Why do audience members choose specific shows at the Edinburgh Fringe?

On our recent trip to the Edinburgh Fringe, I was bemused by just how little effort performers put in to finding out why people had selected their show. Taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe is ridiculously expensive with some performers paying tens of thousands of pounds. The way performers recoup the costs of performing is by getting people to pay to see a show. Acts are spending huge amounts on flyers, posters, and other promotional activities. But is any of it worthwhile? The performer Danielle Solof has a fascinating blog post "My Real Fringe Budgets, Line-by-Line" which details the actual costs of her taking two solo shows to the Fringe. She meticulously details the price of everything from transport and food, to advertising and graphic design. She says: I paid for outdoor ads because absolutely no one in Edinburgh knew who I was. They did help, but you still have to grind to get an audience in. My question to her - and all performers - is how do you know what drives an audience…