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Fringe Advertising 101: How to Make Your Show Stand Out

1 Jan 2004

Advertising is an important part of promoting your show – but if you’re more comfortable blocking a scene than booking a banner, stepping into this world of jargon and tech specs can feel overwhelming. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you understand how online and print ads work, and how to get the most out of your marketing budget.

Designing Effective Ads

Call to Action
Every online ad needs a clear Call to Action – a prompt encouraging viewers to interact. Whether it’s a simple “Book Now” or something more enticing like “Click for an exclusive video preview” (only if you actually have one), the goal is to drive engagement. Unlike a static poster on a wall, your digital ad needs to prompt action.

Static vs Animated Ads
Broadway Baby accepts ads in JPG, PNG and GIF formats. JPG and PNG are great for high-quality, static images. However, a GIF allows for animation – think of it as a mini slideshow, which can include multiple frames of content in a loop.

Animated GIFs are especially effective for:

  • Grabbing attention
  • Displaying more information (title, venue, quotes, etc.)
  • Standing out on a busy page

Keep in mind: GIF animation requires a bit of design expertise, and your file size must stay under 150k to ensure fast load times.

Key Advertising Terms

Impressions
An impression (or view) is each time your ad appears on someone’s screen. When you purchase impressions, you’re buying visibility.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)
This is the percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it. A typical click-through rate is quite low – globally around 0.1%, but Broadway Baby averages around 0.3% due to its focused content and audience.

Even if clicks are low, remember: banner ads also build brand awareness, so it’s vital that your ad visually matches your poster and flyer design.

Tenancy
Broadway Baby ads are sold by tenancy – you book your ad for a specific period. This removes the guesswork around impressions or performance metrics and ensures your ad is always live during key dates.

Other Models You Might Hear About

  • CPC (Cost Per Click): You only pay when someone clicks your ad. Common on platforms like Google. It can work well with the right strategy but is complex and harder for newcomers to manage.
  • CPM (Cost Per Mille): You pay per thousand impressions. Broadway Baby used to use this model, but switched to tenancy after feedback from advertisers.

Technical Requirements & File Formats

  • Formats Supported: JPG, PNG, GIF
  • Max File Size: 150k
  • Tip: Use JPG/PNG for crisp photographic images; use animated GIFs to show multiple messages or catch attention.
  • Note: Broadway Baby does not support Flash – mobile and tablet users (a large part of our audience) don’t either.

Ready to Advertise?

Booking an ad with Broadway Baby is easy – just head over to our online banner booking page and follow the steps.

Whether it’s your first time marketing a show or you’re just looking to sharpen your ad game, we hope these tips help you make a stronger impact and sell more tickets.

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