Social Media for your Performing Arts Marketing Plan – Part One: An Intro to the Realm of Social Media

As previously mentioned, social media platforms are powerful marketing tools BUT your use can never be just about the marketing. Followers don’t like to be constantly bombarded with event invitations and “me, me, me!” content. Your organization must take into account that social media platforms do require you to be social! Enjoy the interaction and serendipitous connections that make social media platforms so popular in the first place!

Sharing is Caring

Provide your followers with useful, relevant industry-specific information. Director of Actor Expo Trade Show, Remi O, suggests using the “80/20 Rule”; for every two messages that you post about yourself or your organization, share eight messages, articles or other relevant content from someone else. This helps you to build trust between you and your followers, as well as a friendly community atmosphere.

Surveys are showing that social media is continuing to evolve as an educational outlet for prospective arts and cultures audiences. According to a recent study conducted by The Strategic Counsel, Canadians with an interest in arts and culture reported that social media has:

• Exposed them to new artists, arts or cultural organizations (55%)
• Increased their interest in attending an event (48%)
• Increased their interest in an artist, arts or cultural organization (32%)
• Led them to attend an arts or cultural event (39%)

While these numbers relate to only a small sample group of 500 Canadians, this information is relevant to you and your organization in that it shows current trends regarding where audiences are turning to find information about arts and cultural events. People around the globe are using social media as a tool to learn more about what’s going on around them. Social media isn’t going away anytime soon, so its time for your organization to join the conversation and include this fantastic tool in your performing arts marketing plan!

Stay tuned for future installments in the “Social Media Marketing for Your Performing Arts Marketing Plan” series. Up next will be a focused look at Facebook!