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Planning an event in Toronto is only half the battle. Marketing your event effectively and within budget can make the difference between a sold-out show and an empty room. Luckily, there are plenty of cost-effective options to get your event in front of the right audience. In this guide, we’ll explore five affordable marketing strategies to promote your event in Toronto. We’ll break down the pros and cons of each method, so you can choose the best fit based on your event type, audience, and budget.
Facebook and Instagram ads are powerful tools for promoting events, offering precise audience targeting based on location, age, interests, and even past event attendance. These platforms allow you to create visually engaging ads that will appear in users’ news feeds, stories, and other placements.
Highly targeted: You can set up your ads to target specific demographics, interests, and even behaviors, ensuring your event reaches the right people.
Scalable budget: You can start with as little as $5/day and adjust your spending as your event date approaches.
Event promotion tools: Facebook’s event tools integrate well with ads, allowing users to RSVP or buy tickets directly from your ad.
Learning curve: Setting up effective ads can take time to master, especially when it comes to targeting and budgeting.
Costs can add up: While you can start small, costs can quickly increase depending on your reach goals.
Ad fatigue: Over time, users may see your ads too often, leading to lower engagement if the ads aren’t refreshed.
Large-scale events like concerts, festivals, or conferences.
Events targeting a specific demographic or interest group.
Event organizers comfortable with experimenting and analyzing ad performance.
Toronto Events Weekly is a highly-targeted email newsletter that promotes events to thousands of Torontonians. With a 60% open rate and a 20% click-through rate, it’s an affordable way to reach a large, engaged audience that’s actively looking for things to do in the city.
Highly engaged audience: Unlike social media ads, where users might scroll past, our email subscribers are actively interested in Toronto events.
Affordable: We offer budget-friendly options for promoting your event to a niche audience of local event-goers.
Proven results: Clients like NUTTEA Toronto have seen real impact from being featured in the newsletter.
Limited to email: While email marketing is effective, you may want to combine it with other strategies (e.g., social media ads) to maximize reach.
Smaller but targeted reach: Our newsletter reaches thousands, not millions, but it’s hyper-targeted to Torontonians actively seeking events.
Local community events, workshops, pop-ups, and markets.
Organizers looking for an affordable yet highly-targeted promotion method.
Events with limited budgets that still want high engagement.
Collaborating with local influencers is an excellent way to leverage their established audience. Influencers with followers in Toronto can help spread the word about your event through Instagram stories, posts, or even blog content.
High engagement: Influencers typically have a more engaged and loyal audience, which can translate into higher visibility for your event.
Local reach: Collaborating with Toronto-based influencers ensures your event is promoted to a highly relevant audience.
Content variety: Influencers can create unique content (e.g., behind-the-scenes, giveaways) that highlights your event creatively.
Costs vary: Popular influencers can charge high fees, though micro-influencers (with smaller but engaged followings) offer more affordable rates.
Less control: You may have less control over the final message or content style, as influencers will share the event in their own voice.
Limited duration: Influencer posts may have a short lifespan, with content easily getting lost in fast-paced social feeds.
Niche events that align with specific influencer audiences (e.g., fashion shows, foodie events, workshops).
Events seeking to build buzz among a younger, more social-media-savvy crowd.
Event organizers who value creative, authentic promotions.
Google Ads allows you to promote your event directly on Google’s search results and across their display network. You can create targeted ads that show up when people search for event-related terms like “Toronto concerts” or “food festivals in Toronto.”
High intent audience: Google Ads lets you capture people who are already searching for events like yours, making it easier to convert clicks into attendees.
Customizable budget: Similar to Facebook, Google Ads lets you set daily budgets, making it affordable for small events.
Measurable: You can track your ad performance in real-time and make adjustments to improve clicks and conversions.
Steep learning curve: Google Ads can be complicated to set up, especially when it comes to targeting keywords and setting bids.
Cost-per-click can rise: Depending on the competition for certain keywords, the cost-per-click can be higher than expected, especially for popular event terms.
Ad competition: Your ads will compete with other businesses, events, and ticketing platforms for attention.
Ticketed events like concerts, theatre shows, or large gatherings.
Event organizers looking for high-intent traffic.
Those willing to invest time in learning the Google Ads platform for better optimization.
Eventbrite is not only a ticketing platform but also offers paid promotional tools that boost your event’s visibility on their platform and partner sites. You can promote your event directly to people searching for events to attend.
Integrated ticketing: Users can buy tickets seamlessly through Eventbrite, improving conversion rates.
Boost options: Eventbrite allows you to promote your event to more users, making it more visible among the crowded listings.
SEO benefit: Eventbrite events often rank well on Google, giving your event added visibility through organic search results.
Paid features add up: While listing your event is free, the promotional tools come at an additional cost.
Event-focused audience only: Eventbrite promotions are limited to people looking specifically for events, so they may not be as effective for niche or smaller gatherings.
Less creative control: Your promotion is confined to Eventbrite’s structure, which may limit your branding.
Ticketed events looking for seamless promotion and ticket sales in one place.
Organizers with enough budget to invest in paid promotion tools.
Events that want high visibility among people already looking for things to do.
Marketing your event in Toronto doesn’t have to be expensive. Whether you’re working with a shoestring budget or have some flexibility, these five affordable marketing strategies offer a range of options to suit your needs:
By combining these strategies—or focusing on the one that fits your event best—you can attract the right crowd without blowing your budget. Ready to get started? Submit your event to Toronto Events Weekly here and reach thousands of engaged locals who are eager to explore the city’s best events.
Promote smart, and watch your event thrive!
Join over 8k Toronto explorers who rely on us to plan their perfect weekends, with Toronto Events Weekly
