Your digital program received 1,500 scans last weekend. Is that good? Maybe. It’s certainly a sign that people interacted with something. But by itself, that
Category: Marketing
A patron purchases four tickets to Saturday night’s performance. Your ticketing system knows the purchaser. It knows the transaction. It knows the seats. It may
For most of its history, the program book had one job: serve the patron sitting in the theater. Today, it has two. The first hasn’t
Most performing arts organizations don’t think of their program book as part of their marketing strategy. It’s a publication. A production deadline. A sponsor fulfillment
The program book is one of the highest-intent audience touchpoints your organization has. It reaches patrons at the exact moment they are most engaged: while
For years, arts marketing has been built around reach. Larger email lists. Broader audience segments. Wider geographic targeting. More campaigns designed to put the same
For many arts organizations, the CRM sits at the center of audience strategy. It holds ticket buyers, donor records, campaign history, and years of accumulated
Every year, arts organizations go through the same exercise. Surveys are drafted, distributed, and chased. Reports are compiled. Data is packaged for boards, funders, and
There’s only one audience segment that truly matters: people who have already bought your tickets. Everyone else, broad arts interests, 30-mile radiuses, “theater lover” demographics
Most performing arts organizations are still pouring precious marketing dollars into Facebook and Instagram ads built on the wrong foundation — broad “arts & culture”