Promotion Calendar Templates

By night type — what goes out, when, and on which channel, so promotion runs on a plan instead of a panic.

Promotion fails most often not from bad ideas but from bad timing — everything fired off in the last three days, or dribbled out with no rhythm, or forgotten until it’s too late to matter. This appendix fixes that with promotion-calendar templates for the four situations a music room promotes most: a featured show , a recurring weekly night , a showcase , and a one-off themed event . Each lays out a runway — what goes out, when, and on which channel — so your promotion runs on a plan instead of a scramble. It’s the promotion discipline of Chapter 28 and the visual-and-social practice of Chapter 32, put on a calendar.

The channels referenced throughout are the ones from those chapters: your owned home (website, email list), your rented reach (the social platforms you’ve chosen, Ch. 32), the listings and discovery ecosystem (local calendars, listings sites, Ch. 28), in-room promotion (signage, announcements, the night itself), cross-promotion (artists, partners, Ch. 28, 30), press (Ch. 31), and paid amplification used judiciously (Ch. 32). Adapt the cadence to your room and your reach — a small room won’t work every channel, and that’s fine. The point is a deliberate runway, not a checklist of obligations.

⚠ HOW TO USE Pick the template that matches what you’re promoting, set the date, and work backward — the left column is when relative to the show, so “Week -6” means six weeks out. Fill the planning column with your specifics and who owns each push. A separate clean, fillable version (no cross-references) is available as its own file. These are planning aids; honesty-in-advertising and disclosure rules still apply (Ch. 28; Appendix H).

Template 1 — The Featured Show (Six-Week Runway)

For a single, bigger show worth a full build — a touring act, a marquee booking, a ticketed event. (Ch. 8, 28)

When What goes out Channel Your plan / owner Week -6 Announce the show; on-sale if ticketed Website, email, social, listings Week -5 Add to every listing and calendar; artist cross-promo Listings, artist channels Week -4 Content piece — who the artist is, why it matters Social, email Week -3 Press push; pitch any preview coverage Press, social Week -2 Heavier social; share artist content; in-room signage up Social, in-room Week -1 Final push; reminders; consider a paid boost Social, email, paid Show week Day-before and day-of posts; “tonight” energy Social, in-room Show day Doors/time reminder; live posting Social After Thank-you; recap clips; tease what’s next Social, email

⚠ NOTE A featured show is promoted as an event with a clear arc to a single date. Front-load the announcement so listings and word-of-mouth have time to work, then build steadily — don’t save it all for the final week.

Template 2 — The Recurring Weekly Night (Sustainable Cadence)

Different by design: a weekly night isn’t a countdown to one date but a rhythm you can keep forever. Promote the night, not just each instance. (Ch. 5, 28)

When What goes out Channel Your plan / owner Always-on The night has a fixed identity, look, and listing Website, listings, profiles Each week, early “This week at [night]” — who’s on, the hook Social, email Each week, mid A content post from last week or this week’s act Social Each week, day-of “Tonight” reminder, doors/time Social, in-room Each week, after A clip or moment from the night just past Social Monthly Look ahead at the month; highlight standouts Email, social Ongoing Cultivate regulars, word-of-mouth, the list In-room, email, community

⚠ NOTE The weekly night’s promotion compounds: a sustainable, repeatable cadence you actually keep beats an elaborate one you abandon. The recurring post, week after week, builds the recognition that makes the night a habit (Ch. 5, 29, 32).

Template 3 — The Showcase (Multi-Act, Cross-Promotion Driven)

The showcase’s promotional engine is the acts themselves — its reach is the sum of every act’s audience. (Ch. 10, 28)

When What goes out Channel Your plan / owner Week -5 Announce the showcase and the lineup Website, email, social, listings Week -4 Brief every act on the cross-promo ask; give them assets Direct to artists Week -3 Acts begin posting; venue amplifies each Artist channels, social Week -2 Spotlight each act in turn; listings confirmed Social, listings Week -1 Combined final push across all acts’ audiences Social, email, artist channels Show week Day-before/day-of; coordinate acts’ day-of posts Social, in-room After Recap; tag every act; tease the next showcase Social, email

⚠ NOTE The make-or-break of showcase promotion is the cross-promotion (Ch. 28): give every act the date, the assets, and a clear ask, then amplify what they post. A showcase that fully activates its acts’ audiences reaches far more people than the venue could alone.

Template 4 — The One-Off Themed Event (Six-Week Build)

A special event lives or dies on the theme and the build — there’s no recurring rhythm to lean on, so the runway does all the work. (Ch. 16, 28)

When What goes out Channel Your plan / owner Week -6 Reveal the theme and the concept; build intrigue Social, email, website Week -5 On-sale if ticketed; into all listings Listings, website, email Week -4 Theme content — the experience, the details, the why Social, email Week -3 Press push (themed events make good stories) Press, social Week -2 Heavier themed content; in-room teasers; partner cross-promo Social, in-room, partners Week -1 Final push; urgency (“almost here / selling fast”) Social, email, paid Event week Day-before/day-of; lean into the theme’s excitement Social, in-room After Strong recap (themed events photograph well); gauge a repeat Social, email

⚠ NOTE Themed events reward a vivid, theme-forward build and excellent capture (Ch. 26, 32) — they photograph and share well, and a great recap is what turns a one-off into a returning event if you choose to repeat it (Ch. 34).

⚠ NOTE Across all four, the principles hold: announce early enough for listings and word-of-mouth to work, build a steady rhythm rather than a last-minute flood, give your artists what they need to cross-promote, lead the feed with content people enjoy rather than only “buy a ticket,” and keep every channel consistent with your visual identity (Ch. 28, 32). The calendar is a starting cadence — read what actually drives turnout at your room and adjust (Ch. 35).

⚠ HAVE YOUR ATTORNEY REVIEW THIS Promotion is advertising. Truth-in-advertising and disclosure rules (FTC, Texas Attorney General), sponsored-post disclosure, and authentic-reviews requirements apply to everything on these calendars (Ch. 28, 36). The book is a PR and management guide, not legal advice — see Appendix H.