Wendi’s Perspective on Internet Marketing for Theatres
I’ve summed up a few key points on making productive use of the internet after reading an article entitled “Producers Use the Web to Romance Audience and Bring Them Back” in the July 9, 2006, New York Times. The key is not to overuse the internet but instead tol make the internet work for you. As outlined in the article, minimal investment, maximum research, targeted marketing and technology can fill a theatre.
- Make use of Interest Groups
- Primarily a traditional marketing feature, this component is combined with a technological solution to target specific groups who attend performances.
- According to the article, “The Color Purple” is introducing a Web campaign called “Organize Your Group” to help families, schools, gospel choirs and churches arrange theatergoing “reunions”; an earlier form of this program has already referred more than 100,000 people to the show.
- In addition, “Avenue Q” offered discounts to people who visited its Web site. The email blast to 20,000 e-mail addresses netted $40,000 in sales with negligible costs.
· Send personalized follow up emails sent the following business day
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- The “Altar Boyz” sent a personal email message to attendees the Monday after the show. People apparently pay attention to them because they come across as personal and interactive.
- Use caution with Email Blasts. A good analogy would be weekly grocery flyers: recipients don’t sign up for them, so they throw them away without checking the contents. Overuse can kill a campaign.
· Use search engineso The majority of Web users make use of search engines to find what they’re looking for online, thereby making search engines a portal for businesses that want to attract their target audience for low cost.o Optimized your site for search engines. Keywords, HTML structure and organization are integral for search engine spiders to locate and list your site in a prominent manner.· Blog Coverage is persuasive
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- Like several other productions, “The Wedding Singer” offered free seats to the authors of various New York City-based blogs, hoping they would write about the experience if they liked it
- The Commercial Appeal has a community blog base (the Memphis Scene) from which the Orpheum could benefit.
- Analyze web traffic and drive customers to the website
- Make use of subscriber email addresses, measure website traffic and monitor user patterns as they develop and change. Your website provider can acquire traffic and path tracking analyses. If they don’t, invest in a package that does – InSite, Click Tracks and WebTrends are good products.
· Interactive Advertising can be a good investmento According to the article, a four-month Google ad campaign ran for “Doubt” cost about $15,000 and sold more than $400,000 worth of tickets.o The CA, MBJ, WKNO and various local media offer reasonable ad space.· Partner for Ad Space with Vendors
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- Hopstop, an online transit guide company partnered with Internet marketing firm Situation Marketing to deliver Broadway show ads to its website visitors. Hopstop provides mass transit and walking directions between points in the city and delivers ads based on the destination. In return, Situation uses HopStop services on Broadway sites.
- Make use of Podcasts - more folks carry Ipods than you think
- Using RSS feeds to direct users to upcoming events. Syndication is a cost-effective way to increase awareness of your content and brand, drive traffic to your site, and serve your existing readers. CNN, Christian Science Monitor, Time Magazine, The New York Times, and CNet’s News.com use RSS to syndicate headlines and summaries
- Many broadway productions, including “RENT” and “Jersey Boys,” have podcasts. Linking to those podcasts would enable your audience access to interviews and video footage.
Wendi Recommends (because she used them at Methodist Healthcare)
- · QuadraMail – email blast service
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· WebTrends – path tracking website analysis tool
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· SLP 3D – streaming media (live casts and on demand)
