What does success look like for you? Is it financial, social, artistic, critical? What are your priorities?   

While a great many Fringe participants have cracking seasons and sell-out crowds, it’s not the case for everyone. With well over 400 shows in just 20 days of Fringe, audiences have a lot to choose from.

A box office smash is just one of the many measures of success at Fringe. But there are plenty of other wins to be had aside from financial success. You can build and deepen connections with your arts community, win the praise of critics and audiences, take home awards and accolades, gain valuable producing experience and work with the Fringe pros to develop all kinds of new skills.

Success can come in many forms and its definition is as unique as every Fringe artist. Think about your goals and your priorities: what will make your Fringe experience a good one?

What is your show?  

You probably know this already or you wouldn’t be here. But can you articulate it? And can you articulate why it stands out from 450 other events in the Festival? You’ll need to be able sell your idea to everyone from your boss to your mum, your best mate to your favourite barista, your loyal TikTok following to the arts media.

It’s a good idea to write down your elevator pitch and the in-depth explanation of your concept separately. Then you’ve got both versions for different audiences, and you’ll avoid ending up with an event description that sounds half-baked. Instead it will be clear what it is: a fully realised – and marketable – Fringe success. You’ll need to provide a marketing plan for your show, and having really clear versions of your event copy for different uses will make it a whole lot easier to implement your marketing plan down the track. If you’d like a little bit of extra love in this area, check out the Marketing & Publicity Zone on the Resource Hub for a step-by-step walk-through and all our hot tips.

Who is your show for/does it have an audience?

The aforementioned winning combo of boss/mum/best mate/barista aside, who do you want to have at your show? What other shows do they like? Where are they living? What do they do? How much are they willing to pay to see your show? What are they looking to get out of it?   Having a really good idea of who your audience is and why they want to see your show can help you have a successful season. Plus, you’ll be able to get way more bang for your marketing budget.

Then you can think about how you’ll reach them.

Will you go full guerrilla marketing campaign or bend social advertising to your will? Are you relying on your stupendously well-developed networks to generate buzz via word of mouth? Or are you going full tilt at a PR blitz? All are valid options, just make sure your target audience will get the memo.  Again, if you need some more help in defining your audience, check out the Marketing & Publicity Zone in the Resource Hub.

What are your resources? How will you make your show/season sustainable and successful? 

What resources will you be rallying to the cause? Do you need to raise some cash? Are you self-funding your Fringe journey? Are you doing the 9 to 5 and moonlighting as a practising artist? Are we calling in the favours in an all-hands-on-deck scenario that taps into your contacts in the arts community?

You’ll need to think about the resources you have, the resources you need and how you’ll bring them all together. This includes everything from your time and energy, your personal and professional contacts, your financial and practical resources, and your know-how. Thinking about resources early can help prevent burn-out and over-commitment down the track.