When should you start promoting an event?
Start promoting an event when tickets go on sale or the first major announcement is made. For large festivals that often means several months ahead. For smaller local events, six to eight weeks is a common minimum. Early promotion builds the audiences that late-stage ads convert.
The paid ads event timeline
| Phase | Goal | Main channels |
|---|---|---|
| Announcement / on-sale | Awareness and early buyers | Meta, TikTok, email to past attendees |
| Early-bird deadline | Convert interested people before price rises | Retargeting, search, Meta |
| Middle period | Keep reach growing, build retargeting pools | Video, streaming TV for larger events, Meta |
| Final 3–4 weeks | Convert at highest intent | Search, retargeting, urgency creative |
| Final week | Last push and logistics | Retargeting, search, reminders |
How should event ad budget be split over time?
Most event budgets are weighted toward the second half of the campaign, but not entirely to the final week. A common pattern is a meaningful share early to build audiences, lighter spend through the middle, and the largest share in the final weeks when intent is highest.
The right split depends on when your tickets actually sell. Use past ticket sales curves if you have them. If you do not, forecast them, then compare the forecast to sales each week and shift budget. Our attendance projections are built this way.
Why is starting late expensive?
Starting late forces all spend into a short window when competition for attention is highest and audiences have not seen the event before. People usually need several exposures before buying a ticket, so a late start means paying more per ticket.
What should you do after the event?
Save audiences of buyers, site visitors and video viewers, record the ticket sales curve, and compare results to the forecast. That data makes the next year’s forecast and budget far more accurate.
For channel tactics, read how to sell more festival tickets and Facebook ads for events.