A few word about marketing... - Thu - Dec 4, 2025 - 11:11am

Dawn Green
Updated: Thu - Dec 4, 2025 - 11:11am ⚬ 0 Comments Marketing
---
Periodically, clients ask us for help with online marketing—whether on Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads (AdWords), or retargeting platforms. While we support many parts of your ticketing and operations, digital marketing is outside our core expertise, and even we rely on experienced professionals for our own campaigns.


Digital marketing—especially Google Ads and Facebook/Instagram advertising—is a complex and specialized field. A small mistake can burn through a budget quickly, and poor campaign setup can produce disappointing results. Google often provides a “grace period” for new accounts, but it’s important to understand that they do not stop you from overspending or making costly misconfigurations.


If you’re considering advertising, I strongly recommend:


• A reputable local marketing agency - more expensive, but you can sit face-to-face with someone who understands your goals.
• Look for freelancers on Upwork.com - often far more affordable, with many specialists who focus specifically on Google or Meta Ads.
Our own experience on Upwork has been mixed, but generally positive. Be prepared to switch contractors quickly if you don’t see progress, transparency, or meaningful results. Have a clear set of goals, expectations, timelines and budget before you begin.


Whichever route you choose, focus on one platform at a time (Google or Facebook or Instagram). This makes it much easier to understand costs, interpret reports, and evaluate ROI.

Here are a few items to keep in mind as you explore marketing:


• Do not let anyone pressure you into expensive SEO or “AI search optimization” packages. Much of this is hype, and results can be limited. Some tasks you can do yourself with basic best practices -- or even with guidance from tools like ChatGPT -- but it’s not something worth spending thousands on.
  
  
• Facebook/Instagram can be a good starting point, especially for targeting specific demographics (e.g., professional women in their 30s–40s). Strong visuals -- especially high-quality video -- perform best.
  
  
• Google Ads is powerful but notoriously tricky:
  
  
  • Your ads can be clicked from outside your target geography (e.g., India), inflating your costs.
  • Google’s "display network" can show your ads on random websites, generating lots of impressions with little impact.
    
    
  • If your artist resembles a major touring act, Google may show your ads to highly competitive and very expensive search terms.
     Example: If your artist, for example, Jessica Lynn, sounds anything like Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift is touring, Google may place your ad in competition with ticket resellers for her shows. Clicks in these situations can cost $50 or more, each.
These pitfalls can quickly turn a planned $1,000 advertising test into a $10,000–$15,000 problem if everything isn't configured perfectly.

We sincerely wish we had the in-house expertise to guide clients more directly, but digital advertising is a specialized discipline and mistakes are simply too costly. However, if you have any questions or want a second option, we are always happy to share our own experiences, review your plan, or offer high-level feedback. 

• Sign up today and start selling tickets Login