When adding an event to your website, blog or creating a press release or listing to be submitted to a variety of external sources there are a few essentials you should be thinking of.
That initial piece of content you write is the “announcement” of your event. The idea of this piece is that it is relatively timeless between the minute you announce the event until it actually happens.
It might seem obvious but there is information your piece of content MUST contain:
- Name of event, artist, speaker etc…
- Details of support acts or other things happening at the event
- Date & Time (if you have stage times)
- Venue
- Ticket price and where to buy
Ideally your content will also contain:
- YouTube link to the artist’s latest release (or most famous release) or another relevant YouTube link that illustrates who your main speaker, act, artist, attraction is
- Social media links to all artists, speakers, acts, people involved with the event
- A little background about whoever you are featuring in terms of their fame, how they got to be on your bill, what makes them special or unique
- Any quotes from the people featured available about the event or tour
Let’s use a music event as our example. This template was created a number of years ago in my company to help young journalists understand a formulaic way of developing quick and easy content, however, this template can be adapted to almost every other event type.
Format Template:
[DESCRIPTION OF ARTIST OR EVENT] will play [VENUE] on [DATE].
The [DESCRIPTION] star, best known for [xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx], will play the venue as part of the [xxxxx] tour.
[NAME OF ARTIST] shot to fame in [DATE] following the release of his [DESCRIBE eg, debut solo album] [NAME OF RELEASE].
[IN HERE YOU COULD INCLUDE QUOTES FROM THE ARTIST OR INFO ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF THE ARTIST OR A DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSIC OR SHOW]
[Then info about support acts etc…].
Ticket/adm price, door times and other info…..
For more information log onto [INSERT TICKET LINK OR WEBSITE URL] or check out [INSERT MAIN SOCIAL LINK(S)]
Adding Video:
Check the artist’s own YouTube for a behind the scenes tour video – if there is one insert it somewhere in the middle of the post.
If you are adding a song – preferably their most recent release or their most famous hit – put it at the end of the post.
Some examples:
Example 1 (please note this is not a current gig announcement)
Australian band The Jezebels have added Belfast to their UK and European tour.
The band, best known for their alternative rock/indie and disco pop sound, were formed in 2007.
The four-piece have already toured a successful debut album Prisoner in 2011 after forming in 2007 as University students in Sydney.
However, they will play Belfast’s Limelight 2 on February 28 shortly after the release of their forthcoming second album which follows hot on the heels of their first single from the record The End, released last month.
The Brink, produced by Dan Grech Marguerat (Radiohead, Lana Del Rey, The Vaccines, Hurts), is released in the UK on February 17 and their second single from the album Look Of Love is out on Monday February 24.
The Jezebels will be supported throughout the UK and European tour by Isle of Wight brothers Champs.
Tickets to the February 28 show are priced £14 and on sale now from www.ticketmaster.ie.
For more information check out www.thejezabels.com and www.playitagainsam.net/artists/52/champs.
Example 2 (please note this is not a current gig announcement)
Country star Nathan Carter is headed back to the Dalriada Festival this summer.
Following a sold out response last year the 23-year-old was invited back to headline the DalriadaLIVE event on Sunday July 13.
DalriadaLIVE has become a firm fixture as part of the P&O Ferries Dalriada Festival, which features top quality music, food and sport as well as the well-known Highland Games during July.
Taking place at the historic Glenarm Castle the event will celebrate its fourth year with two nights of music on July 13 and 14.
Pete Tobit, from Silver Fox Productions who are promoting the event said:”We were overwhelmed with the response Nathan Carter received last year that we had to have him back.”
Adrian Morrow, from Glenarm Castle, added: “We are delighted that we will return in our 4th year with the fantastic Nathan Carter and an additional evening of music.”
The charity this year for DalriadaLIVE will be Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.
Meanwhile Nathan is looking forward to a busy year ahead with a wealth of bookings under his belt already and other plans.
He revealed: “I would like to expand to other countries this year. We’ll also be releasing a live album of the DVD in February and I’m looking forward to recording a new album for later in the year.”
Tickets for DalriadaLIVE are priced at £25 and are available from Ticketmaster [insert link]
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