DUO weekly Marketing Tips

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February 26, 2010

This week's tips are from: This week's tips are from: http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2008/12/11/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-dance-companies/

Marketing Tip:

Engage youth. This may seem obvious but look at what has occurred in other performing arts genres - jazz, classical music, etc. Fail to engage youth and students and you will loose the next generation of audience. While this may not effect your immediate bottom line, over time, it will lead to your demise. Students and youth today spend more time in the virtual world and nesting in their own environments - school and home. You need to offer special family performances and matinees to engage this group. If working with schools, offer teachers/educators special training workshops, exercises and study guides to have them engage students. For family based performances, it is not enough to offer a special rate or matinee.

February 12, 2010

This week's tips are from: http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2008/12/11/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-dance-companies/

Marketing Tip #1:

Engage your community. None of us can afford to create and perform in a vacuum. You need to engage your community by interaction with local, established organizations. While we all offer group sales and appreciate the benefits such campaigns bring, this is not pushed enough in the market place. Offer group tickets to churches, civic organizations, business organizations, etc. Enhance the value of such offers and engage your community further by offering pre-show or post-show discussions or receptions.

Marketing Tip #2:

Offer value beyond discounts. - don't sell yourself short! The price of dance tickets on average for our region is $15 with some as low as $5 and very few higher than $25. Offering discounts on tickets does not always translate in to loyal audience members. Look at other ways to offer value beyond just a monetary discount. Examples, would be a chance to meet with the dancers post-performance or attend a special exhibition or discussion with each ticket purchase.

January 15, 2010

This week's tips are from: http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2008/12/11/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-dance-companies/

Marketing Tip #1:

Create an open environment Take the mystery out of dance performances and invite students, sponsors and members of the public to open rehearsals. But more importantly take this opportunity to have someone introduce the company and introduce the performance to those in attendance. Consider inviting students form a local dance studio or class to see a rehearsal or even for a special "early admission" to a performance to view dancers in pre-performance warm up. If your program allows, offer patrons an opportunity to become actively engaged as a volunteer for a day or help backstage. If you offer an open studio presentation, be sure to have some form of registration, where you can collect names, addresses and emails from those who attend.

Marketing Tip #2:

Prepare your audience for what they are about to see. This single factor can literally change your interactions and more importantly ability to connect with your audience. It is not enough to just put information in a program. Use the internet and more importantly email campaigns to offer audiences a few days before the performance, background information, interviews, video clips and dancer profiles to help inform and tantalize. Another great suggestion is to offer pre-show chats in the lobby before patrons enter for the performance.

December 4, 2009

This week's tips are from: http://www.artsjournal.com/diacritical/2009/05/power-in-numbers-there-ought.html

Marketing Tip #1:

An underrated aspect of social networking is that you're asking people to invest in a relationship. It costs them something - time, attention, their ideas, thoughts, feelings, even clicking their mice. You have to constantly reward them for participating or they'll go away.

Marketing Tip #2:

There's no such thing as free for an arts organization. If someone participates in your community, you should reward them. If they buy lots of tickets, give them a chance to get more tickets if you haven't sold them. If they're out talking you up and selling your product, give them upgrades, free downloads, special access, souvenirs. If the incentives are right, they'll work for you.

November 20, 2009

This weeks tip's are from: http://greatdance.com/danceblog/archives/marketing/000544.php

Marketing Tip #1:

Audience segmentation: In some cases, you'll want to send different email content to different groups of subscribers. If this is the case, you'll want to segment your email lists into different sub-groupings. For instance, you might segment customers based on season/series ticket holders, frequent audience members, rarely attend and new customers/never attended. You could also segment by sponsors/donors/advertisers/audience members. You'd then send different emails/campaigns to each segment.

Marketing Tip #2:

Test your newsletters:Always do test runs of your email newsletters - HTML and text. Check all of the links to make sure that they actually work and that you are taken to the proper page. It is a hassle to test all of the links. But if you don't do it, your subscribers will inevitably encounter problems.

November 6, 2009

This week's tips are from:
Danz Resources, http://www.danz.org.nz/marketingdance.php

Marketing Tip #1:
Promoting benefits of dance - Some marketers say "customers do not buy services, they buy solutions". If you are teaching dance to children or adults tell them what you can do for them and what benefits they will gain.

Marketing Tip #2:
When you offer the same services as your competitors, the key to growing the business is having the ability to differentiate your products and services from theirs. What can you offer that is different or unique, what do you specialise in?

This differentiation can also enable a business to increase margins or create additional revenue streams. The heart of positioning is to understand, and be able to communicate, this difference. How you position your business/event will have a direct impact on the types of customers you attract. This is essential when there are several dance schools in the same locale and when there are a variety of dance events in a festival.

October 23, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:
Try making deals with restaurants in the neighbourhood around the performance venue so you are able to sell packages that include a dinner and your show. Not only will patrons love the idea of being able to purchase a package, but the restaurant you make this packaged deal with will promote your show to their regular customers.

Marketing Tip #2:
Put a lot of thought into the hook of your show, and use this as a theme for all of your marketing materials. The hook of your show is the reason why people would want to come and see it. Once you know this, you know your audience and it is easier to design a marketing campaign.

October 16, 2009
This week’s tips are a continuation from last week’s on how to save you money, the full article can be read here:

http://groupofminds.com/articles/saving-money-ten-tips-to-help-arts-groups-save-10-in-tough-times-or-anytime/496

Marketing Tip #1:
Use freelancers — if you’re contemplating hiring a full-time person but don’t have enough work for a full-time person, avoid paying benefits and extra expenses by hiring a freelancer to do specific tasks for you. Save your full-time staff for jobs that must be done in house, or that require communication with many established relationships.

Marketing Tip #2:
Shared mail databases — contact your local arts council or arts service organization, and ask them if they offer access to a shared mail database. Using a SMD allows several arts organizations to pool their patron snail mail addresses and buying history, and to then buy the names back out to mail to. The idea here is that the best prospect of getting a new arts patron for your organization is to market to “arts people” that usually go to other arts organizations. Getting arts groups to work together like this can be like herding cats, but once you get past the idea of “protecting” your patron information, and that people will go to more than one arts group, the benefits are huge. I know a large regional ballet company that went from spending more than $100,000 a year on mailings to only spending $35,000 and getting a higher hit rate. Huge.

October 9, 2009

This week’s tips focus on how to save you money, the full article can be read here:

http://groupofminds.com/articles/saving-money-ten-tips-to-help-arts-groups-save-10-in-tough-times-or-anytime/496


Marketing Tip #1:
Prepay and save with your 3rd-party subscriptions — check out your organization’s monthly credit card bill for the 3rd-party companies you use for a variety of business services, such as Quickbooks Online for accounting, Constant Contact for email marketing, or Salesforce for CRM. Most organizations give you a substantial discount (10% to 20% for paying up front for 6 or 12 months. If you know for sure you’re going to use it for that amount of time, sign up in bulk, and save.


Marketing Tip #2:
Renegotiate your ticketing contract — when you signed up with tix.com or ticketweb.com, or whomever, you no doubt signed an agreement on fees, percentages you get to keep, etc. Maybe the fee is $1 a ticket or something like that. Now that you’ve been with them awhile and been a good customer, call them up and ask for the fees to be reduced. If they balk, tell them “every little bit helps” and mention you may have to look at other ticketing vendors if you need to. Most small to mid-sized players will quickly consider adjusting your rates for you.


Marketing Tip #3:
Simplify your printed programs – a glossy program looks great and gives off a professional feel. But people won’t remember the program, they’ll remember the production. Cut out as many pages as you can and go with fewer colors (or switch to black and white) to save costs on printing. In your curtain speech, ask folks who don’t wish to keep their programs to please recycle them in the lobby on the way out, and provide an easy-to-see bin to do this. Pass the recycled ones out to tomorrow’s audience so you can print fewer of them.

October 2, 2009

Last week’s marketing tips referred to the usage of Twitter as a means of PR, here are further tips to ensure maximum usage from Twitter.

This week’s marketing tips are taken from: http://groupofminds.com/articles/arts-marketing/5-twitter-tips-for-arts-administrators/764


Marketing Tip #1:
90% of your posts should be information that is useful to those that follow you.

The lunch updates, the random quotes, the posts that don’t mean anything — just don’t post them. People follow other people for useful information, and I ruthlessly unfollow people who don’t post useful content or who I’m not personally connected to. On the flip side, I try to make each one of my Twitter posts link to an interesting article, useful website, great statistic or other resource that arts folks will find helpful. Cut the noise — make your posts helpful, and don’t follow folks who’s posts aren’t helpful to you.



Marketing Tip#2:
Only use about 120 characters in each post, which leaves room for others to retweet.

Twitter gives you 140 characters, which I know is short. But for people to be able to pass your tweet on to their networks, they need to be able to “quote the source” and mention @groupofminds or @yourname or whatever as the originator of the tweet. If you use all of the available space for your message, there won’t be room for them to add their footnote. This drastically reduces the viral-marketing aspect of your tweets. Just use the Twitter character counter to tell you when you’ve used up 120 characters, and leave the rest.



Marketing #3:
Use a url shortener

I’d like to hug the person who invented url shortners — you may have heard of one of the most popular: http://tinyurl.com. A url shortener is just that — it takes a really long url such as:

http://groupofminds.com/articles/arts-marketing/dear-facebook-want-a-new-revenue-stream-that-will-help-arts-marketing/685

and makes a shortcut to it that lives permanently on the web, that looks something like:

http://tinyurl.com/n4s7lw

because a shorter url means fewer characters used in Twitter. Pretty smart eh? There are many url shortening sites; a quick search of Google will reveal a bunch of them.

Twitter can be extremely useful to arts administrators, as a way to keep up with people they respect in the field, and as a source of knowledge about trends in the arts. With these simple rules of the road, you’ll be able to tame the Twitter information overload beast, and really get to using the system for the elegant communication it was designed to create.

September 25th 2009

Marketing Tips have returned! This week’s marketing tips are taken from: http://artsmarket.wordpress.com


Marketing Tip #1:

What’s the number one issue you need to overcome? Retreating due to fear.

The best nonprofits are those that take the long view. That see the world – their art, culture, audience, funders, and future – at the 40,000 foot level. They see where they want to go, and they know that if they keep focused, they will reach their destination. It might mean a little slowing in the pace, but it doesn’t mean giving up.

Audiences and funders will come back, and in fact are coming back already. For audiences, demand is on the increase after months of negativity. For funders, donors, and folks whose discretionary income rises and falls with their portfolio – last month was the best stock market month since August. It still will be hard, but there are some spring flowers blooming out there.

What should you be doing? This is the season for renewals – in memberships, audience subscriptions, and looking ahead to a new year. Do not pull back on your renewal and new efforts. Plenty of people who dropped off your database last fall are ready to – need to – reconnect to art.



Marketing Tip #2:

DO NOT stop PR. There are more PR opportunities out there now than ever, more keyed to age groups than ever. For your networking savvy folks, you have the cocktail party atmosphere of Twitter where you can drop a hint, ask a provoking question, start a dialogue. You’ve got the Starbucksian atmosphere of Facebook, and the ever so professional conference of Linked In groups. You can Flicker, YouTube ... and so much more. At the snail level, there is a plethora of new micro newspapers emerging with the demise and cuts of metro dailies – ever so accessible. The web sites of existing media, the newsletters and the links….we’ve never seen such ability to use so many PR channels. And let’s not forget the real essence of PR – doing good for the community. Any time you can get out there to help others, right now, you WILL be seen.

July 24th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

Pull out your calendar and plot out your marketing strategy throughout the year. A glance at the past, present and future will help give you a snapshot of your public presence: frequency/regularity, target audience, mediums of communication, tone of your impressions, etc. Be sure to note new ideas or unique opportunities that arise, and the circumstances around its degree of success. This big picture is some good food for thought. Even during a season of development with no performances, it’s wise to take note of how/when you contact your email list, what/when updates are made to your website/blog, to whom/when are holiday cards sent, with whom/when are you out building relationships, etc.

Marketing Tip #2:

Believe it or not, programmes are more than just a place to list names of supporters and thanks. As an audience member, I am sometimes disappointed about the lack of information about the company that just impressed me with their performance. Bios and headshots are good, but an artistic vision and development scope are great hooks and entice the relationship building. Your show not only has a captive audience for the performance, but they are also open to finding out more about you. Beyond the option of signing up to your mailing list, you may want to suggest other ways that they may keep in touch and learn more about your work and activities: blog, Facebook, website, public listings, key drop points or community notice boards, etc.

July 10th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

If you are looking to market yourself as an independent artist and the shows with which you are affiliated, a key consideration is the idea of relationship building with your circles of support. Keep in touch with your mailing list about what it is you’re working on (behind the scenes insights, photos, videos, etc). For those that haven’t yet seen your work but might like to join your list, you may even share with these folks an interesting link to a good dance video that resonates with the kind of work that you do – this may be a great eye opener for someone new to dance, while also giving some indication of the vein of your work.

Marketing Tip #2:

Along the same lines of relationship-building, offer your list a special deal... to someone else’s show! Pair up with another artist or company that has a show this year and exchange discounted rates. Your angle here is that you are helping out your list by getting them a discount to a good show (tell them which show you’ll be at so you can cross paths before or after the show). Now you will also have expanded your reach by marketing your show (with a special discount) on another artist’s list, which includes their blessing and recommendation. Both artists will benefit from this relationship building, as they are bargaining discounts for their supporters.

July 3rd, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

This is simply worth quoting from the article: http://guinnterrydavis.com/guerrilla-marketing-and-theatre-pt2/

Guerrilla marketing teaches that small business owners must have clear short-term and long-term goals. Marketing for theatre is no different, as the plan should not cease to be in action when all the seats for a performance, or as season, have been sold. For theatre, long range marketing should instill into consumers’ minds the concept of theatre, the habit of theatre-going, and the need for supporting theatre beyond buying tickets.

[...] it can not be stressed enough how theatre companies benefit by showing special consideration towards potential audience members - even when it’s unexpected. Small gifts or even a simple thank-you letter are fine examples how to mix marketing with relationships.

Marketing Tip #2:

Well, the Fringe is on and it’s all about word-of-mouth. Artists are handing out free passes to opening night to pack the house with folks they hope will spread the word. Some may be very moved and other incredibly disappointed, so they (like you) need to pick wisely. Fringe viewers hunt madly for previews/reviews, not only from newspapers, but all over the web: comments on EYE & NOW reviews, blogs, videos, Facebook, Twitter, etc. In turn, they too may want to leave their opinion and comments about your show. This is a golden opportunity (if you have in fact delivered what s/he values as gold).

The best talkers are the unbiased opinions. When chatting up some folks at the Fringe Hub, I was asked what show I was in or affiliated with. When I responded that I wasn’t tied to anything in particular, they were quite keen to hear an honest perspective and take note.

June 26th, 2009

A few thoughts popped to mind upon reading this article on Personality Branding: http://ezinearticles.com/?Personality-Branding:-Re-Inventing-Yourself&id=232832

Marketing Tip #1:

Branding is a concept of identity in marketing, which has the function of differentiating your product from others. You are out to create an image in people’s minds when they hear your name or see your logo. For instance, Coca-Cola, Nike, Mac, etc. Performing arts companies, events, and even individuals can create a brand for themselves, which may work together in some interesting ways: the first example that comes to mind is the red-carpeted-talent-climax of The Academy Awards meets the acerbic & satirical John Stewart.


Marketing Tip #2:

In setting your brand, it is key roots to define your essence, personality, vibe, etc. You are not so much defining the facts of the product, but rather the impressions and mood that should resonate in the packaging. “The question really is not what you sell, though this is important, but it is more of how you package what you sell, in branding, the container is more important than the content.”

And remember: “A successfully branded product appreciates overtime both in price and popularity than an unbranded product.” Let me reiterate: it takes time. Ongoing effort will pay off as the value your present becomes identified with you and connected with your product.

June 12th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

I recently found an article entitled Internet Advertising Best Practices: Five Rules to Brand : http://www.clickz.com/831051
This team of researchers specifically addressed online banner ads and noted these attributes that made them “most effective in driving brand awareness, purchase intent, and ability to associate a message with a product.”

• Banner clutter. The team found that an excessive number of creative elements in a banner reduces its ability to raise brand awareness and banner recall. In other words, if branding is an objective, it's best to keep banners simple.
• Logo size. Results suggested that the bigger the logo in an ad, the more likely the advertisement will send a clear message to consumers.
• Banner size. According to the report, bigger banners impact consumers more. The team recommends using larger-size banners when branding impact is an objective.
• Frequency. Pretty intuitive: The more times people see an ad, the more likely it is to have an impact. The optimal number seems to change based on the industry and creative effectiveness, but results seem to indicate that a frequency of five impressions per target is the most efficient.
• Presence of a human face. Results indicate that banners with a human face increased people's interest in a product. Although the sample size (of banners) is very small, this result is consistent with some earlier studies in offline advertising.
  

May 29th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

Summer is nearly upon us. This time of year, people plan out vacation times with their families, are booked up at weddings, and get-aways from the city (or to our wonderful city from elsewhere). Considering these activities that gobble up even our loyal audiences during weekend show runs, be sure to announce your show well in advance with a “Mark the Date” message. Your email may even go so far as to suggest: “A great show to share with friends and visitors.”

Marketing Tip #2:

For those of you with no performance plans this summer (or even those appearing in a festival), you may wish to consider offering some sort of in-depth experience for a pocket of new or curious audiences. These may be folks in your neighbourhood or a related community, with whom you could create a connection and a deeper sense of your work. Expose them to something new. Stir up some discussion. Get them actively engaged. Illicit a response and connection, be it thought-provoking or amusing. These small intimate experiences can go a long way in cultivating your audience.

May 1st, 2009

After a brief hiatus, we’re back with more tips!

Marketing Tip #1:

Back to basics: Wikipedia states “Marketing is an integrated communications-based process through which individuals and communities discover that existing and newly-identified needs and wants may be satisfied by the products and services of others.”

This definition puts the needs and wants of the target individual/community first, and the product or service that may satisfy them second. In “knowing your audience,” you put their interests first and present them with the thing they’ve been looking for, rather than hoping to convince them. Building relationships is key.

Marketing Tip #2:

Prizes are great for a lot of things. They are great marketing tool for the company leveraging the prize (at a fundraiser, collecting contacts, etc) as well as for the company that donated the prize. Find a good match (with the wants/needs of those vying for the prize in mind) and make the call. Be sure to offer your products and services as prizes for others too... Especially if there is a target audience or relationship building opportunity for you there.

March 27th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

As is often the case, you need to write a proposal, create a postcard, or even a press release before you’ve even had a chance to develop the movement vocabulary. You can however begin to reflect on the sources of inspiration, themes that arise, and collaborators, all of which may help generate interest among relevant groups when marketing the work. Think of it like a brainstorm tree, where you have primary, secondary and tertiary branches. Ultimately, you will chose the strongest among these ideas and images to shape the description and selling points, but don’t forget the rest...

Marketing Tip #2:

Your primary press release needn’t reflect these details if you feel the interest groups are marginal, but knowing all your in’s will help you tailor your approach to addressing them (and possibly group sales). Be sure to search for social network groups, blogs, and forums where you can post interesting and relevant information about the show. Don’t be impersonal. The individuals reading the email/posting should feel like they are being approached by another person who thought they’d want in on this, rather than just more online blanket marketing.

March 20th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

Here’s a strange little ticketing idea. Ideally, you want a full house for opening night and all those people (and reviewers) to go out and tell others about how great your show was. Make your opening night special with a gala or reception for invited guests that support your work, people in the community/industry, presenters, funders, etc. These special opening night tickets can then in turn be used to come back to the show with a discount. Encourage your guests that night to return and share the experience again with a friend, or even give their discounted ticket to someone who has not yet purchased one. Be sure they call the box office right away in order to secure a seat before the remainder of the performances sell out.


Marketing Tip #2:

When working on a show, negotiate with your dancers and collaborators if they can further assist you with promoting the event. This may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes as the show approaches, we worry that we’re being too demanding on our dancers and collaborators. You may want to take a moment to share your marketing plan with them, including the press release, when print materials will be ready, where they need to be distributed, what online resources you want to tackle (listings, blogs, social networks, etc), what key invites your considering, etc. Though they are not responsible for implementing these strategies, indicate where they can be of assistance in boosting the campaign through their contacts (fans, friends, family, co-workers, social networks, etc.) and enable them with the right materials (both print and electronic) in a timely manner. They are a good source for spreading word of mouth, so don’t add stress by overloading them. Share your developments and celebrate their contributions.

March 13th, 2009


Marketing Tip #1:

Some of you may have heard of the new Canadian-based online marketing site for the performing arts, Stagetailers.ca. The site is scheduled to launch April 1st, 2009 and will be resource for audiences to browse show trailers, event listings, photos, and artist/company profiles. Subscribers can even list their favourite companies and areas of interest and will receive updates about relevant listings. This is a great and affordable way to share audiences for the performing arts and piggy backing on each others’ fandom, while also using videos, which are far more useful as a marketing tool for dance than static images and attempted descriptions. To post profile information for a single show, the cost will be $20. The annual fee for artists and collective to have ongoing promotion and all their season’s shows will range between $60-$120. This annual fee will be covered for your first year if you act now to help with the site launch. Here’s how.

The project organizer, Brent Smith, is located in Toronto and recently announced (last minute) that there will be professional videographer shooting 30 second trailer clips at Buddies and Bad Times on Saturday, March 14th, 2009 (12:00pm - 4:30pm). They will edit and create your first trailer free, create a profile for you, and mention you in their press package for the website’s launch. If you can go, terrific! Given that this is so last minute, I have asked that he also accept dvd video clips from the dance community, which he can edit into trailers. We invite you to send him your material in the next week or so, with the understanding and acceptance that he will be editing the content to about 30 seconds (you must have ducks in a row in terms of rights to the video, music, choreography, etc). Please contact Brent for further information: brent@toonsmith.ca or 416-769-3109.


Marketing Tip #2:

Fundraisers can be marketing tools in and of themselves. While raising money may be on the table, the end goal may also include raising your profile in the community or with a particular group of people. The theme and nature of the event can be used to target different demographics and interest groups, which may be in line with a new show you’re creating or a particular outreach population. The event is what you’ll be marketing, not necessarily the organization that will be benefiting.

Brainstorming can go in many directions:

• who do you want to target and what might interest them?
• what would be a fun idea and who would be interested?
• what is the theme you want to work with? (could be relevant or clash absurdly)
• how do you want people to be engaged?
• what is currently engaging and interesting people?
• and more...
  

March 6th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

Let’s focus on recruiting and keeping students for the teachers out there. Consider an student exchange day with another teacher who may have a complimentary practice or style of dance. Whether it’s a Graham class exchanging with an Ashtanga Yoga class, or a Bollywood group with a Bouffon workshop, the experience will surely reinvigorate your students, empower them with new skills, inspire them with a different insight, and broaden their horizons. It’s one thing to suggest finding, paying for and adding another class to their schedule, and another to facilitate an experience for them. Ideally, you would want to make this exchange as easy and pleasant for your students as possible: same price, same time slot, same or close location, etc.

The teachers may treat as a test-drive in building a relationship and increasing their potential pool of students. Listen carefully and heed your students’ feedback, and take that opportunity to reinforce your connection as a devoted mentor in their training. Given their interest, a single workshop day could grow into a regular monthly event, and may lead to increased enrolment for both teachers.

Even if you don’t offer regular classes in a school or studio, this tactic can apply to artist workshops, company classes and independent teachers (as long as you have a student base with which to negotiate with the other teacher, or some other exchange).


Marketing Tip #2:

Another way to inspire students might be to organize a group trip to show or event. Ideally, the group would organize the event themselves, but they may need a little encouragement. Not only do you want to pick a great show with affordable group rates, but you’ll definitely want this planned and paid for ahead of time and hopefully the show will land around your “student burn out season.” With the tickets secured, it will be an event to look forward to, keeping their interest and investment both leading up to the show and in class afterwards.

This of course goes both ways. A company who may be targeting groups should consider marketing their shows with such group interests and concerns in mind. Is your show kicking off when students have recently begun classes and are excited about their goals? Is your run conveniently placed during the winter blahs and burn out? Do your research and find you angle.

February 6th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

I would like to share an idea borrowed from Diversions Dance in Wales. While still developing their artistic programming, the company sought to integrate marketing and education teams into the early planning stages.

The company ran a very successful programme of taster sessions to develop new audiences for their work. A short programme of work was developed from an audience perspective, and people who had not attended modern dance before were invited to a free event. 200 people took up the offer (a complete sell out) within days of being contacted by letter. The event included a lecture demonstration and performance of 3 works. The feedback for this was excellent. Knowledge gained from this ‘action research’, such as what the reasons were for not attending before, has been used to help market the main programme of work. For example, the need to promote the professionalism and athleticism of the dancers has influenced the production of future publicity
material. - from a presentation by Emma Power

If the free ticket incentive doesn’t float your boat, try discounted tickets, money back guarantee, pay-what-you-can, or value-added benefits like a free programme, a CD, free drinks, food or transportation.


Marketing Tip #2:

In the above example, the action we are asking potential audiences to take is:

• Trying contemporary dance for the first time
  This sort of outreach may be a little daunting, so here are some other new audiences to consider for a similar test-drive campaign. Your goal may be to elicit the actions of:
  

• Trying the arts for the first time (phew!)
• Trying a new form of performing arts (from say theatre or opera to dance)
• Trying a new contemporary dance company (staking your brand)
  

January 30th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

During slow market times, it is wise to consider ways for sharing audiences with other businesses. Brainstorm about businesses that attracts a similar audience demographic, and consider ways of cross promoting. You are at an advantage if you have a good mailing list and charitable status.

One example might be that during a certain month, a restaurant donates part of the proceeds from a special appetizer or desert to your company (this goes over well if you have charitable status and can offer a tax receipt to the restaurant). If you have an upcoming show, perhaps they can also give your flyer (or business-card-sized flyer) with the bill. You will also want to have general information about your company available to both the staff and their customers. As a good added bonus, you can offer to send artists and/or representatives of your company for a special a meet-and-greet event at the end of the month. The restaurant can encourage their desert-buyers (your new and old supporters) to come back, learn more and mingle with you.

In return, you will promote this month-long fundraising event to your mailing list. As much as you will be promoting the restaurant, you should consider that your audience will be supporting you, both through their desert-donations and by helping you forge a good relationship with this business.


Marketing Tip #2:

Before you start printing your marketing materials, consider the costs of a distributor. On top of saving you valuable time, a distributor generally well researched and has good relationships with businesses, in order to know good places to target. That is, not all distributors are created equally. When choosing a distributor, you will want someone knowledgeable of the Toronto arts scene and handles distribution for other performing arts companies. Best way to start your search is to notice a well postered/flyered event and to ask the company who their distributor is – those distributors that often work with arts organizations will have good competitive prices too.

Some distributors will charge per poster, some will charge per location, and others will charge per area (which includes multiple locations). You will also want to be assured that they are revisiting those places to refill flyers and replace damaged/removed posters. It is always recommended to supply your distributor with a press release so that they can properly speak about the work while they are circulating with the materials.

January 23rd, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

I hope you’ve planned to attend Dance Ontario’s Dance Weekend ‘09. This is a hotbed for dance audiences where you should be mingling, networking and making a good impression in general. Greet your acquaintances and meet new people: eye contact, smile, shake hands, say their name, be polite, be gracious. Bring a notebook and pen to help you remember new names and contacts. With over 25 dance companies, the place will be swarming with diverse dance artists and each of their friends, family and fans. Attending any of the three days costs only $10 and is well worth you being seen. If you’ve got a show this spring, I hope you’ve got your postcards ready to have displayed in the front of house.


Marketing Tip #2:

If you teach students of any age, it is important to get them involved in the greater dance community. As you know, seeing shows and reading about dance (dance history/anthropology, visions behind new artistic projects, conditioning exercises, etc) really helps in the development of training dancers, renewing their curiosity and applying new knowledge & insight in their own practice. You should keep around a recent copy of The Dance Current, and even recommend that your students subscribe, that way you can chat about relevant or interesting articles that relate to their training. If anything, they should be visiting The Dance Current online: www.thedancecurrent.com. This national magazine also has low rates for advertising, so when your upcoming show is listed or featured, your students will take special note if they are already familiar with The Dance Current (which may further up your profile in their eyes).

January 16th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

Cold weather and a cold economy are keeping folks at home planning their purchases more carefully. With people at home, you have an opportunity to reach out to communicate with them and continue to build those relationships. Writing notes to your patrons, supporter, sponsors and other members of your community is a great way to check in. Remember their names and they'll remember you.

Know someone caught in the current Toronto blackout? Send a little note (Facebook anyone?) to let them know you were thinking about them.


Marketing Tip #2:

If you’ve got a show in a theatre with a limited seating capacity, consider trying to sell one whole performance to a company, union, club, or special interest group. Check if there are conferences or major events (like a national science fair, health care symposium, etc) coming that are planning to come to the area and check in with them about programming an exclusive matinee or evening. You could also offer an artist talk (potentially related to their interests) and reception there after for people to mingle. For a company, perhaps they wish to celebrate some financial success, boost morale, or offer an event for their staff and clients for Family Day (Monday February 16th, 2009).

January 9th, 2009

Marketing Tip #1:

Happy New Year!
We all hope to take a fresh step forward, and resolutions abound. This would be a great time to consider targeting those aspirations and work some marketing magic. If you run dance classes, like most studios, you are already 4 months into your group’s training. You may want to consider a “new” adult recreational, beginners or conditioning program (with a special buddy or group rate!) that would appeal to folks looking to get their resolutions off to a good start. Focus on its value being healthy, expressive, social, fun, challenging, ongoing, supportive, etc.

If these classes already exist on a drop in basis, all the better, but market them for them newbies and be prepared to welcome new faces. Also think of ways to keep them regular to avoid the inevitable fading energy of new years resolutions: class card, buddy system, discounts, teacher-student rapport, reinvigorating workshops, special activities to look forward to, regular emails, facebook groups, etc.


Marketing Tip #2:

I recently read an article about marketing in a recession, and the moral of the story is don’t stop. In fact, many people that aren’t aware of the return value of their strategies slow or cut their marketing. This however you will not do, as it is the engine that drives your business. Not marketing during a recession cannot possibly help you, unless your strategies weren’t working at all. Modifying them to be sensitive and appeal to different values is another story (for example, see above). People don’t stop buying, they’re just more careful of where they spend their money – value is more important to them than price.

In fact, you may find your marketing surprisingly successful. While other businesses stop, there are now fewer voices in the public with which to compete. This often results in marketing and advertising costs being cheaper. Many in the business, such as printing houses and graphic designers, adjust to the supply and demand and lower their prices. In this non-profit industry of ours, we know plenty of strategies to market on a dime, which others may be scrambling to discover.

December 19th, 2008

Please note that the DUO office will be closed for the holidays, and that Marketing tips will resume Friday, January 9th.

Marketing Tip #1:

Proof reading your marketing materials and correspondences is so very important. Here are a few handy things to remember:

1. If it is a document that you wrote, have someone else proofread it. The more the merrier.
2. The person proofreading should be fresh and ready to concentrate. Avoid distractions or interruptions.
3. If you are the person proofreading your own document, take a break to forget what you wrote.
4. Make sure to allocate time in your marketing planning for proofing the document.
5. Have a dictionary (dictionary.com) and thesaurus (thesaurus.com) handy.
6. Even for short pieces (postcards, posters, flyers), mentally divide the document into sections, and address one at a time.
7. Read once for flow and comprehensiveness. Then again more slowly for spelling and technical accuracy.
8. To spot the typos, read it backwards so you're not distracted by the meaning of the text.
9. Check for consistency in the formatting.
10. Best way to proofread a phone number is to call it.
    

Marketing Tip #2:

To help encourage advance ticket sales, let’s put some heart into it. Note that for every advance ticket sold, a invitation pass or ticket will be donated to a local at-risk or needy family to come a special event that takes place a day or two before the official opening night. This can be a short (invite-only) matinee run of the show with an artist talk back, or an invitation to the dress rehearsal with a tour of the space and an autographed poster. Have some board members, company representatives or other volunteers help to coordinate the event. This could also be a good time for media to preview your show.

November 28th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Marketing is an ongoing process about building your company profile and developing positive relationships in community. Student shows abound this time of year and it is a good opportunity to have a visible and supportive presence in the community. Feedback, encouragement or even a handshake can go a long way for you both. If you see potential in someone, it may be worth discussing a short mentorship period, which could again raise your profile with the students, the community and the school.


Marketing Tip #2:

Posters, flyers, postcards... These print items are meant to be the attention grabbers for passing people. But considering how much more effective word-of-mouth is, perhaps it would be handy to arm yourself and your supporters with business-card-sized-flyers with a strong image and the important show details. These are also great for posting on bulletin boards at coffee shops, bookstores, etc. Short runs of cards are possible, and there are even inexpensive options from companies overseas that will ship you the order.

November 21st, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

In a recent research presentation from Hill Strategies, the topic of Performing Arts Attendance in Ontario lead us to the issue of motivation. What does your audience care about, seek out and get from your performances? This question is important to keep in mind in the marketing of your work, including imagery, wording, and distribution of your promotional materials.

American respondents indicated an enjoyment of the emotional engagement, the time to socialize, and the experience of high-quality artistic work. Canadian respondents (specifically those from Quebec) noted these same points along with the desire to be entertained, to witness oneself or one’s culture portrayed on stage, to support local artists, and to learn and experience something new.


Marketing Tip #2:

If you don’t already have an online box office, you may want to consider Event Brite. This online tool enables your audience to purchase tickets to your event using their credit card via PayPal, or even RSVP for tickets at the door. You can upload an image, describe your event, create different ticket prices, enable different payment options, send html emails, use buttons for links to the box office, and more. There will even be a map to the venue. There is not cost to you, but you can either choose to absorb the $1 surcharge or let the customer tack it on. Note that surcharges for online box offices are normal and this is relatively low. Most people will not mind paying the charge in order to have the convenience of paying by credit card (especially if you have a cash-only box office) and the piece of mind that their tickets are purchased. You can even bring a laptop with internet access to the show in order to have the credit card option available. If you do so... and you have an online donation site, like Canada Helps... you may want to note that you can also accept credit card donations after the show.

November 14th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

This early lead up to Christmas is a good time for fundraising. Ideally, you would like a little donation note to go out via email and prior to sending your holiday greeting cards (rather than with it). For those of you with charitable status, note clearly that you’re able to issue tax receipts. This is a little reminder for those still wishing to collect receipts by the end of this year, in order to reduce their federal taxes and receive a tax credit for 2008. Some people and families may even enjoy the idea of substituting a gift exchange for making a pooled donation to a favourite charity. “Looking for a gift idea that doesn’t frustrate, clutter, or disappoint? Make a donation to your favourite charity. Quick, simple, and satisfying, along with the benefits of a tax receipt for when you file for 2008.”

FYI from the Archives and Collections Society:

• Donations up to $200 reduce basic federal taxes by 16 percent of the amount donated.
• Any sum donated beyond the first $200 reduce basic federal taxes by 29 percent of the amount donated.
• Provincial income taxes are calculated as a percentage of basic federal taxes, so the federal tax credit reduces provincial income taxes (in Quebec and Ontario donations get a separate provincial tax credit.)
• The tax break for a charitable donation is a credit, not a deduction from taxable income; it is subtracted directly from your taxes.
  

November 6th, 2008

I was away from the office last Friday for Halloween and how the world has changed since then. I would like to take inspiration for the next two tips from an article in Grantmakers in the Arts Reader, addressing a couple of the important universal lessons for cultural engagement from the perspective of Obama’s political campaign. The wording below is intact as I feel that these two points address marketing concerns, and I have highlighted the most relevant points.

Marketing Tip #1:

Participation is our most important renewable resource.
Over 1.7 million contributors, most of them repeat donors. More than 2 million donations under $200. This sums it up. The structure of Obama’s campaign has made it easy for people to contribute, made every contributor feel a valued stakeholder, and enabled his followers to get more and more deeply involved as the campaign evolved. Technology – developing that electronic social network – has been essential to his strategy. But as important have been the messages conveyed through the technology. Obama’s regular email blasts give people a daily connection to the campaign and the greater cause of change, make them understand what their contributions of time and money will buy, and convey both Obama’s long view and his real excitement about victories along the way.

Recent studies (such as Steven Tepper’s, Engaging Art) suggest that cultural participation correlates with political and religious participation and that in the arts, “doing it myself” may be an important precursor to “appreciating the way the professionals do it,” especially for younger people. Is there an opportunity for cultural organizations in this upsurge of new political participation? If creating catalytic participation was the primary goal of cultural organizations, how would that change our programming, fundraising, and live and electronic communications? Would it change the outcomes for both our audiences and our institutions?


Marketing Tip #2:

Entitlement is dead.
In the marketplace of ideas, any whiff of entitlement is a turn-off, especially to young people. The sense of entitlement that Hillary Clinton exuded from the start of the race set her up for the fall. Technology is key to this attitudinal shift, it’s the axe that levels all hierarchies. People’s increasing ability to receive and distribute information on the web diminishes the entitled class’s power over ideas and cultural norms, and explodes the notion that any person or institution is sacrosanct. When people in their twenties can become millionaires (read YouTube, FaceBook, Google, and other fabulously successful Internet businesses) or challenge the nature of public school teaching and nonprofit practice (read Teach for America and Craigslist Foundation), the expectation that “the younger generation” should respectfully apprentice to their experienced, entitled elders becomes ridiculous.

In the twenty-first century, every enterprise – including the cultural enterprise – must make its case on the merits of relevance, utility, and responsive service. How many cultural institutions, consciously or unconsciously, convey a sense of privilege and entitlement that turns people away?

October 24th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

iPhone users will be in for a treat with the new development of ExpressTix Mobile, which allows patrons to purchase tickets with an easy, efficient, and user-friendly interface. This Tessitura-powered web application that will soon be available for all web-enabled mobile devices. The user will be able to get real-time information about performances and receive seat assignments for every order. There is also the ability to send SMS message to send a last-minute offer to your patron’s mobile device and see an immediate response through ExpressTix Mobile. “With just a few quick clicks your patrons can find a performance, select their tickets and safely and securely make their purchase with their iPhone. ExpressTix Mobile is also integrated with the built-in Google Maps application, providing patrons a quick way to get directions to your venue.”

http://www.popartsmarketing.com/expresstix-mobile/


Marketing Tip #2:

Web traffic. When it comes to optimizing your website content for browser searches, you should have a peak at your Keyword Report (using your host’s analytics tools or the free Google Webmaster Tools) to find out what words/terms people are using in the searches that lead them to you. Leveraging this information, keyword targeting will help to make the text on your site clearer and more useful for browser searches.

For example, consider changing “Buy tickets now” to “Buy Salt Fish Girl tickets for Oct 24th” which is ten times more descriptive and user-friendly for a potential visitor. It also helps your site show up on the first page of search results for the search, “Salt Fish Girl tickets.” With these simple text changes for clearer visitor communication, you will surely boost your ticket sales.

“Keyword optimization should not interfere with the usability, clarity, or messaging of your site but should help articulate the crucial purpose of your website. If you want to reach potential visitors through search engines more effectively, use your audience’s vernacular (a.k.a keywords) and balance the value of those words to search indexes alongside voice and intent.” - Jeremy (popartsmarketing)

October 17th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Looking ahead to your show, consider creating a concise version of the work as a teaser. The teaser can then be offered free or for an honorarium to other local events leading up to your show. These events could include gallery/museum openings, charity fundraisers, fashion shows, galas celebrations, and more. You want to pick suitable & related events, particularly those that may attract your target audience (and those with disposable income). When creating the teaser, keep in mind that there will likely be no wings, flooring considerations, basic lighting, and other restrictions. Bring your promotional materials with you, and be prepared to stick around afterwards to mingle and chat up the show.


Marketing Tip #2:

I know this is a couple months away, but it is a good time to start considering your donors, supporters, audience, students, mentors, collaborators, and all those other wonderful people you have on your well-groomed contact list. Not quite up to date? Missing information? Well, start considering a review soon because holiday greeting cards (in print or via email) or always a nice personal reminder to folks that you exist and you appreciate your relationship with them. The personal touch may only be a sentence of acknowledgement, but it takes time. Scan your list and figure out how many people you will be addressing, and plan your time and money around your holiday-greetings-project.

October 10th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

In large urban communities, the world of cell phones with internet and video capability (such as Blackberries and iPhones) is making some serious headway. Though many of the artists may be able to afford such luxury gadgets (spending too much time at our galas), we should remember that these mobile-users are often times in our target market.

So get this. Posters and flyers are out there to catch your eye, and you hope the person will be enticed and will remember the information when they go home to plan and buy tickets. What I propose is that a website URL be highlighted on the posters and flyers, encouraging mobile-users to browse to the video clip of your exciting upcoming show! A good quality, dynamic visual will surely add strength to your marketing. If you’re worried that the URL may be too long, go to Tiny URL (www.tiny.cc) to get a condensed address that is quicker to type in.


Marketing Tip #2:

Is the theatre you’re planning to attend near a hotel? You should certainly get your flyers in their lobby, but also discuss with the owner/manager if you can arrange a VIP gift package. This could include premium tickets to opening night, a back-stage tour, a signed poster, dinner with the artistic director, or various other things that you feel would be of interest. What you are hoping for is that this package is given to someone with an interest in the arts and enough disposable income to consider making a donation or becoming a dedicated patron.

This package deal is also good for the hotel, as it adds an element of culture and generosity. In building a relationship here, you may work towards a sponsorship directly from the hotel over the years.

October 3rd, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

As much as you may still be resisting social networking (specifically Facebook), I’m going to push another great benefit. Think of it as not only growing your mailing list, but now you can stay in closer contact with potential audience and donors. This doesn’t mean mass emailing your Facebook friends-list and swamping their inbox with messages all the time. It is more effective when someone chooses to go to your page because they are interested in the updated content. Their newsfeed will let them know when you’ve made updates to your page, so keep current by regularly posting pictures, videos, notes, etc.

A good way to stay that will make them appreciate and remember you as a good Facebook buddy is the comment on THEIR pictures, videos, and notes. Even BETTER is to take group or crowd pictures (or encourage other people to take pictures) at gathering events (receptions, fundraisers, photo op with artist after show, etc). Post the pictures, note the event, and then start tagging people in the photos. The hope is, that after being notified by the tag, s/he will poke around the rest of the photos and tag more people. Now that you’re popular and people are checking in on you, they’ll be a well cultivate market for your next show.

Marketing Tip #2:

If that hasn’t sold you on social networking, this might. Say you’ve now got 250 Facebook friends: that’s 25 group sales! Often times, people are game for meeting up with their new/old internet buddies, and going to a show together in a group is a good, public meet-up setting for even casual acquaintances. They all apparently support your work and now you can offer them a group discount and a chance to meet like-minded internet buddies.

I’m all over this one, so if anybody wants to get to a group together for ProArteDanza next week, count me in!

September 26th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Signage is an important consideration, especially when you’re performing in venues that don’t offer much in the way of space for a front of house display. Some venues have very limited lobby space, others are outdoor spaces; some don’t allow posting on the walls, and other still share the lobby space with other distractions. I’m sure we’ve all tackled this issue creatively in the past, and we’ve likely all thought: “Gee, wouldn’t a free standing banner be nice.” Well here’s your chance to plan ahead and price one out. Banner stands are quick, easy and relatively affordable. Create a generic one for your organization so that it can be sued for several years, and consider all the possible uses for it: conferences, festivals, touring, schools, presenters showcase, etc.

Check out some the options at Fast Signs: www.fastsigns.com/banner-displays.html


Marketing Tip #2:

Photos. Often times we can get good quality dance photos by doing TFP or TFCD work (Time For Print or Time For CD... In other words, free for you). The incentive you offer the photographer is that you are an interesting model for his/her portfolio work. You want to build a relationship here and find out what the photographer is looking for in this potential collaboration. Perhaps you can do some of their ideas and they in turn can help you get some good promo shots for your work. Always interview the photographer first, look at their portfolio, ask about their experience with dance photography, inquire about their interests and expectations, and make the right decision for you.

September 19th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Election time marketing is great for the whole arts community. The fall kicks off dance classes and performances of all cultural backgrounds, which is a great way of reminding the public that Arts & Culture are important considerations in this campaign. Be proud to be an artist and be sure your community knows and remembers you. We hope they keep you in mind, and the impact that federal platform on Arts & Culture may have on the future of their community. Their federal tax dollars provide much needed support for the non-profit sector, which fuels the creative economy of our country.

From Business for the Arts: The output by the culture sector totalled $46 billion in 2007, which was 3.8% of Canada’s real GDP. If we were to include the induced and indirect impact, the value-add climbs to $84.6 billion. The Conference Board estimates that 1,000,000 jobs are created by the cultural sector, representing 7.1 per cent of Canada’s total employment in
2007.


Marketing Tip #2:

Enough preaching to the converted, let’s get some new blood in here too. If you don’t have a show coming up in the next few weeks, I suggest bringing a new-to-dance, non-frequent, or political-fence-sitting buddy to a show by a non-profit company. “You’re welcome for the ticket. I’m glad we got good seats too. ProArteDanza is a young rising star and sells out fast. Support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council are key to their growth and their amazing success story.”

September 12th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

As much as I want to dissuade the use of Admail and Direct Mail (because it is costly and not so effective), here is the low down on what Canada Post has to offer. Canada Post’s online Direct Marketing tools help you to create, schedule, deliver and track your mail campaign. Aside from helping people with little time or design skills, the key interest are their address lists. You can upload your own private list, purchase one of their lists or choose their geographic target option (which includes selecting target audiences based on geographic area, demographic variables, lifestyle & behaviour, and more).

If this is something you are considering in the future (and what to budget for it in the marketing expenses of a grant), check out: www.directmarketingonline.ca

Marketing Tip #2:

As clever as direct mail marketing is, there is much more detailed information gathering to help target audiences through social networks.

I recently read a couple of interesting articles discussing advertising via Facebook. Based on the information one chooses to include in their profile, Facebook is able to offer advertisers more potential target audiences in relation to one’s “proxy interests” and presumed areas of interest. Think of it like pairing the appropriate TV show audience for your commercial. Facebook data miners can gather info voluntarily posted by the users such as relationship status, birthday, geographic area, favourite movies/books, etc. So in order to use this effectively by arts organizations, you will need to consider the social markers (values, affinities and/or attributes) that define (or tend to include) your potential audience.

All this being said, arts ads are generally more welcome than product ads about appearance and hygiene. Many such ads use these presumed areas of interest to target for “psychological soft spots” and insecurities. In response to complaints, Facebook has since made efforts to allow its users to report “misleading, offensive or pornographic” ads, as well as further control over the ads that reach them. The new "thumbs up / thumbs down” buttons beneath ads allow more user feedback, which will further help in targeting relevant ads to the user.

September 5th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Online marketing can be daunting. You might know of a few places to post, but not sure if you missed some key ones. Here’s a trick. Start a spreadsheet or word document to list your online marketing places (listings, blogs, etc). Note the title of the site, the url, the contact person, if you have to pay, your login info (if applicable), their target audience (youth, visual artists, tourists, etc), info requested (photo, short blurb, long description, etc), and other such notes. You may even want to list those you want to NOT use, so that you remember for the future.

Marketing Tip #2:

So now that you have a list going, here’s how you beef it up. Do a Google search for some other recent shows and dance companies (not just local ones) and see where they pop up. You may be surprised to find many new sites, and maybe some blogs from avid arts/dance audience members. You may even consider inviting some of these blog writers to come see your show. A good blog listing, preview, and/or review is stellar, especially if it helps get your name in the top 10 of a Google search.

August 29th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

In most cities, people are simply bombarded with signs and advertisements to the point that they tune out. Very few people are out on the streets looking for you (they do that online), so if you’re lucky, you might catch an eye of someone skimming or glancing around. In that split-second first impression, your image/colours and main 3-8 words are your only hope at getting their conscious attention and prompting them to read on. Unless you have some other special agenda here, the message should be Dance. Among the most eye-catching words should be “dance”, and if your company name is predominant and contains that word, great! If not, fit it in. Synonymous words relating to style (Ballet, Kathak, Bboy, etc ) may work if the word is easily recognizable to the average person (and/or your target audience): remember, you want to appeal to the unconscious, strike the mind into realizing that this is a topic of interest, and then have them read on.

Marketing Tip #2:

On the topic of reading on, you likely have a lot to say about what it is you’re marketing. Try not to squish it all into the same space; that’s what the backs of flyers and websites are for. You want people to actually acknowledge and read your flyer, and too much information upfront can clutter the message with which you are trying to catch their eye. And remember that you are always trying to foster new audiences, not just relying on your regulars knowing who you are.

August 22nd, 2008


Marketing Tip #1:

Gotta love Guerrilla Marketing. The chatting scheme generally involves people talking about an event or product in a public place, in such a way that catches potential eavesdroppers. This can be done with a couple or small group of people or even alone with a person pretending to be in a cell phone conversation. Just be sure, that they are near people that can over hear the conversation (ie. not distracted by their ipod) and that the chatters know the topic well enough to be flexible at changing their angle and language to suit the types of people that are around at the moment. It’s also really handy if he/she/they can speak another language that may be related to your target audiences. The topic of your event can weave in and out, trying to deliver the salient information casually, be it a short interval or room for a longer hook. Again, this can all be done with one person pretending to be engaged in a cell phone conversation.

For example, two attractive ladies in their early 30s are using a metro pass to travel a moderately busy TTC route in a target audience area. The ladies get on the bus, notice a few other middle aged women, and strategically position themselves nearby (one standing, one sitting). They pick up their fake “earlier conversation” about pregnancy and shift to feature a dancer-mother in the cast of your upcoming show. Something like this maybe: “...I was worried that getting pregnant might slow down my other dreams, but do you remember that beautiful modern dancer Andrea Nann? She now has a healthy handsome young boy and I’m just so inspired that she’s still performing.” “Oh for sure. Andrea’s a fabulous dance artist.” “I saw her about a year after she gave birth, and I’ve got to say, she seems to have an enchanting depth about her movement. It’s strength and softness...” “...delicate and so compelling. And what a physical recovery to be performing again so soon.” “I can’t wait to see her on stage again with Dreamwalker Dance Company next weekend. I feel that the experience of motherhood just added to her radiance and connection to the other women in the audience.” “Oh, Andrea’s performing soon? Where and when?” ...blah, blah, blah.

Marketing Tip #2:

Nuit Blanche. Now here’s the perfect opportunity for people with shows in the Fall and early winter to plug this chatting tactic. Crowds of arts goers are all over the streets, using transit, loafing in bars/restaurants, and cruising through public art installations. They are curious enough to be here around new arts experiences and WANT to eavesdrop to find out where the next good contemporary-art-thing is. Recruit your dancers, board members, friends, and family... And go get ‘em!

August 8th, 2008

I will be away from the office next week for a little summer vacation. The weekly Marketing Tips will pick up again August 23rd.

Marketing Tip #1:

During shows geared for youth or teen audiences, consider hosting a Parent Day Care. Assuming they are comfortable leaving their kids in the theatre, this would be a social opportunity for parents to meet other patrons and learn more about your company. Get creative with the setting, and make it comfortable. You can either sell food and drinks, or see if you can get those items donated in exchange for credit in your print materials or in the designated Day Care room.


Marketing Tip #2:

When it comes to discounts, I like the idea of “Buy 2, Get 1 Free.” The point is that most people go to theatre shows in pairs, so if they have a third ticket, a fourth person will likely buy a ticket to come along with the group. When an advance purchase is being made, have your friendly box office attendant casually ask if they have someone in mind for their free ticket. If the answer is no or uncertain, suggest that they bring a friend or business acquaintance that hasn’t seen a lot of dance.

August 1st, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Develop and/or revisit your Identity Statement. You want to succinctly tell people:

• Who you are
• What you do
• How do you do it
• For whom do you do it
  

• remember your audience is not just artist peers and grant officers
• what makes you unique is important
• let some personality shine through
• balance the facts with the heart
• avoid sounding cliché
  

July 25th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

In the welcome remarks of your show, consider informing your audience about your season and where they can find you again: “We stage Julye-Dance-Machine productions every two years with a season of creation and festival appearances in between. Be sure to keep your ear to the ground for our next performance, or better yet, sign up to our shiny email list...”


Marketing Tip #2:

Get you own Bat Signal.

If that wasn’t self-evident, try this guerrilla tactic: a welcome to the neighbourhood package. This may contain:

• information about the company
• what you’ve done for the community with which this new person may be involved
• an invitation to an open rehearsal or dance class/workshop
• tickets to your next show
• how to signup for your mailing list
• and more, but don’t try asking for a donation until you’ve built a better relationship
  

July 18th, 2008


Hello! This is Julye Huggins, the new Marketing Coordinator at DUO. As you may have already heard, Jessica Baran is leaving us for a prestigious Masters degree program in Costa Rica, and I am now picking up the ball and running with it. There may be some repetition in the Marketing Tips to come, but even so, it’s because I think points are important and worth repeating.

Cheers!

Marketing Tip #1:

Having a well-manicured E-list is so important these days. An updated list (especially one that is categorized) will enable you to have fast, efficient, and inexpensive contact with your target audiences. There are a whole slew of ways to ask and encourage people to sign up, including the popular Audience Survey, with which you can collect other important audience information and feedback. Not only can these Surveys be used for entries in a draw, but you can also announce prior to the show or during intermission:
“...and while you are filling out your Audience Survey for a chance to win <something>, we would like to encourage you to join our E-list. By checking that little box, you help us to be fast, efficient and eco-friendly in contacting our target audiences. As a result, you enable us to put our money towards our artists rather than expensive indirect marketing campaigns that struggle against big-budget competition. Thank you so much, and good luck in the draw.”


Marketing Tip #2:

When it comes to developing an E-list, you also need to keep kosher with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act:

• keep their consent to opt-in record on file
• do not share your E-list unless the person has agreed to distribution of their contact information
• include a means of opting-out (and remove them immediately when requested)
• include a link to your privacy policy (if you don’t have one already, ask to use another Canadian dance company or school’s policy as a template)
• no misleading advertising or fraud
  

July 4th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Today, as things are becoming easier to access because of technology, artists need to think of easy and creative ways for people to pay for their work. The MET has created some great programmes, including The Met: Live in HD which is a programme that films the live performance and then shows this film in 900,000 theaters across the country.

Clearly this sort of programme would be too much for a small company to do, but a scaled down version, having showings at your local library for instance, might be a nice way to introduce people to dance outside of the theatre.



Marketing Tip #2:

Everyone emails press releases, and I recently came across an article that gives some helpful tips around these emailed press releases!

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/FREE/431783084/1084/FREE

June 13, 2008

As I recently attended a email marketing seminar, my marketing tips this week are email focused!

Marketing Tip #1:

Youtube.com is such a fantastic marketing tool that is essentially free for everyone to use.

I recently came across a fantastic marketing campaign that was promoting the Broadway show Xanadu to win a Tony Award. The marketing/publicity team created a great serious of videos with lots of amazing cameos, and a plot line that really had you rooting for Xanadu. Check out some of their videos:
http://youtube.com/user/CubbyBernstein

This campaign had a over 800,000 views in just one month – that is a huge audience that had possibly not even heard of Xanadu before. These people now know the cast of Xanadu, the Helen Hays Theatre where it plays, key songs from the musical, and also that it was nominated for several Tony’s. This online viewership will read directly into ticket sales (I know I want to go now!).

Clearly they had a budget and lots of famous friends, but doing a marketing campaign like this is completely attainable on a shoestring budget.



Marketing Tip #2:

Keeping on the theme of youtube.com, I have found a great article on how to use online video marketing to your advantage: Online Video Marketing: Ten Ways You Can Use YouTube To Promote Your Online Content
http://www.masternewmedia.org/online_marketing/youtube-promote-content-viral-marketing/youtube-video-marketing-10-ways-20070503.htm

June 6, 2008

As I recently attended a email marketing seminar, my marketing tips this week are email focused!

Marketing Tip #1:

It is important that you have an e-newsletter, and send it out at least once a month. Even if your subscribers do not open the email, you will be able to keep your company on the top of their mind by seeing mail from you in their inbox. Make sure to have a consistent date and subject line for your newsletter, so people know it isn’t junk mail!


Marketing Tip #2:

When you are sending an e-newsletter make sure the subject line holds all pertinent information, and is no longer than 50 characters. If people do not open your email, the will have still received the message you want to get across through the subject.

Here is an example:
DUO News: It’s our 20th! July 6, 9:30pm at TRANZAC
(50 characters – this includes spaces and punctuation)
>From this you understand what, when and where, and will open the email for more information if you are interested.

May 23, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

New technologies are making traditional marketing techniques, such as posters, more eye-catching and interactive. A Montreal-based company was recently featured in Wired Magazine because of their new advancements in animated posters. Though this technology might be extremely expensive at the moment, it might be worth some of this expense, as your animated dance posters would surely stand out!

Take a look at the article:
http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/news/2008/01/rabbit_holes

To see examples of these posters online, please visit:
http://www.rabbitholes.com/advertising/ad_examples.html



Marketing Tip #2:

Guerilla Marketing is an inexpensive and fun way to create buzz around your upcoming event and company. Guerilla Marketing is defined as “Unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources.” and is the perfect marketing tool for small companies.

Think of creative ways to get your company in the local public eye. It would be as simple as using sidewalk chalk to write about your show and company, giving away balloons with your postcard attached or teaching a free class in the park for your community.

Guerilla Marketing is a great way to leave a lasting impression on potential audience!

May 16th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:


Is your website up to date? If not this should be a priority. With new technologies it is becoming simpler to manage your website content yourself. There are new Content Management Systems out there that make updating content as easy as filling out a web form!

As the internet is now more popular than television, it offers an incredible opportunity for those on a tight budget! So make sure you are able to keep your content up to date.


Marketing Tip #2:

I read a great article about social media and how to best use this to your marketing advantage. Though many of us regularly use Facebook to market ourselves, this article pointed out that we should have profiles everywhere we can:

Cross-leverage your social media profiles. Some people use multiple social media websites while others usually stick to one or two. It is always helpful to set up social media profiles even for sites you don’t use, because you’ll increase your points of possible interaction. Connect your social media profiles to each other via links and send users for one site to another. This is useful when you want to initiate discussions or promote content on another channel.

http://www.doshdosh.com/social-media-networking-and-roi/

April 25th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

When marketing your event, remember that people like things to be simple and easy. So make sure that tickets are easy to purchase and there are multiple ways for them to get their tickets. Make sure you include a map of where the venue is and directions on how to get there for both those who will drive and those who will take public transit. And Google your event to make sure you come up first!



Marketing Tip #2:

Do not forget about DUO’s new video blog! It is centered around dance and artists in Ontario, and is updated daily. If you have any ideas for contributions, please just email me!

Check out the blog at:
www.dancepassport.ca

April 18th 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Mixing what has traditionally been known as ‘high’ and ‘low’ art may open your company to new audiences. The Atlanta Ballet Company is currently working with Hip Hop artist Big Boi, from the group Outcast, fusing ballet and hip hop in order to appeal to new audiences. The article is below, and it is an interesting read!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/arts/dance/06laro.html?_r=1&ref=arts&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin


Marketing Tip #2:

A new study, Social Status, Lifestyle and Cultural Consumption, looks at factors that effect audience arts decisions. It found that is is education, income and status, but not social class that play into arts attendance decisions. Also, it divides consumers into cultural Omnivores and cultural Univores. Omnivores are those who consume both ‘high’ culture and ‘popular’ culture, while Univores are those whose cultural consumption is restricted to one form only.

March 28th

Marketing Tip #1:

Google has started a new program called ‘Google Grants” aimed at promoting not-for-profit organizations through their free online advertising on the Google sidebar.

For more information, check out the below links:
http://www.google.com/nonprofits/grantstutorial.html
http://technologyinthearts.org/blog/?p=295


Marketing Tip #2:

The Dance Passport has launched a new initiative, a video blog centered around dance and artist in Ontario, which is updated daily. If you have any ideas for contributions, please just email me!

Check out the blog at:
www.dancepassport.ca

March 7th

Marketing Tip #1:

Try to infect everyone who is working on your event with your passion and excitement. This will have many positive effects.

When employees talk about your show, they will speak with excitement, thus infecting those they speak to.
When everyone working on the project is excited for a positive outcome, they will go out of their way to obtain this goal.
And most importantly, they audience will feel the atmosphere you have created at your event, and will in turn be infected with the same excitement and passion!


Marketing Tip #2:

As the world becomes increasingly environmentally conscience, you should make sure the world knows your company is too. Perhaps something as simple as creating cloth bags with your company logo will get the message across. You could sell them or give them away, but as people use them, they are also advertising your environmentally aware company.

February 22nd

Marketing Tip #1:

I realize that after opening night marketing may not be on the top of your mind, but is is a great idea to email reviews of your show to your audience list, even if your show is already closed. It is good for you to brag a little about your accomplishments, especially to your supporters!


Marketing Tip #2:

Make sure that you are promoting yourself and upcoming events through every email you send from your professional account. Change your signature to reflect your upcoming events and website so you can ensure every email contains this information.

February 8th 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Performing arts audiences, in general, are what is referred to as ‘graying’, and it is important to cultivate younger audiences to keep your audience base strong. Dan Martin, director of Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for the Management of Creative Enterprises sums this up, stating: "To get somebody to say, 'Yeah I'll go to the exhibit rather than go to [a bar],' you have to help them understand why that's a better choice."

Translating this to dance, you need to understand why your event is the better choice for that demographic. Will it offer networking opportunities? Is it in a ‘hip’ neighbourhood or ‘hip’ venue? Will there be a chance to have a drink with the artists? Is the subject matter socially or politically relevant to this demographic? Is the music that of a popular indie band?

Even if you add something to your event to draw in this younger audience, it may be worth it in the long run.


Marketing Tip #2:

As always, it is so important to set yourself apart and make your audience feel special.

As a non-dancer I find open rehearsals and dance workshops fascinating to watch. Perhaps make Saturday morning rehearsals/classes open to the public to watch, so your potential audience can self-educate themselves on dance. This is an easy way to set yourself apart and create buzz around your show. You can also post these open rehearsals/classes as a weekly video podcast, so even if people are unable to attend they can still view it and be involved.

January 25th 2008



Marketing Tip #1:


I came across an interesting excerpt from the report Mapping Interpretation Practices in Contemporary Art (published in May 2006), written by Dr Heather Lynch and commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council. This report addresses what makes an audience engaged and interested in coming back again and again.

Here are some important points from the report:

 What works?
A number of factors were reported as significant in those projects described as successful in engaging viewers, these are as follows:
• The relevance and nature of the artwork itself
• The artist or another artist’s involvement to mediate some of the complexities of the work through workshops, films and talks
• Involvement of the audience either through the production of the interpretation materials or through interaction with gallery staff and resources
• Considered layout of the space for each exhibition
• Availability of a variety of resources such as film, still images and quality writing which gave access to the process.

What didn’t work?
Some of the same categories were mentioned in this section as in the above, demonstrating the complexity of issues involved in the development of interpretation resources, those most often noted were:
• Space, where there was a lack of consideration and/or unwelcoming staff
• Artists’ involvement in areas where they lack skills, such as talks and workshops
• Over reliance on text.

So keep this in mind while planning your next show!



Marketing Tip #2:

Wikipedia is an online resource of general searchable information that has quickly become the ‘go to’ site for information on any topic.

Think about putting yourself on wikipedia.org. As this is a site where users add and edit information, you can make an entry on your company, upload pictures and have external links to your website and other related sites. You can also link within wikipedia, to other related wikipedia entries.

This will just enhance your web presence and increase the internet audience exposed to your company.

www.wikipedia.org

January 11th, 2008

Marketing Tip #1:

Build your community connections by talking with local shopkeepers about doing a window display for your upcoming show, especially if it is particularly visual. You can use costumes and props, and maybe even a video of rehearsal, for this display and also have the shop be available to sell tickets.



Marketing Tip #2:

As dance performances often only run a few days, perhaps over a two week period if lucky, it is almost impossible to generate word of mouth buzz around your show. You can try to curb this by offering free performances of excerpts at different community locations, such as libraries, the local hospital or seniors home, and schools. Good word of mouth is one of the best promotional tools!

January 4th 2008
Happy New Year!

Marketing Tip #1:

When marketing the arts we can turn to the corporate view of marketing for broad ideas and concepts. I recently read an article that suggested the more you market yourself as a successful artists and stay in the public eye, the more successful you will be. It is clear this is what corporations do, but on a huge level. For artists it is best to stay within the community and your audience base, but do not stop keeping in contact, even when you are not working on a new project.

Here is an article excerpt:

Corporations know that in order to make sales, they have to expose their products to consumers over and over again. They 'brand' their names into the minds of buyers, so that their products are the easily recognized and most likely to be purchased. Just look at mass advertising on television, in newspapers, on billboards, and in magazines. Big businesses continually drum their identities into your head. Ford, Ford, Ford; Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi; McDonald's, McDonald's, McDonald's.

Art is no different. The more times people see your work, the more inclined they are to believe that you are a well-known artist and that your art is respected or at least acknowledged by the art community.

http://www.artbusiness.com/maxprice.html


Marketing Tip #2:

As the internet is so important in today’s marketing strategies, making connections with popular websites in your community would be a great way to have a presence in with a more mainstream audience. In Toronto there are several blogs that cover all topics, thus bring in a variety of people visiting their site.

www.torontoist.com
www.blogto.com

These are both great examples of popular blogs. Try building relationships with the writers by inviting them to your events, or maybe even some free classes.

December 14th, 2007

Marketing Tip #1:

Keep in mind there is a difference between marketing and sales! Marketing is about building your company profile and relationships within the community, and you should always be marketing yourself. Marketing can translate into sales at show times, but try to keep these separate in your thought process.



Marketing Tip #2:

‘Tis the season to touch base with your core audience and wish them a happy holidays! Send along a nice card or email to let them know you and your company care.

December 7th, 2007

Marketing Tip #1:

More and more, the internet is becoming the main source of information, entertainment and socialization. Recently, the dollars spent on internet advertising surpassed that spent on print advertising. I have been stressing the importance of having a web presence over the last year, and now that things are slowing down for the holidays, it might be a good time to built your strategy.

Most artists have website, but these sites need to be updated regularly. As an artist it is hard to employ someone to do this for you, so perhaps learning to do this yourself might be an option?



Marketing Tip #2:

If you cannot have a webpage at this moment, you should most certainly have a blog. They are easy to use and quick to set up. You can post stories, upcoming events, images, podcasts, and video, and you do not need to be an internet expert to do these things,

Here is an excerpt from an article about the benefits of a blog:

Web U: Why Not Begin Blogging? by Todd Friesen states:

There's nothing like a blog to build a brand

Want a great way to communicate to a highly relevant audience, to build traffic for a site and to further your brand name on the Internet? Then, it's time for you to start a blog. With sharp daily content, blogs attract links from readers and have great potential to show in natural search results, bringing your name and message to an ever wider audience. The best part? They're easily optimized for search.


Examples of sites that will help you create your blog:

? Blog.com
? Blogger
? Blue Kaffee
? LiveJournal.com
? MySpace
? Facebook.com
? Open Diary
? TypePad
? Typo
? Windows Live Spaces
? Wordpress.com

November 30th, 2007

Marketing Tip #1:

Your work is exciting and important to you, so make sure this comes through in your marketing. Reflect on what about this work is so compelling to you, and find a creative way to communicate this through your marketing.



Marketing Tip #2:

Take some time out and try to identify your marketing weaknesses. This could be not being knowledgeable about specific topic areas, or not feeling comfortable selling yourself, or even not having a large enough budget to properly market yourself. Once you identify your weaknesses, find ways to work on them.

Please feel free to email me what you think your weaknesses are and I might be able to give advice, or if there are enough individuals with the same weakness, have a workshop to address this issue

November 2nd 2007


Marketing Tip #1:

Have you ever thought about hosting an event for a local charity? I could be something as simple as having a day of Pay-What-You-Can classes, where all of the proceeds are donated to your local charity of choice. This will appeal not only to supporters of the charity, but to a broader cross-market audience, and in addition, impress your supporters!




Marketing Tip #2:

We are all busy, but it is a great idea to go out and support other artists shows. Make sure you are a visible presence in the community, not just the dance community, but the arts and culture community at large. When people know who you are, they will want to see your art.

October 19th 2007


Marketing Tip #1:

I realize that giving away tickets may not seem like the best way to make money, but if you are interested in long-term audience building, this can be a great way to get ‘bums in seats’. The most difficult part of audience building is getting the audience member in the door the first time, so it might be worth your while giving away tickets to people who are influential within their community.


Marketing Tip #2:

Look at your show very carefully when considering who you are marketing to. Perhaps there is more than one market, and you might want to have two (or more) different offshoot marketing campaigns. This could include a specialized poster, a groups offer to a specific group of people, or a pre-show activity for a niche market (such as a book club, or knitting group).

October 12th 2007

Marketing Tip #1:

When thinking about purchasing advertisements, make sure to ask your local paper about any special inserts they might be doing. Often papers put out themed inserts at least once a year. Themes can be anything from a holiday gift guide or education guide (both of which would be a great place for dance schools to advertise), or event more neighbourhood specific themes.

If you are placing an ad, also ask for the information of any features writers, as they might be interested in doing a story on you or your company.


Marketing Tip #2:

Recently a costume designer created an exhibition of opera inspired costumes out of beer and soda cans:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKL0918020220071010

I think this is such a fun idea, a great way to cross the genres of the art world with something everyone can relate to (beer and soda cans). This exhibition brings focus to opera without opera being the focus.

Crossing over markets in this way is a great idea, and can cause a lot of publicity.

October 5th 2007

As per request, today’s marketing tips are dance school themed. If you have any specific marketing questions or are looking for advice, please feel free to contact me!


Marketing Tip #1:

I think the best way to market a school is through your current students. Have a ‘Bring A Friend’ day, where all your students are encouraged to bring a friend for a free class. You can turn this into a really great event, with food and prizes. If you leave a great lasting impression on these friends they will want to come again.


Marketing Tip #2:

Try and see if you can teach an open class in a park or community area. Again, reaching out and offering a free class in a different way. The hardest part of attracting new customers is getting them through the door, so if you are already in their community space this will take out the ‘through the door’ element.

Make sure you have lots of great flyers available!

September 28th 2007


Marketing Tip #1:

A few months ago I attended a marketing and audience development session let by Donna Walker-Kuhne. She is a very successful arts marketer, who has a long list of credentials, including Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. She really focuses on spending time cultivating audiences, and expresses that this time spend will pay off in the long term, but you cannot be disappointed if you do not see immediate results for your efforts.

Audience building can be a slow process, but as long as you keep at it you will see the results.



Marketing Tip #2:

I suppose this is a Donna Walker-Kuhne themed marketing tips week, but I can across an article about bringing in new audience (though opera themed) featuring Walker-Kuhne’s insight. It addresses the need for an evolving audience, and ways to market to new audiences.

http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2007-09-06T125019Z_01_N30414181_RTRIDST_0_LIFESTYLE-OPERA-MINORITIES-1-COL.XML

September 7th 2007

Marketing Tip #1:

Appealing to your target market through your print/visual campaign is key. If you think of corporate campaigns such as iPod and their dancing silhouettes, it is clear what demographic they are advertising to. So though your design ideals may differ from that of your target market, make sure that your final campaign reflects what will attract your target market.


Marketing Tip #2:

While at Balzacs Coffee Café this morning, I noticed that the sleeve over that take out cup was actually an advertisement for the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and Soulpepper Theatre Company. I think this is a great marketing campaign, as you will have your coffee for quite a while, and will likely read all of the information on the sleeve, just due to the amount of time it is in your possession.

So if there are any cafes or coffee houses near the theatre you are presenting in you may want to think of approaching them with this idea. The cost is almost on par with postcards, and it is just a different and fun way of promoting yourself!

August 31st 2007


Marketing Tip #1:

As we come into the beginning of the dance season, it is a good time to look back at last years marketing successes and failures. If you have no way to gage what was successful and what wasn’t, this is a good time to think of fun and creative ways to collect audience information.


Marketing Tip #2:

The fall is a great time to touch base with your audience. Everyone is back from summer vacation, school has started and we are all back to our routines. So send and email or newsletter out to your audience base letting them know what your plans are for the coming months.

This can also tie into the above tip of reflecting on marketing successes and failures. You can easily create a survey on www.surveymonkey.com for your core to fill out regarding previous marketing you have done, and tie it into your email or newsletter.



August 24th 2007


Marketing Tip #1:

Social marketing is becoming more and more prominent, as niche markets become opened through the internet. Try including audience member/supporter feedback in your next newsletter, or even highlight an audience member through a mini interview and picture series in your next newsletter. Create a community around your company and nurture it by recognizing those who support you!


Marketing Tip #2:

Newspaper sales are in decline, as well as cable news viewers. People are turning to the internet for quick and easy information access. But not all people are doing this!

Make sure you understand your target market and the generational differences that directly play into the medium that reaches your audience. The internet is great for reaching niche markets and younger generations, but if you feel a large majority of your audience subscribes to the Globe and Mail, make sure not to alienate them by abandoning this means of communication.

August 17th

Marketing Tip #1:

I realize that I have previously emphasized the importance of internet marketing and blogs, but I feel I need to touch on this again as we enter into the dance season. Using websites such as wordpress.org or blogger.com you can create a blog for free. This is such an easy and inexpensive way to communicate with your current and potential audience!

For blog software comparison, visit http://www.ojr.org/ojr/images/blog_software_comparison.cfm

Also, here is a great dance blog, for dancers: http://greatdance.com/danceblog/


Marketing Tip #2:

Do not be afraid to brag in your marketing campaign! You are indeed an expert in your field, and patrons want to be blown away by your credentials and accomplishments.

August 10th, 2007

DUO weekly Marketing tips.


Marketing Tip #1:

Branding has been on my mind lately, and I thought I would touch on it one more time, as it really makes the job of marketing easier.

There are three sides to branding that you should think about:
What do you do for your audience/supporters?
How do you do this differently than others in the same field?
How do people feel about you and your work?

Answering these questions will help you to differentiate yourself from others. Even if it is very clear to you what makes you and your company special and different, it might not be clear to your potential audience.


Marketing Tip #2:

People can get very enthused about art, especially when they are learning and seeing new things. There are several successful outreach programs that are meant to expose people to new arts, expand their knowledge, and allow them to be in a casual situation open to socialization.

The COC provides a free concert series, that is so successful that it is almost always standing room only http://www.coc.ca/performances/concerts.html

The Museum of Modern Art (in New York City) has Brown Bag Lunch Lectures, http://moma.org/calendar/programs.php?id=54

The ROM has member clubs and associated social activities, such as dinners and singles nights http://www.rom.on.ca/programs/lectures/index.php

The Guggenheim (in New York City) has First Fridays, that is a monthly event with DJs and drinks http://www.guggenheim.org/firstfridays/index.html

And there are countless other events that mix arts with socializing. Maybe think of trying something like this, a lunchtime chat, a brownbag lunch performance, a singles night, or something else that fits with your company’s ideals.



July 27th 2007



Marketing Tip #1:

Print marketing can be tricky, because it is important that your print materials reflect you, your company and your show, but it is also important for these materials to be straightforward with the information they are providing. Here are some ideas and tips to keep in mind when you are creating your print materials with your designer: