How to Promote Your Non-Theatrical Screening

You’ve bought the public performance rights and booked the venue, and now all you need to do is get people to come to your screening! 


If this is your first time hosting this sort of event, you might be worried about attendance. Here are a few tips to ensure that seats are filled on the big night.

If your organization or library has a Facebook page, creating a Facebook event is absolutely essential. Invite the people who like your page.


If they see the date and time of your event at the side of their Facebook feed every time they log in, chances are they’ll remember.

If you use Twitter, create a hashtag for your screening (ie: #WhenIWalkEvent). If you can get other people to join in and use the hashtag, the ensuing conversation will generate a lot of buzz for your event.


You want to get other people to spread the news for you, so make sure that any promotional posts you make are easily shareable.

Beyond social media, it is important to use conventional marketing materials. Sometimes nothing is better than an old school press release. 


There are many websites (PR.com, PRLog.org) that allow you to post and promote press releases online for free. High-resolution PDF files can be made into posters. 


Newsletters and mass emails can be used to target specific audiences. There are target audience mailing lists available for purchase, which you can use to find local contacts with similar interests.

By following these simple steps, you can make sure that your screening event doesn’t go unnoticed.