Hey! It looks like you're a creative type going to the Fringe! You've probably done a thorough promotion campaign over the last 12 months and don't have anything to worry about going up to Edinburgh then, right? No? Oh.
It can often feel like no amount of work is enough when it comes to preparing for the Edinburgh Fringe. How many promos to do? How much time to spend writing and rehearsing? How much money can you afford to spend on advertising, and what ACTUALLY brings people in?
Speaking as someone who has had arguably the most incompetent run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (hey, that could be a show...), I can't promise I know exactly what you should do. I do, however, know the main things you definitely shouldn't do.
In 2013 we took a compilation stand-up show to the Fringe under the newly-formed banner of WMD Comedy. The show received an okay reception, with okay audiences thinking it was okay. Part of this was the show itself (there's a reason we changed from stand-up to sketches, as we suck at the former), and part of this was due to a chronic lack of preparation. Here are the 5 biggest mistakes we have learned from for our return to the Fringe this year, and how you can avoid them.
5. Know How You Will Promote Your Show
If you're new to the Fringe, it can be difficult to appreciate just how many shows are jostling for attention until you get there. If you are not new to the Fringe, why do you keep coming back?
Seriously though, there's an entire ocean of performers trying to get visitors, Edinburgh locals, and other performers to come and see their show. The best way to approach this is to use the golden rule of marketing: simply put, the more specific your audience the easier it will be to find them.
This can sound counter-intuitive, as you naturally want as many people to come to your show as possible. However, if you go too wide it will make your show look generic and it won't stand out.
Our 2013 show was called "How To Be Awesome At Everything", which as a title worked fairly well; a lot of people were intrigued by the ludicrously ambitious promise the show made. However, when we started talking to people about the show, either whilst out flyering or meeting other acts, we realised we didn't have our "elevator pitch". Quite simply, you should be to give a one-line description of the show that tells people whether it's for them.
We would often stumble at this, and just say something like "it's a really funny show that we're in". Who cares.
Really what you want is "a comedy show that will teach you how to be better at the thing that is most important to you", or something like that. Some people will hear that and not care. Others will be hooked by the personal aspect that is promised. That's fine. It's better to have an engaged and intrigued audience then one that has been tricked into seeing something they don't care about.
A great time to throw this out is whilst flyering. And speaking of flyers...
4. Make Sure You Have Some Goddamn Flyers
In 2013, we did not have flyers or posters for the first 3 days of the show. To be fair, we ordered them in good time, but due to a mix-up at a depot and other reasons you don't need to know about, we didn't have them for 3 days. We resorted to making some out of paper and pens, and writing C-grade jokes on them in an effort to entice.
It goes without saying, but don't do this.
Now that's not to say that flyers are particularly effective. In fact, I would conservatively say that 99% of flyers are ignored and unwanted. Does that mean you should still get some? Absolutely. In fact, get twice as many as you think you need.
There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the saturation effect of advertising, which basically means that you are more likely to go see a show if you have heard of it in the first place. If someone recommends a show to you, you might go and see it. If you repeatedly see interesting looking posters for a show, and THEN someone recommends it, you'll think "oh yeah, that looked interesting"...maybe.
Secondly, it's a great way of reminding people about your show later on. If you blindly hand out 500 flyers a day you may get a few people come, but if you have a chat with someone about your show and then give them a flyer, they will link that conversation with the details of your show at the end of the day, when they pour out all the rubbish they have accumulated.
A flyer should be a calling card. Information should be clear, and the type of show obvious. If it's a stand-up show and you don't have media quotes that describe how you perform, make it clear for people. Say who your inspirations are, so that people can connect you with acts they like. Saying it's really funny and great is nice and all, but it doesn't really mean anything.
All that said, whilst flyers are important, there are bigger things to worry about...
3. All Hail The App
A lot of advice on publicity talks about different flyer techniques and gimmicks, when at the end of the day the vast majority of people use the official EdFringe app to find what shows they are going to see. This is a mixed blessing, as on the one hand it does a lot of the work for you, but on the other hand it limits what you can do influence people. So, how you can get the most out of this?
The simplest way of improving your luck with the Fringe app is to make sure you have a strong web presence for your company, your show, and your journey to the Fringe. Naturally having great reviews is a good start (and in fact, probably a good ending point). But what if you have a new show, or haven't quite managed to pull in reviewers? Or what if you've had reviews but they aren't particularly favourable (hey, it happens)?
Remember that punters can leave reviews on the Fringe site, meaning word of mouth can help build up support for your show. There is no shame in gently nudging/forcefully pushing a receptive audience to leaving a nice review after a show. It helps you gain an edge over other shows and will help people using the app land on your show when making the call as to what they can see in the next hour.
Pre-fringe, having as much going on as possible online is a big help. When we played the Brighton Fringe festival earlier this year we always asked audience members where they heard about the show, and a few guys on our first night said they saw it in the brochure and Googled us. They found some of our web sketches, liked them, and came along to the show. And not a single flyer was put in their tiny hands.
It also goes without saying that hitting Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube (maybe even Blogger) for the entire duration of the Fringe is a must, including from July onwards (at the latest). That said, don't go too crazy, as it's also important to...
2. Don't Be A Dick
I like to think this advice speaks for itself, but just in case it doesn't; don't harass people. Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't email people, then ignore their replies. If you offer to play a variety show, play it, even if it's to one person. And most importantly, respect people who come to your show.
If you are a small show starting out you will likely struggle for audiences at times. Hell, if you're a medium show and it's mid-week you probably will. But remember; that's not the fault of the audience. Don't ever treat them with contempt, and always give them the best show possible. If you phone it in they will not remember the criminally under-attended masterpiece they saw, they'll walk away thinking "yeah, I can see why it was so empty".
The Fringe is a slog. It's tiring, expensive, frequently frustrating and often underwhelming. But it's also a great opportunity.
1. Connect
The biggest mistake we made in our first run at the Fringe was by not engaging enough with other performers, and the scene as a whole. Even if you have an under-rehearsed show, with no publicity and a terrible time slot 5 miles from the Royal Mile, the Fringe is still a prime opportunity to network.
It can be tempting to just focus on your own show and see other shows you like, but talking to as many people as possible is so valuable. It will give you ideas for how to promote your show, help your learn about new gigs, open up opportunities to collaborate, and perhaps most importantly, you'll have a great time socialising with like-minded people.
The Fringe is the biggest festival of it's kind for a reason, so get out there and meet people. And if you do find the time, do go and see "WMD Makes Everything Better" this year. It's...really, really funny. Let me give you a flyer.
It can often feel like no amount of work is enough when it comes to preparing for the Edinburgh Fringe. How many promos to do? How much time to spend writing and rehearsing? How much money can you afford to spend on advertising, and what ACTUALLY brings people in?
Speaking as someone who has had arguably the most incompetent run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (hey, that could be a show...), I can't promise I know exactly what you should do. I do, however, know the main things you definitely shouldn't do.
In 2013 we took a compilation stand-up show to the Fringe under the newly-formed banner of WMD Comedy. The show received an okay reception, with okay audiences thinking it was okay. Part of this was the show itself (there's a reason we changed from stand-up to sketches, as we suck at the former), and part of this was due to a chronic lack of preparation. Here are the 5 biggest mistakes we have learned from for our return to the Fringe this year, and how you can avoid them.
5. Know How You Will Promote Your Show
If you're new to the Fringe, it can be difficult to appreciate just how many shows are jostling for attention until you get there. If you are not new to the Fringe, why do you keep coming back?
 |
| Is it because you think one year you'll actually climb Arthur's Seat? Because you won't. |
Seriously though, there's an entire ocean of performers trying to get visitors, Edinburgh locals, and other performers to come and see their show. The best way to approach this is to use the golden rule of marketing: simply put, the more specific your audience the easier it will be to find them.
This can sound counter-intuitive, as you naturally want as many people to come to your show as possible. However, if you go too wide it will make your show look generic and it won't stand out.
Our 2013 show was called "How To Be Awesome At Everything", which as a title worked fairly well; a lot of people were intrigued by the ludicrously ambitious promise the show made. However, when we started talking to people about the show, either whilst out flyering or meeting other acts, we realised we didn't have our "elevator pitch". Quite simply, you should be to give a one-line description of the show that tells people whether it's for them.
We would often stumble at this, and just say something like "it's a really funny show that we're in". Who cares.
Really what you want is "a comedy show that will teach you how to be better at the thing that is most important to you", or something like that. Some people will hear that and not care. Others will be hooked by the personal aspect that is promised. That's fine. It's better to have an engaged and intrigued audience then one that has been tricked into seeing something they don't care about.
A great time to throw this out is whilst flyering. And speaking of flyers...
4. Make Sure You Have Some Goddamn Flyers
In 2013, we did not have flyers or posters for the first 3 days of the show. To be fair, we ordered them in good time, but due to a mix-up at a depot and other reasons you don't need to know about, we didn't have them for 3 days. We resorted to making some out of paper and pens, and writing C-grade jokes on them in an effort to entice.
It goes without saying, but don't do this.
Now that's not to say that flyers are particularly effective. In fact, I would conservatively say that 99% of flyers are ignored and unwanted. Does that mean you should still get some? Absolutely. In fact, get twice as many as you think you need.
There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the saturation effect of advertising, which basically means that you are more likely to go see a show if you have heard of it in the first place. If someone recommends a show to you, you might go and see it. If you repeatedly see interesting looking posters for a show, and THEN someone recommends it, you'll think "oh yeah, that looked interesting"...maybe.
 |
| "You know what? I AM going to join the army!" |
Secondly, it's a great way of reminding people about your show later on. If you blindly hand out 500 flyers a day you may get a few people come, but if you have a chat with someone about your show and then give them a flyer, they will link that conversation with the details of your show at the end of the day, when they pour out all the rubbish they have accumulated.
A flyer should be a calling card. Information should be clear, and the type of show obvious. If it's a stand-up show and you don't have media quotes that describe how you perform, make it clear for people. Say who your inspirations are, so that people can connect you with acts they like. Saying it's really funny and great is nice and all, but it doesn't really mean anything.
All that said, whilst flyers are important, there are bigger things to worry about...
3. All Hail The App
A lot of advice on publicity talks about different flyer techniques and gimmicks, when at the end of the day the vast majority of people use the official EdFringe app to find what shows they are going to see. This is a mixed blessing, as on the one hand it does a lot of the work for you, but on the other hand it limits what you can do influence people. So, how you can get the most out of this?
The simplest way of improving your luck with the Fringe app is to make sure you have a strong web presence for your company, your show, and your journey to the Fringe. Naturally having great reviews is a good start (and in fact, probably a good ending point). But what if you have a new show, or haven't quite managed to pull in reviewers? Or what if you've had reviews but they aren't particularly favourable (hey, it happens)?
 |
| I was going to quote our 1 star review but it's still too painful. |
Remember that punters can leave reviews on the Fringe site, meaning word of mouth can help build up support for your show. There is no shame in gently nudging/forcefully pushing a receptive audience to leaving a nice review after a show. It helps you gain an edge over other shows and will help people using the app land on your show when making the call as to what they can see in the next hour.
Pre-fringe, having as much going on as possible online is a big help. When we played the Brighton Fringe festival earlier this year we always asked audience members where they heard about the show, and a few guys on our first night said they saw it in the brochure and Googled us. They found some of our web sketches, liked them, and came along to the show. And not a single flyer was put in their tiny hands.
It also goes without saying that hitting Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube (maybe even Blogger) for the entire duration of the Fringe is a must, including from July onwards (at the latest). That said, don't go too crazy, as it's also important to...
2. Don't Be A Dick
I like to think this advice speaks for itself, but just in case it doesn't; don't harass people. Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't email people, then ignore their replies. If you offer to play a variety show, play it, even if it's to one person. And most importantly, respect people who come to your show.
If you are a small show starting out you will likely struggle for audiences at times. Hell, if you're a medium show and it's mid-week you probably will. But remember; that's not the fault of the audience. Don't ever treat them with contempt, and always give them the best show possible. If you phone it in they will not remember the criminally under-attended masterpiece they saw, they'll walk away thinking "yeah, I can see why it was so empty".
The Fringe is a slog. It's tiring, expensive, frequently frustrating and often underwhelming. But it's also a great opportunity.
1. Connect
The biggest mistake we made in our first run at the Fringe was by not engaging enough with other performers, and the scene as a whole. Even if you have an under-rehearsed show, with no publicity and a terrible time slot 5 miles from the Royal Mile, the Fringe is still a prime opportunity to network.
It can be tempting to just focus on your own show and see other shows you like, but talking to as many people as possible is so valuable. It will give you ideas for how to promote your show, help your learn about new gigs, open up opportunities to collaborate, and perhaps most importantly, you'll have a great time socialising with like-minded people.
The Fringe is the biggest festival of it's kind for a reason, so get out there and meet people. And if you do find the time, do go and see "WMD Makes Everything Better" this year. It's...really, really funny. Let me give you a flyer.
