Nothing is more discouraging for the audience, girls competing and the directors than showing up to a pageant and having 4 girls competing. But, this kind of thing goes on all the time. Even in the Miss America organization that is the longest running, arguably one of the most prestigious pageants has state competitions where 6 girls are competing for the title. That isn’t a slam, its just tells me that if they are having problems than the majority of pageant directors are having problems.

Well, I want to help you get your pageant out to more girls.

Why?

For 2 reasons actually: First if I help you get more girls involved in your pageant than that is more pageant girls whom I can serve therefore that will mean more traffic for ThePageantPlanet.com…so I want you to be successful. Secondly, I own a marketing company specializing in Internet marketing and website design. Helping people and their businesses become famous is something that I get to do everyday and I love it so I want to share my passion.

So here are 14 creative marketing strategies that will help you get your pageant noticed by more girls.

10 Free Pageant Advertising Ideas

1. Pageant Calendars – There are dozens of pageant calendars on many pageant websites where you could list your pageant event. Simply Google “pageant calendars” and then submit your pageant to the online calendars. You could start with ours
2. Pageant Directories – Google pageant directories then list your pageant. Most of these services are free. If the services are not free do not pay to have your pageant listed.
3. Business Directories – Here is a link to every major business directory online. Your pageant is a business and girls might stumble upon it and sign up. Usually when I do this for my clients they receive at least 3 new customers.
4. Pageant Advice – Share your pageant advice here on ThePageantPlanet.com. With every post 1,000’s of girls will read the information and if they believe that your local pageant can help them win their state title they will compete in your organization.
5. Interviews – Get your girls interviews! Get her on the nightly news, inside the newspapers, and have us interview her. Many pageants think that just because she is interviewed after she is crowned than that is all the media wants. The media is always looking for material for the news. Your titleholder is your spokes model so get her out there to promote your pageant.
6. Strategic Partnerships – Connect with modeling agencies, sororities, dance teams, cheerleading camps and high schools to get their girls to come out and compete for your pageant. Girls involved in those activities are your demographic. Partnering up with these organizations will create win-win situations. For the agencies offer to cross promote: you send your girls to their agency and they send their models to your pageant.
7. Craigslist – List your pageant underneath things to do in your city and surrounding cities.
8. Newspaper – Write up a press release and submit it to the local newspaper, and to local magazines.
9. News Media – Ask friends of friends to get a spotlight on the nightly news and on various radio stations. Many of these media outlets used to let me go on there all the time to promote my football games because it added value to the city. Your pageant does the same thing.
10. Integrity – Treat your girl right. If you do not they will tell others. Unfortunately, I often here about girls not receiving their scholarship money, being mistreated during appearances, and fighting with their directors. If you treat your girl’s right they will give positive word of mouth press. If you don’t they will definitely give negative word of mouth press!

4 Paid Pageant Advertising Ideas

1. Website – Now a website will cost you some money upfront but the payout is residual. A website that is designed professionally and easy to navigate is critical for your conversions. But, what is more important that the way your website looks is if people can find it in the search engines. Website design is a 2-fold process that needs to encompass a professional design and SEO (search engine optimization). For more information contact me in the contact page.
2. Production – The reason a lot of girls don’t take pageants serious is the fact that most of them are unprofessional. Your pageant is a production and if the production sucks than girls are not going to want to participate. The reason why the Miss USA pageant has such strong numbers is that their pageants are very professionally run.
3. FaceBook – FaceBook advertising is a great way for you to advertise your pageant for about .19 per click. You can get your ads to only show up on the profiles of single girls between the ages of 17 – 25 who like modeling in the state of Iowa. Your ads can be that specific.
4. Pageant Experience – Give the girls whom are competing in your pageant gifts. Give them goodies. This will really set you apart from the other pageants and girls will spread the word for you. If you compete here, you will always get some good prizes.

My hope is that this post answers your question of “How to do I market my pageant?” If you have other suggestions on pageant advertising leave a comment below so we can all be more successful!