Grow Your Audience

The New Mills Festival team work hard to promote the festival and all your events, with a wide reach across several platforms. You can do your bit too, to promote your own event and grow  your audience. We’ve put some helpful information together here, based on our own experiences.
New Mills Festival manages this website and its own facebook and instagram pages. We’ll build the calendar of events on here and schedule them on facebook too. We’ll produce a printed programme of events, flyers and posters to promote the festival and will contact local and national media too.
The wider distribution of material for individual events is the responsibility of event organisers.

Festival Logo

Please make it clear on all publicity that the event is part of New Mills Festival – use the logos. It helps you and us! They can be downloaded HERE. If none of these are suitable  please email info@newmillsfestival.co.uk or call the Festival Co-ordinator on 07726774562

 

Over to you

The wider distribution of material for individual events is the responsibility of event organisers. Many shops, cafes and pubs take posters and flyers.  Please approach the media yourselves with photos and press releases. Contact  media@newmillsfestival.co.uk for our  media contacts list. It is not exhaustive so do contact your own local press for example The Macclesfield Express  does not generally cover Buxton but would do if there was a local angle for them. Local radio stations may be willing to broadcast good quality recordings and are keen to  interview you, especially if you can go into their studios.

Please supply photographs as part of the online entry procedure. If you would like further advice on publicity email media@newmillsfestival.co.uk for advice. You can also send your press release to this address.

 

Here’s a list of tips from Festival organisers:

  • Make the most of your 200-word events submission entry to really sell your show. If you’ve won an award, say so. If you’ve had a good review, quote it. If you are from outside the UK say so as it means you are international!
  • Know your target audience.
  • Make the most of any local contacts – don’t be shy about spreading the word amongst friends and family.
  • Distribute flyers and posters to plenty of places and the best places for your target audience.
  • Street publicity is worth the effort. Meet the public in costume if possible with handbills at the ready. Impromptu street theatre works too. It all helps to build the festival atmosphere.
  • Think about involving local people in the performance itself , e.g. can you link up with a local school who will bring families to watch?
  • Consider an unusual, characterful venue e.g. Shakespeare in the park is always a winner or comedians may choose to use a café venue to create a cabaret atmosphere.
  • Consider adding extra value and something different e.g. free snacks, workshop element, promenade performance, interactivity, something that makes it seem like an event.
  • If you have an attractive cast, costumes or sets show them off in publicity pictures.
  • Think of an interesting angle for the press – e.g. the first time… a new collaboration… return of an award winner… local angle… youngest performer… oldest performer… human interest story.
  • Use digital marketing/social media. New Mills and the Festival has a thriving presence on Facebook and Instagram. Make sure you tag us in your posts.
  • Consider your timings – e.g. beware the impact of  a big event on the same day.  Don’t schedule a children’s show late in the evening.
  • Watch pricing. We can offer advice with this.
  • Be sure to submit a photo for our festival website and social media.
  • Enter as soon as you can so that your details are on website for longer and you get picked out in early press and magazine articles.