16 ways to market your agshow for free

[Lessons from Agshows NSW Celebrating AgShows conference 2024]

By Lucy Kirk

Ah, the age old adage: marketing is everything and everything is marketing. But, for those of us already trying to squeeze water from a stone, finding enough room in our show budget for a flash marketing campaign is simply out of the question.??

Not to fear! In 2024, there are so many ways that country shows can market their events for free. Here’s 16 hassle-free examples from social media and marketing expert, Jenn Donovan , you can start using today:?

1. Your Facebook page: Think of Facebook as your new yellow pages listing. People are now using Facebook to access your contact information, to see what’s new, what’s been going on and what’s coming up. PRO TIP: Not all content has to be yours! Consistently share content from sponsors and partners to keep your followers engaged.?
2. Local Facebook groups:?Local Facebook groups are GOLD! Join these groups and share nostalgia posts, promote your partners and sponsors, ask for new sponsors, recap your event, and tell stories. PRO TIP: Schedule posts in these groups throughout the year - but be mindful not to overuse.??
3. Instagram posts, stories and reels:?It’s important to invest in good visuals on Instagram, but reels, stories and live recordings are the most effective way to consistently use Instagram. PRO TIP: If you don’t like managing an Instagram account, simply use your grid profile as a mini ‘website’ and only post stories and reels.?
4. Email Marketing:?To grow your email list, constantly promote it. Many organisations regret not starting sooner and encouraging people to sign up, so the biggest trick is to talk about it all the time. PRO TIP: Create separate lists for different audiences, for example, a supplier list, a sponsor list and a customer list.?
5. Get some free PR:?Sending press releases and notices to local media outlets such as newspapers, radio stations and television channels is an excellent way to promote your event for free. PRO TIP: Use ChatGPT or another AI application to write the press releases for you.?
6. Business Profile Manager:?Using a business profile manager like Google Business Manager is so important for driving visitors to your website through google. PRO TIP: Use your google profile like any other social media platform - make sure it's kept up to date.?
7. Micro Influencers:?No, we’re not talking about celebrities! Micro influencers are the members of your community, your staff or other partners who have a strong social media presence and can help you promote your show. PRO TIP: Tag friends and family and start sharing other people’s content.?
8. Reach out:?We all have a social media presence, right? But in 2024, you have to actually be ‘social’ on social media. It’s important to comment and interact on other people’s posts; effectively ‘sprinkling your brand around’. PRO TIP: Simply spend 5mins every day reaching out.?
9. Storyselling:?Become a really good storyteller, telling your story, your history, stories about your people, your community, your committee, it all helps to build your profile to become unforgettable. In your marketing USE MORTE STORIES. Stories are another product.?
10. Enter awards:?Awards are a great free promotion tool, because even if you don’t win you still have ample marketing opportunities to shout it out everywhere. PRO TIP: Don’t be afraid to pay to enter the awards competition because you are guaranteed publicity no matter what.??
11. Collaborations and partnerships:?You may have sponsors and partners supporting your show during the event, and hopefully, you have a solid plan to promote them throughout the day. But what about the rest of the year? Collaborate with them year-round. PRO TIP: Be strategic and reach out—ask them what they’d like from you beyond the obvious.
12. UGC Content:?Think about ways that you can encourage your audience to tag you in their social media posts so you don’t have to create all the content yourself PRO TIP: Save these photos so you can reuse them for the next show season.
13. Make yourself easy to buy from:?A confused buyer doesn’t buy! Think about how easy your tickets are to buy and ways that you can make it easier on your customers. PRO TIP: Don’t wait to sell tickets on the day - get commitment to come.?
14. Word of Mouth:?Word of mouth is still the most powerful tool for getting people through the gate. The way that you can encourage word of mouth recommendations is simply to be exceptional; give every customer a great experience on show day. PRO TIP: Word of mouth generates 2x more sales than paid ads, so don’t underestimate its power!
15. Optimise your website:?Optimise your website for mobile devices to ensure an easy user experience. You can use AI programs to make your offers compelling and easy to find and understand. PRO TIP: Use high-quality imagery to keep the user experience seamless.
16. Tap into Agritourism:?If someone is visiting your area for the weekend on the week of your show, how do they know it's on? PRO TIP: Place flyers at key tourism places, and on community billboards.