Why Your Event Promotion Is Not Working and How to Fix It

You planned the event. You made the flyer. You posted about it once or twice. And now you are staring at low ticket sales or a very quiet comment section wondering what went wrong.

Bad news first. Your event promotion probably is not working.
Good news. It is usually an easy fix.

Problem 1: You Are Only Posting About It Once

Posting about your event one time and hoping people remember is not a strategy. People are busy. Instagram is noisy. Your post was probably buried under dog videos within minutes.

How to fix it:
Start promoting earlier than you think you need to and talk about the event multiple times. Share it in different ways. Not just the flyer. Talk about the why, the vibe, the behind the scenes, and what people will actually experience when they show up.

Repetition is not annoying. It is necessary.

Problem 2: You Are Sharing It Too Late

This is one of the biggest reasons event promotion fails.

Personally, I promote events way ahead of time. The absolute minimum I give myself is one month. If I do not have at least a month to promote an event properly, I usually reschedule it. That is not being dramatic. That is being realistic.

People need time to plan. If you wait until the last week, you are already fighting an uphill battle.

How to fix it:
Give yourself a real runway. Aim for a month or more when possible. Start with a save the date, then build momentum with reminders, behind the scenes content, and previews of what people can expect.

If you want strong attendance, you have to respect people’s schedules.

Problem 3: You Are Only Sharing the Details

Date. Time. Location. Cool. But that alone does not make people care.

People do not attend events because of logistics. They attend because of how it makes them feel or what they will get out of it.

How to fix it:
Tell people what the event will feel like. Is it fun? Cozy? High energy? A good excuse to get out of the house? Will their friends be there?

Paint the picture, not just the calendar.

Problem 4: Your Content Feels Too Salesy

If every post sounds like Buy tickets now or Do not miss out, people tune it out fast.

How to fix it:
Mix promotional posts with human content. Share prep, team moments, throwbacks from past events, or why you are excited about it. Let people connect before asking them to commit.

People show up for people, not ads.

Problem 5: You Stop Talking About It Once It Is Over

This is a huge missed opportunity.

How to fix it:
After the event, share photos, videos, thank you posts, and recaps. Tag people. Show the energy. This builds momentum for your next event before you even announce it.

Past events sell future events.

Final Thought

If your event promotion is not working, it is rarely because your event is bad. Most of the time, it is just not getting enough time, attention, or storytelling.

I plan events with promotion in mind from the start. If I cannot give an event the time it deserves, I would rather reschedule it than watch it underperform.

If you are tired of planning great events that no one knows about, we should probably talk.