You’ve got an exhibition coming up, and you want people there on the opening night. Time to build some hype – but how?
Here are 6 tips for building anticipation for your next exhibition; ensuring people turn up full of excitement on launch night.
1. Open your mouth
This might sound obvious, but when we are trying to be clever about our marketing we can often miss the basics. When you are out at dinner – tell people. When you are at work – tell people. When you are queuing to get on the bus, start a conversation and tell people! Get on the phone, send some emails, and start the conversation early. It doesn’t pay to be shy here.
A teaser video I made for the exhibition A River Runs Through It
2. Create teaser films
I love to create video teaser films for my exhibitions, they are the perfect way of opening up your world to people online. Share inspiring clips of yourself hard at work with a smile on your face.
3. Create a guest list
Invite collectors to get their names on your guest list. I like to use Eventbrite as it compiles the list digitally for your door person. Have them check names on the night, this it adds to the sensation of exclusivity; people like to feel special.
4. Don’t give it away too early
I asked BP Portrait young artist award winner Ania Hobson to share her approach to social media before an exhibition.
“When I’m working towards a show I prefer to keep my new work off social media. I don’t like to give away too early what I will be showing, it’s a great way to entice people away from social media and get them to experience the paintings in the flesh and go to the gallery. Social media is definitely making it easy for people to be lazy and think they have seen it all before it’s even begun. I will usually put up a cropping of the work but nothing more, you want to keep your followers interested and keep the visiting of galleries alive in this technology filled world.”
Shout out to Sam from Club Belmont for sponsoring my last show!
5. Reward your audience
E.g. The first twenty people to arrive at the exhibition will get a free print. Chop and change this to whatever you are comfortable giving. Remember the benefits of karma economics?
This is great way to breed goodwill with your following and encourage them to arrive early to snap up a free collectors item.
6. Get a booze sponsor
Brands love to get involved with us creative types as they benefit from introducing their product to our followers. It’s a win-win as you get benefit from the extra hype of collaborative marketing and get some free booze..
However, finding them is easier said than done. The key is to do a lot of research, especially into local and independent brands. Don’t forget to ask if any friends or family know anyone they can introduce you to. (There is a lot more to be said on this topic, but I’ll save that for it’s own article)
And for your next, next show?
Bonus Tip: Capture everything
Get someone to take photographs on your launch night, even better - make a film of everyone having a great time to show people who didn’t come what they missed out on. This will encourage them to get their butts down to your next exhibition.
Add these tools to your promo inventory so that your next show has people queuing around the block on launch night. If you want more tips or further help getting your exhibition off the ground then get in touch at tomcoxart@hotmail.co.uk
Happy creating!