It’s no secret. Album sales are not paying artists like they use to. Now, the majority of your money as an artist will be made on tour. The key to a successful tour is of course having a packed house. Sold out shows are every artist’s dream. Whether a small coffee shop or a giant sports arena, the ultimate goal is to fill every seat. You may think that major artists have it easier, and in some respects they do, but independent promotion companies are actually showing more growth than major companies like LIVE Nation and AEG Live. The key to a successful concert depends heavily on the venue. Large companies like the ones mentioned above own certain venues and have exclusive rights to those venues. That may seem like a set back if you don’t have the budget but indie companies like Austin based C3 have capitalized by finding venues that are fan favorites. This comes in handy when promoting the concert as well; sometimes a venue’s good reputation is all you need to peak interest and ticket sales.
Outsourcing promotion is a good idea as long as the promotion company compliments your brand. However, artists planning on doing everything in-house can turn to the easiest marketing tool available, social media. Artist with their own sites can use metrics to discover where the majority of their subscribers/fans come from. From there you can gauge what cities you need to stop at on a tour. Are there colleges in those cities? Don't forget to consider who your audience is when considering a venue.
Once dates and venues are confirmed a media run should be planned. Public relations and promotion go hand in hand somewhat. When thinking about what avenues to promote through, consider all medium—radio, online, in-person, etc. Listening sessions are a good way to get momentum brewing for an upcoming concert and footage from it can be used for promotional videos. Press releases and social media blasts are a known given but in addition to that, the main focus should be connecting with fans.
Connect with local radio stations and setup interviews. Utilize hashtags and get fan involvement via pics and videos throughout the tour. Do in-person meet and greets prior to show, if possible. Promotional giveaways are also a good way to get fans involved, and people talking about your concert. A combination of outsourced promotion and in-house promotion will ensure enough exposure prior and throughout the concert. One thing to remember is that even while on tour your promoting for your next tour.
