Carnival Marketing Made Easy

There are two major components to carnival marketing: Marketing the carnival itself, and marketing attractions during the event. Carnivals can be held for a variety of reasons, and often they're an extension of nonprofit efforts to benefit a community. Whether commercial or philanthropic, carnivals are a great way to make more money for your cause. Here's your guide to carnival marketing made easy:

Marketing before your carnival

Before you can make money from your carnival, you have to attract carnival-goers to your event. Direct marketing is integral to your success: Postcards, posters, flyers, door hangers, brochures, booklets, and large format vinyl banners are excellent ways to get attention. Make sure all of your marketing materials include the dates of your carnivals, featured attractions and even schedules. Place fold-over business cards and flyers on local countertops or ask merchants to slip them in with their customers' groceries. As an incentive for helping you market the event, you can offer participating merchants a free booth. Grocery stores are likely contributors. Radio, television, and Internet ads can also work when targeted to your local area, or the area where your carnival will be held. Print marketing, especially direct-mail print marketing using a targeted mailing list, can be the most lucrative producer, particularly when you're targeting families. Highlight your key family friendly attractions and include a full schedule with any mailings so you can get the best response.

Marketing at your carnival

Once you have your crowd, you have to invite your crowd to spend money. Carnival barkers are notorious for tailoring their pitches to individual passers-by, and some have perfected the art. Large format vinyl banners make attractions such as pay-rides, food stands, games, and other events stand out so they can be seen from a distance. This makes it easy for carnival-goers to find exactly what they want - and when they can do that, they're more apt to spend money enjoying what you have to offer. Posters and flyers are also perfect ways to keep marketing costs low while increasing revenue. If you're charging entrance fees for a magic show, for example, skip the poster board and magic marker in favor of a poster with an elaborate design full of smoke, fire and rabbits. The perception of your attractions' value is extremely important, and cheap signs denote a cheap show. Invest in influential signage, and you'll earn the almighty dollar. No matter how you decide to market your carnival, make sure you have your materials printed on state-of-the-art printing presses for the best possible quality. Large-format vinyl banners should be printed to withstand the weather (so they can be used time and again), and posters and other materials should tell people at a glance that your carnival offers quality enjoyment. If you want your carnival to hit the big top, don't settle for traditional carnival marketing. Think outside the box, reach your target audience, don't stop marketing when they get to your carnival, and you'll be primed for profit every time.