Practical ways to use festival apps as a marketing platform
The key to success isn’t only about using a platform but also strategically deploying the available tools. Here are the main ways to use a festival app to effectively boost your ticket sales:
Retargeting your community
A strong platform allows you to build a community and maintain engagement with year-round content. This means you can reach your audiences as soon as you launch pre-registration and ticket sales. At this stage, the focus is mainly on reactivating (potential) visitors from previous years.
Festival apps are especially powerful for this purpose. Because they stay on the user's device even after the event, they allow you to continue the conversation. You can do this through push notifications announcing next year’s ticket sales or in-app content to keep users engaged. While around 20% of users delete the app after the event, most remain, with the average Appic user remaining active for 3 years and 9 months. This activity offers a golden opportunity to retarget with well-timed and relevant offers.
Targeting specific cities or regions
Reach potential visitors in specific cities or regions where your event currently has limited presence but shows growth potential. Offer them a special introductory price, making it easier for them to discover your event. By implementing this early in your campaign, you can build local buzz, attracting ambassadors who will further drive ticket sales organically.
You can also use location data gathered through your app to better understand where your audience is coming from and where potential might lie. If certain areas show high pre-event interest, consider offering transport options like shuttle buses to boost convenience and conversion.
Engaging younger audiences
Many platforms are popular among younger users; for instance, 48% of Appic users are between 18 and 24 years old. This group attends festivals less frequently due to rising ticket prices but strongly desires unique experiences. By developing targeted offers and promotions for this demographic, you attract new fans who can become loyal visitors if they have a positive experience.
Festival apps play a crucial role here. With a mobile-first audience, having all event information, from tickets to line-ups, available in one place is key to a smooth experience.
Strategically timing promotions
Choosing the right moment to launch promotions is crucial. Ticket sales often have peaks and dips, such as right after a phase transition or at payday. During lower periods, you can use a platform to run special promotions and keep interest high. It has been proven that promotions launched at lower periods boost overall ticket sales.
Apps give you the advantage of reaching people instantly and directly during these dips. Push notifications about “last chance” offers, upgrades, or merchandise drops can drive immediate engagement.
Launching promotions at the right moment is key. Ticket sales naturally fluctuate, with peaks right after a phase transition or around payday. During lower periods, strategic promotions can keep momentum going. Data shows that well-timed discounts during these dips significantly boost overall ticket sales.
Example strategy
Here’s a strategy that is relatively common among about 15% of our organisers and which has led to a 40% increase in conversions for this group:
Six months before the event, launch pre-registration with an early-access incentive
Four months before the event begin geo-targeted campaigns to underperforming regions
Three months before the event, start implementing youth-focused promotions
6-8 weeks before the event: Launch strategic discounts during projected sales dips
Four weeks before the event, start your final push with limited 'last chance' offers
You can read much more about these best practices in our comprehensive knowledge page on ticket sales strategies for event organisers.
Pre-registration campaigns: Build hype before ticket sales start
An effective way to identify your audience early is by running a pre-registration campaign on Appic. Pre-registration is when attendees sign up for the event in advance for early access to tickets. Those who pre-register gain exclusive entry to the ticket shop ahead of the general public, allowing them to secure their tickets before official sales begin.
Here is an example of how to run a pre-registration campaign:
You can run giveaway contests where potential visitors have a chance to win their first tickets or have a VIP experience.
Participants can sign up for updates through a newsletter opt-in, allowing them to collect valuable first-party data.
Retargeting through social media, non-winners and lookalike target groups are later targeted with personalised ads via Appic and the organiser’s Meta Business Account.
These methods help create a highly engaged audience, increasing the likelihood of ticket purchases as soon as sales open.
You can read more on the advantages of pre-registrations and how to make them in our blog.
Adapting to consumer behaviour
Many festivals are noticing that tickets are no longer selling out as quickly as they once did. The reasons for this are the following:
Post-COVID, festival-goers are more selective and cautious about which events they attend.
Ticket prices are rising due to inflation, while available younger audiences with lower incomes struggle to afford them. You can tackle this by offering exclusive discounts tailored to younger audiences or students.
Festivals are seeing lower attendance from visitors travelling from farther away. This is likely due to increased travel costs acting as a barrier. You can tackle this by offering special in-app discounts and promotions to ticket buyers who travel from further away.
