TikTok or Instagram above Google Search. 

This presents a unique opportunity for venues. TikTok allows for more creativity in your content and provides a direct communication channel between your venue and your target audience. It’s a powerful way to connect with your audience, grow your reputation in an organic way, and capture the tone and spirit of your venue. 

Pro tip: Invite local influencers to attend your events and encourage them to create a TikTok review. 

Promote your vibe on Instagram 

Instagram is a powerful tool when it comes to marketing the aesthetics and atmosphere of your venue. 

The platform works to show users a version of reality that they crave to experience. As a venue owner, you’re in full control of how you appear on Instagram, meaning you can design standout content to highlight your venue’s unique charm and features. 

For example, a small live music venue like The Pershing uses a nostalgic photo filter to showcase the indie-rock vibe of their venue. 

Additionally, having an active Instagram page proves to local artists and individuals that you’re a busy institution that regularly hosts a number of events.  

Pro-tip: Snag those last-minute attendees with a photo of your venue prepped for the party. 

Form meaningful business relationships on LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is not only for businesses looking to hire employees.  

Venues can also use the platform to highlight their facilities to local artists, like musicians and performers, and connect with fellow venue owners and local businesses. You can also build your audience by sharing posts about recent events at your venue or relevant industry news. 

Using LinkedIn can open up new opportunities for your venue, allowing you to reach a wider audience and establish valuable connections with other event creators. 

Pro tip: Use advanced filters to find and directly message local businesses and establish partnerships or collaborations.

The ultimate venue marketing strategy (+ real examples) 

Simply posting on social media and sending emails is not enough to stand out from the crowd. 

With the rise in AI-generated content, users’ social media feeds are constantly bombarded with branded messaging trying to sell them something new. Cut through the noise by establishing a genuine connection with your attendees and making them want to join your movement of like-minded individuals. 

A recent study shows that 90% of social media marketers believe online community building is essential for success in 2023.

We’ll show you what seven event venues are doing right and how you can use their marketing strategy to build a loyal community around your venue and boost ticket sales.

1. Sell emotion, not just experience 

When marketing your event venue, it’s important to remember that you’re not just promoting an experience — you’re selling an emotion. 

Research shows that creating an emotional connection with your audience is the most important factor in a successful branding strategy. 

One event venue that has mastered the art of building a community through emotional marketing is the legendary Respectable Street Club. 

Known for its creative culture and outrageous dance parties, Respectable Street Club has become a destination for innovative creatives to let loose and be amongst a group of supportive people. 

The venue makes an emotional connection with potential attendees through its marketing funnel, particularly through event photos and videos. 

Their photos, like the one featured above, don’t just function to show the venue layout, bar, or crowd. Each snapshot is designed to feel like a captured moment in time, throwing a viewer straight into the action of the club.  

They achieve this by using: 

• Bold color contrast 
• Bright flash photography 
• Photo filters

Respectable Street Club understands that they’re targeting an audience of creative people who crave artistic liberation.

By showcasing fierce, energetic, and lively individuals within these promotional images and videos, the venue conveys the message that attending an event at their venue is the key to becoming who they want to be.

2. Embrace exclusivity

Embracing exclusivity is a powerful way to create a strong brand message and attract a niche audience to your venue. 

While not everyone will appreciate your venue and what it stands for, social media gives you an opportunity to market its uniqueness unapologetically. 

The team at Stereo Live Houston, for example, doesn’t dilute their branding by trying to cater to everyone’s tastes. Instead, they focus on building an exclusive community, making their members feel special and valued. 

They achieve this with: 

• Strategic copywriting techniques such as repeating the words “you,” “we,” and “our” in their promotions 
• Directly replying to comments from community members 
• Hosting ticketed events with VIP packages and inclusions 

Stereo Live Houston also leverages the “fear of missing out” (FOMO) effect in their marketing by creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity around their events. 

This is a powerful tool when it comes to converting new and recurring ticket sales. A 2021 study found that when FOMO was included in Facebook advertisements, subjects were more likely to remember the product. 

Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, the idea is to focus on “your” people and make your venue irresistible to them. 

3. Give your events a theme 

One way to increase word of mouth and make your venue stand out is by hosting events with unique themes that are culturally significant within your community.

Doing so can effectively create hype and excitement around your events. 

For example, with the anticipated release of the new Barbie movie in 2023, many venues like Suite Food Lounge are hosting Barbie-themed events to take advantage of the hype. These venue owners also use hashtags associated with the movie to increase the chance of being seen by potential attendees. 

By giving your events a theme, you can help showcase your venue as the main attraction of an event, rather than just a backdrop. 

4. Stick to a distinct design style 

A consistent and distinctive design style across your marketing campaign can help you turn your venue into a community institution. 

Using the same color palette, editing your videos in an intentional way, and incorporating unique graphic design elements create a cohesive brand message. One way to do this is by investing in a style-driven, professional graphic designer who thoroughly understands your venue and your mission. 

For example, House of Yes employs professional photographers to capture live events. Some creative tactics they use are:  

• Creating intimacy by using close-ups of individuals over a large crowd 
• Framing attendees to look like the “main character” 
• Capturing candid moments to showcase 

Also, don’t be afraid to get creative with your graphic design choices.

House of Yes uses outrageous graphic design on their website homepage to entrance potential attendees immediately. 

As the creative minds at Adobe point out:  

“The best chocolate in the world might be passed over if it’s in plain paper wrapping.” 

Remember that you only get one first impression — make it count. 

5. Capitalize on popular trends 

To increase awareness and drive traffic to your venue, taking advantage of popular trends is essential, especially on TikTok and Instagram.  

A recent study found that even a nano-influencer can receive up to 5,121 views for a post on TikTok. By using a trending content template, you can showcase your venue in a comedic and engaging way.

That’s why 67% of small businesses already use TikTok as a creative storytelling tool. 

626 Night Market effectively uses this technique by highlighting different food options and showing how each is made. The videos are often shot by vendors or customers who have purchased the food. 

By using this strategy, they effectively: 

• Give attendees a glimpse into the exclusive areas of the venue 
• Showcase different vendors and their specialties  
• Highlight the energy of the market 

Taking advantage of popular trends also encourages attendees to help with your marketing efforts. For example, on TikTok, people have reviewed 626 Night Market by using the “come with me to…” or “what I ate at…” trends.

6. Feature emerging artists 

Partnering with emerging artists that are prominent within your community allows you to stay ahead of the curve and boost ticket sales. 

Not only can it help boost organic traffic, but it can also widen your audience reach. For example, fans of a creator may see they’re performing at your venue and become interested in attending. 

This not only increases the chance of increasing ticket sales, but it also increases the appeal of your venue by highlighting that a creator they admire has chosen to perform in your venue. 

The Salt Shed features a wide range of emerging local talent in the music scene. These acts are unique, captivating, and always independent. 

Some ways they use emerging artists to boost venue marketing include: 

• Encouraging creators to promote the event on their social media platforms 
• Generating buzz by promoting the artist weeks in advice 

It’s also important to foster relationships with local artists while they’re still emerging as this can be beneficial in the future when they become more established. 

7. Partner with an events platform 

One of the most effective ways to market your venue to new attendees and increase exposure is to post events on a platform like Eventbrite. In 2022, Eventbrite drove 30% of paid ticket sales for event organizers. 

Eventbrite can help you reach a highly engaged audience who are already actively looking for events in their local area. Users can filter through categories of events and easily discover new experiences that match their interests. 

Mayflower Club has a designated creator page on Eventbrite that shows what events they’re currently hosting and events that have already passed.  

They do this by: 

• Taking advantage of the customizable creator page template 
• Integrating their Facebook, Twitter, and website to provide a seamless experience for potential customers  
• Making their events visible and accessible to people looking for things to do by featuring them on Eventbrite’s searchable platform 
• Allowing users to purchase tickets securely through a trusted platform 

Using an event platform not only makes it easy for potential attendees to find your venue, but it also validates that your venue is worth visiting.  

Eventbrite promotes thousands of events from some of the biggest names in the industry and receives millions of visits each month. In the same way that Yelp works for restaurants, if your venue is listed on Eventbrite, a user is more likely to consider it a top contender for their next event. 

Level up your venue marketing 

The most effective venue marketing campaigns center around the desires of their target audience. 

It’s important to recognize that your venue is more than a platform for a standout event — it’s a place where your community comes together to connect and create lasting memories.

Using an event promotion tool like Eventbrite is a secret weapon for expanding your audience reach and promoting your venue to the right audience.