Flyers
While well aware of the issues around producing copious amounts of print, we did see that in 2022 flyers remained an effective way of engaging with audiences out on the streets.
Social media can be used effectively to generate interest in your show during the build-up to the Fringe and throughout the festival itself, but will generally see you reach people already interested in your work, or those producing similar work.
Flyer Design
Your flyer will be competing with hundreds of others for people’s attention, so good design is a must. Keep the front of the flyer as clear as possible - use this for your strong, recognisable and memorable image, show title and company name.
Listings and other details can go on the back, but do make these easy to spot and easy to read so people can easily see where they need to be and at what time. Include your company’s social media channels on the reverse as well.
Make sure your show description gives a potential audience member a clear idea of what they can expect. There’s a lot of competition and people’s budgets are tight, so they’ll want to know what they’re getting if they decide to come to your show.
Your flyer MUST feature your ZOO venue logo.
- These can be downloaded from www.zoovenues.co.uk/print
- They are sized to fit various paper sizes so just choose the correct size for your design.
- You can position it freely within your design.
The venue logo helps people to locate the show, and provides a recognisable symbol that they’ve arrived at the right place when they see our signs and displays outside the venues.
All printed material needs to be approved by ZOO via press@zoovenues.co.uk - we promise to get back to you within two days.
How many flyers do you need?
We suggest an allocation of 100 flyers per day for each company member helping with their distribution.
Whether you have a small or a large team, it’s important to be strategic about your flyering and plan where you’re going to be and when, and using your energy wisely so your pitches are giving potential punters all your enthusiasm for your show.
Be active and engaging - try and get at least a few words in with your flyer, giving the recipient a small personal connection rather than merely a piece of paper.
Each flyer, of course, comes at a cost of both paper and money from your marketing budget, so make sure you’re maximising the potential return from each one. Just pushing 100 flyers into the hands of uninterested, fast-moving passers-by on their way to work isn’t going to have much impact. Try to identify people who appear receptive to flyers or might be wandering and looking for something to do.
Similarly, inanimate objects such as window frames or chairs do not have the financial or physical mobility required to come and see shows, so are in all likelihood a waste of your resources.
Posters
ZOO requires a stock of 20 A3 posters to display within our venues. Our displays are up in time for the preview days, so even if your show doesn’t begin until week three, please make sure we have your posters before the end of July.
Poster Design
Similar to your flyer, the poster design should be clear, clutter-free, eye-catching and memorable.
Since the poster does not have a reverse, some information will need to be included but all you really need is the start time, dates and venue name.
Your poster MUST feature your ZOO venue logo.
- These can be downloaded from www.zoovenues.co.uk/print
- They are sized to fit various paper sizes so just choose the correct size for your design.
- You can position it freely within your design.
The venue logo does help people to locate the show, and provides a recognisable symbol that they’ve arrived at the right place when they see our signs and displays outside the venues.
All printed material needs to be approved by ZOO via press@zoovenues.co.uk - we promise to get back to you within two days.
Where else can posters be displayed?
Opportunities for displaying your printed posters around the city are now very limited. Official poster board spaces are available through Out of Hand - https://outofhand.co.uk/ - and if your budget allows, or would previously have involved a larger run of printed posters, then this is one way to get your show’s image displayed around town.
Local businesses such as cafes, pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants sometimes accept posters on their displays, but of course their space is limited, and the time spent tracking down these spots could be used for reaching people with your flyers instead.
Social Media
It takes time to cultivate followers so make sure your social media profiles are set up well in advance of the festival, if you don’t already have one.
Create a profile for your company, rather than starting a show-specific one. This way the following and momentum that you build this year can be used when it’s time to promote future work.
Please follow us and link us when you mention your show. It’s the best way for us to keep track of what you’re doing and if all shows do it, a great way to promote everything on the programme - this includes using the hashtags #ZOO23 and #edfringe
Be Chatty; Be Visual; Be Distinct. Followers are more likely to engage in your content if there are photos or videos, and if you are interactive. Engage with other shows and venues – try to make sure you’re reaching your show’s audience.
The companies that use social media most effectively are those that find the right balance of using it for marketing messages (such as announcing new website content, video, blog posts, opening dates, ticket offers, good reviews etc), and offering insights into you as a company such as behind
the scene info, pictures from rehearsals, backstage etc. Keep things professional (don’t get too focused on debates or stray into ‘in-joke’ territory) without losing your company and performers’ personalities.
Content which gives people something to interact with, whether that be a question or a topic to discuss, also increases engagement over something which people read and move on from.