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How to market your event: target audiences, channels and ticket release

18 March 2025 | Event & Experience Industry; Marketing & Communication; Strategy; Ticket Sales; Target Audiences

Attracting an audience to your event requires planning and strategy. You not only need to identify your potential ticket buyers but also determine which channels to use for your marketing and how to manage the ticket release process.

In the blog post below, we guide you through the three pillars of event marketing: target audiences, channels, and ticket releases. Let’s get started!

Marketing + events = a perfect match!

Do marketing and events go hand in hand? Absolutely! Without marketing, chances are no one will find your event or buy a ticket. And an event without an audience is pretty dull, wouldn’t you agree?

Event marketing refers to promoting and selling tickets for events such as concerts, festivals, performances, sports matches, and trade shows. It can involve strategies like digital advertising, social media, PR, collaborations, and partnerships to maximize reach and audience engagement.

So, what do you need to know about event marketing? With an understanding of target audiences, channel selection, and ticket release strategies, you’re already on the right track. Well-planned marketing efforts can lead to:

  • Increased reach and visibility

  • A sold-out event

  • An engaged and excited audience looking forward to updates and communication from your brand

  • Eager attendees ready to enhance their experience with add-ons like food, drinks, and merchandise

  • A stronger brand identity

  • A more efficient marketing budget

With that in mind, let’s dive into your audience and target market – the foundation of your event marketing strategy.

Concert - Musician holding a microphone and stretching his arm in the air
How do you market your events?

1. Understand your target audience – the foundation of event marketing

Is your event primarily for young adults between the ages of 18 and 25? Or is it aimed more at families with children?

Knowing who your target audience is and understanding their characteristics is essential when it comes to marketing. Without a clear understanding of your audience, things can go wrong quickly. Imagine promoting a steakhouse to a group of vegans or running an ad campaign in Finnish for an audience that only speaks Norwegian. These are simplified examples, but the outcome wouldn't be great. Understanding who you are communicating with and defining your target audience is the foundation of successful event marketing.

Four key characteristics

A target audience is typically defined by different types of characteristics:

  • Demographic characteristics – such as age, gender, income, education level, and occupation.

  • Geographic characteristics – such as country, city, and neighborhood.

  • Psychographic characteristics – such as values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyle.

  • Behavioral characteristics – such as purchasing behaviors, product usage, and brand loyalty.

You can choose to define a target audience based on a single characteristic type, such as demographics or geography. Alternatively, you can create a more refined audience by combining multiple characteristics, like demographics and behavioral traits.

Learn more about how you can tailor your outreach with MarketHype.

20 examples of target audiences for your event marketing

1. Early birds – Those who buy tickets early and are attracted by discounts or exclusive perks.
2. Late birds – Last-minute ticket buyers who respond well to last-minute deals.
3. Musical lovers – Fans of musicals and theater performances.
4. Festival enthusiasts – Visitors of music, food, or cultural festivals.
5. Night owls – Those who prefer late-night events like nightclubs and after-parties.
6. Foodies – Culinary enthusiasts who attend food and beverage-related events.
7. Retirees – Seniors (65+) who appreciate cultural events, social gatherings, and accessible experiences.
8. Rock enthusiasts – Rock music fans who attend concerts, festivals, and tribute shows.
9. Adrenaline junkies – Thrill-seekers drawn to extreme sports events or adventure experiences.
10. Families – Parents and children looking for family-friendly events like children's theater and amusement parks.
11. Culture consumers – People interested in art exhibitions, performing arts, and historical experiences.
12. Sports fans – Supporters who attend football matches, hockey games, and other sporting events.
13. Subscribers & season pass holders – Your most loyal visitors who return repeatedly.
14. VIP & luxury segment – Visitors seeking premium experiences with exclusive access.
15. Eco-conscious & sustainability-minded – Those who prefer eco-friendly events and sustainable initiatives.
16. Swedes in Norway – Visitors from Sweden attending events in Norway.
17. Wellness & health-conscious – Those drawn to yoga classes, retreats, and health expos.
18. Big spenders – Visitors who tend to spend generously when attending events.
19. Geek culture – Sci-fi, fantasy, and cosplay fans who attend Comic Cons and gaming conventions.
20. Local enthusiasts – Those who love city festivals, markets, and community events.

Views from MarketHype's segmentation
With MarketHype, you can manage your events, productions, and ticket buyers while gaining valuable insights into who they are. You also have the ability to filter customers and create segments.

How to get to know your target audience

So, how do you get to know your target audience? The answer lies in data. Within your data, you’ll find demographic and geographic characteristics as well as purchasing behaviors.

Data comes in many forms and from various sources, including:

  • Sales data – Gain insights into ticket sales trends, such as the most popular events and how early or late tickets are purchased.

  • Visitor data – Understand who your event attendees are, their purchasing behaviors, and their demographics.

  • Email campaigns – Track open rates, click-through rates, and identify which recipients are engaging with your emails.

  • Feedback forms – Gather insights into customer satisfaction and overall event experience.

  • Social media – Analyze engagement levels through likes, comments, and clicks.

  • Website analytics – Discover where visitors are coming from and which pages are the most visited.

By analyzing data, you can identify who your customers are and define target audiences based on customer insights. You can also create detailed personas – descriptions of your ideal customers – to better understand and engage with your audience.

2. Choose the right channels to market your event

You have an event to promote – but where should you spread the word? Instagram, email, or flyers around town?

Select channels based on your target audience

How do you know which channels are the "right" ones? The simple answer is: the ones your target audience uses. In some cases, a newspaper ad might be the perfect choice, while in others, Google advertising could be more effective. That’s why it’s time to revisit the insights, knowledge, and characteristics that define your target audience.

To determine which channels your audience uses, you can gather information from various sources, such as:

You can also conduct surveys and in-depth interviews with your actual target audience to better understand their media consumption habits.

Grandstand with audience
What channels does your audience use?

20 examples of channels to use in your event marketing

Digital channels

1. Website – Your digital storefront and perhaps your most important channel. It should include all event information and ticket links.
2. Facebook – Organic content, paid advertising, and Facebook events. (Learn more about Meta advertising.)
3. Instagram – Organic content, stories, paid ads, and live streams.
4. TikTok – Organic content, paid ads, and live streams.
5. YouTube – Organic content, video ads, and sponsored content.
6. Snapchat – Geofilters and targeted ads for younger audiences.
7. Email marketing – Newsletters and other email campaigns for subscribers and past ticket buyers.
8. SMS – Quick, concise text messages with time-limited promotions for subscribers and past ticket buyers.
9. Google Ads – Search engine ads and display banners.
10. Collaborations & partnerships – Work with relevant influencers, restaurants, and other businesses.
11. Podcasts – Host your own podcast or advertise in relevant podcasts.
12. Event platforms – Examples include Eventbrite, Ticketmaster, Tickster, or Tixly.
13. Spotify – Curate your own playlists and use audio ads.

Offline channels

14. Printed posters & flyers – Placed strategically at transportation hubs, shopping centers, and concert venues.
15. Public transportation ads – Advertise on trams, buses, and subways.
16. Radio – Local radio, national radio, and radio commercials.
17. TV commercials – If the budget allows, especially for larger events.
18. Local newspapers & industry magazines – Articles, spreads, and advertisements.
19. Partnerships with local businesses – For example, restaurants and bars that help spread the word.
20. Merchandise – Branded giveaways such as bicycle seat covers, tote bags, and stickers.

Laptop showing MarketHype's email tool
Email marketing is a safe channel where you can reach your actual ticket buyers and subscribers.

Factors that influence channel selection

Choosing the right channels for your event marketing can be challenging. Beyond your target audience, several other factors determine how many and which channels you should use:

  • Staffing – The number of marketers on your team and their responsibilities affect how much time is available.

  • Time – What other tasks do you have besides event marketing? Time is needed to maintain and create content for different channels.

  • Budget – How much is allocated for your event marketing? Should the budget cover email tools, advertising costs, and printed posters?

  • Expertise – What knowledge does your team have? Are you familiar with TikTok, do you need to hire a marketing agency for advertising, or does your team already have expertise across different channels?

With these factors in mind, remember this key takeaway:

Better to excel in a few channels than to spread yourself too thin across many.

In other words, it’s more effective to focus on a few channels and do them really well rather than trying too many and not fully succeeding in any.

3. Ticket release – a fun part of your event marketing!

Once you've identified your target audience and chosen your marketing channels, it’s time for the fun part – selling tickets!

The ticket release isn’t just another marketing activity, nor is it a one-time effort. Event marketing is about building hype before the ticket release, making strategic moves during the release, and continuing to engage with (potential) buyers until the event takes place. You should also tailor your messaging for different channels – being visible across multiple platforms simultaneously delivers the best results!

Here are some examples of activities for different stages of your event marketing strategy.

Marketing before the ticket release

  • Dynamic pricing & bundled offers – Offer tickets at different price levels such as standard, student, VIP, and early bird. Clearly communicate the different ticket options.

  • Teasers on event platforms – Create event listings on Facebook, Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, and similar platforms.

  • Teasers & countdowns – Build anticipation and create FOMO (fear of missing out) across different channels. Collect email addresses and run countdown campaigns leading up to the ticket release.

  • Exclusive presales & early bird tickets – Reward loyal followers and previous attendees with early access to tickets.

  • PR & press releases – Send event announcements to media outlets and relevant platforms.

  • Email campaigns – Share early access and key event details with newsletter subscribers.

Hand holding a mobile phone with email notification about ticket sales
What activities do you use to drive ticket sales?

Ticket release

  • Live stream or digital launch – Create a sense of exclusivity and excitement around the release.

  • Early bird pricing – Encourage quick sales by offering discounted tickets for a limited time.

  • Push notifications, email & SMS campaigns – Remind subscribers and loyal followers about the ticket release.

  • Collaborations with media & platforms – Advertise on event sites and other relevant platforms.

  • Social media campaigns – Drive engagement through (interactive) posts, stories, and ads.

Communication between ticket release and the event

  • Upselling opportunities – Encourage ticket buyers to purchase add-ons that will make their event experience even more memorable, such as merchandise, drinks, food, or programs.

  • Informational updates – Provide ticket holders with both "nice to have" and "need to have" information about the event. This also reduces pressure on customer service.

  • Behind-the-scenes content – Showcase the production, artists, or participants to build anticipation.

  • User-generated content – Encourage buyers to share that they have purchased tickets.

  • Countdown & reminders – Keep the excitement alive with regular updates – whether people have purchased tickets or not.

  • Extra ticket releases or upgrades – Generate buzz by releasing VIP packages or additional seating.

  • Advertising & remarketing – Retarget visitors who browsed the ticket page but didn’t complete a purchase.

Marketing efforts after the event

  • Thank your audience – Send an email thanking attendees and keeping them engaged for future events.

  • Surveys – Allow visitors to provide feedback to improve future events.

  • Photos & videos from the event – Let ticket buyers relive the atmosphere and inspire others to attend next time.

  • Recap videos & best-of clips – Great content to reuse for marketing your next event.

  • Exclusive previews of upcoming events – Give loyal attendees early access to information about upcoming events and ticket sales.

  • Birthday greetings – Send past ticket buyers a birthday message via SMS or email – easily automated for a personalized touch.

Person in yellow shirt typing on his laptop
Are you ready to sell tickets?

Cheat sheet: 6 things to consider before your ticket release

1. Offer different ticket options – Providing various ticket types allows buyers to choose what suits them best. Also, give loyal attendees early access to tickets.

2. Use a reliable ticketing system – It should handle high traffic and ensure a smooth purchasing experience.

3. Build anticipation in advance – Communicate the ticket release date and time, along with clear purchasing instructions, well ahead of time.

4. Maximize visibility during the ticket release – Coordinate social media, email campaigns, advertising, and more to peak attention at the moment of release.

5. Create urgency – Encourage immediate action with early bird pricing, “limited tickets available” messaging, and real-time sales updates.

6. Keep marketing even after the release – Your event marketing doesn’t stop when tickets go on sale. Promotion and ticket sales should continue all the way up to the event (and beyond!).

Summary: How to market your event

Event marketing is all about promoting and selling tickets for events. With smart, well-planned marketing efforts, you can expect:

• Increased reach and visibility
• Higher sales – sold-out tickets and additional revenue opportunities
• Greater engagement among buyers and a stronger brand presence

In this blog post, we focus on target audiences, channels, and ticket releases.

1. Understand your target audience – the foundation of event marketing

Knowing who you are talking to and identifying your target audience is the core of event marketing. A target audience is typically defined by different characteristics:

• Demographic characteristics
• Geographic characteristics
• Psychographic characteristics
• Behavioral characteristics

You can learn more about your audience by analyzing different types of data, such as sales data, website analytics, and email marketing statistics.

2. Choose the right channels to market your event

To successfully market your event, you need to use multiple channels – both digital and offline.

The best channels for your event are the ones your target audience actively uses. There are several sources of information on media consumption habits, such as Svenskarna och internet (The Swedes and the Internet report).

Since factors like staffing, time, budget, and expertise influence your channel selection, keep this in mind: It’s better to excel in a few channels than to spread yourself too thin across many.

3. Ticket release – a fun part of your event marketing!

The ticket release is not a one-time effort. There are many activities you can do before, during, and after the release. Your event marketing should include:

• Marketing before the ticket release
• The ticket release itself
• Communication between the ticket release and the event
• Marketing efforts after the event

Some general tips: offer different ticket options, build anticipation in advance, and coordinate your marketing channels when tickets go on sale.

What happens next? Follow-up & analysis!

Once your event has taken place, it’s time to analyze and draw conclusions.

1. Use data from marketing platforms – Evaluate which channels and campaigns performed best using tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Business Manager, and MarketHype.

2. Learn from the results for future events – When were the most tickets sold? Which messages worked best? What characteristics did your ticket buyers have?

3. Build an audience for future events – Save customer data and continue engaging with your target audience even after the event.