How to promote your gig (and actually fill the room)

Most gigs are under-promoted for the same reason: everyone's busy, and posting feels awkward. Here's a routine that does the job without taking over your week.

Start three to four weeks out

Announce the show as soon as it's confirmed. An early post gives the algorithm and your fans time to notice, and it lets people put the date in their calendar before the weekend fills up. One announcement, one reminder a week before, one on the day is plenty.

Make one good poster and reuse it

A clear image with the band, date, venue and city does more than five rushed ones. In Bandpit you can turn any gig into a poster built from your own photos, in the right sizes for a story, a square post, or a landscape banner, and post the same show everywhere.

Lead with the event name if it has one. "Mastofestarit" pulls more than "Lahden tori" does.

Get found, don't just broadcast

Posting to your own followers reaches people who already know you. A listing reaches people who don't. When you add a gig in Bandpit it also appears in the public gig directory for your city, so someone searching for a show that night can find you and click through to the band.

Tell the people most likely to come

• Your email list, if you have one. It converts better than any social post.
• The other bands on the bill, so you cross-promote to each other's crowds.
• The venue, who usually has their own audience and listings.
• Local gig calendars and Facebook events for the area.

On the night and after

Post a photo or a clip during the show while people are deciding where to go. Afterwards, thank the room and tag the venue and the other bands. That's also the best moment to point people at your page and your next date.