Promoters spend thousands on ads and watch the money vanish. The mistake? Running ads without a plan. Maybe it’s blasting Facebook with no warmup. Maybe it’s going silent the week before the show when urgency is highest. Either way, dollars get wasted and seats stay empty.
The fix is simple: follow a four-stage strategy that turns ad spend into sold-out shows.
Stage 1: Announce
Goal: Build anticipation and seed your audience.
When tickets aren’t on sale yet, the goal isn't immediate sales; it's building anticipation and creating an audience you can retarget later.
What to run:
- Contest or presale sign-ups to collect fans who want early access
- Short video ads that introduce the show (you can retarget viewers later)
- Ads targeted by interests closely related to the artist or genre
- Target artist page visitors if you have advertiser access
- Local ads narrowed to the city or region where the event is happening
Pro tip: If the artist gives you advertiser access to their Facebook or Instagram page, use it. Being able to reach fans who’ve already engaged is a gold mine. These are the people most likely to buy when tickets go live.
Stage 2: On-sale
Goal: Capture peak excitement.
When tickets first go on sale, urgency is at its highest. This is when ad spend should spike — fans are primed, they just need clear reasons to buy.
What to run:
- Traffic campaigns that highlight ticket tiers and pricing
- Creative that builds urgency (“Early bird tickets are limited”)
- Retargeting campaigns to people who engaged during announce
Targeting focus:
- Past users who engaged with marketing or purchased tickets to past similar shows
- Exclude those who already purchased to avoid wasted spend
Pro tip: This is typically where you'll see your strongest returns — if you did the work in announce. Announce builds the crowd, on sale turns that crowd into buyers.
Stage 3: Maintenance
Goal: Stay top of mind.
After the initial rush, sales often slow down. This stage is about keeping momentum without overspending. Think of it as the steady hum that keeps fans engaged until urgency returns.
What to run:
- Retargeting ads for fans who opened emails, clicked links, or engaged on social but haven’t bought
- Fun contests or giveaways that keep buzz alive and grow your retargeting pool
- Fresh creative swaps to prevent ad fatigue
- Ads targeted to people who’ve visited the ticket page but haven’t checked out
Pro tip: Don't hit pause just because sales cooled off. The fans engaging here are close to buying—they just need more nudges. Small, steady spend keeps the show in their heads until the final push.
Stage 4: Closeout
Goal: Drive urgency and last-minute sales.
As event day gets close, urgency does the heavy lifting. This is where you ramp up spend with laser-focused, time-sensitive messaging.
What to run:
- Ads optimized for sales, target purchase events in your meta pixel
- Retargeting ads that say exactly what fans need to hear: "Tickets almost gone" or "Show this week."
- Target artist page visitors if you have advertiser access
- Dark post ads as the artist matching their tone, “We’re excited to be in Milwaukee next week! Come see us at (venue)”
- Facebook Event Response ads (cheap, fast, high engagement)
Pro tip: Zero in on anyone who showed interest but hasn’t bought — site visitors, email clickers, SMS clickers, social engagers, contest entrants. They’ve already leaned in; now urgency pushes them across the finish line.
The Takeaway
Each stage builds on the last. Skip the announce and your on-sale fizzles. Skip maintenance, and your closeout lacks punch. But when you line them up, you build momentum that carries from first impression to a packed venue.
Smart promoters know ads aren’t about blasting for sales. They’re about guiding fans along the journey — warming them up, keeping them engaged, and sealing the deal when the time is right. That’s how you turn ad spend into sold-out shows.