The holiday season is one of the busiest and most magical times of the year for performing arts organizations. Patrons flock to festive performances, drawn by the promise of seasonal classics and new holiday traditions. But beyond the music and storytelling, there’s an opportunity to elevate their experience even further—with a thoughtfully designed, interactive digital program book.
Your digital program can be more than an informational tool. It can create a festive atmosphere, engage audiences in meaningful ways, and even drive critical year-end fundraising. Here’s how you can use holiday-themed design, exclusive content, and built-in donation features to create an unforgettable experience for your patrons this season.
1. Holiday-Themed Design Tips
The visual appeal of your digital program sets the tone for your holiday performance. A festive design not only enhances the patron’s experience but also helps create a stronger emotional connection to the event.
- Use Holiday Colors and Graphics: Incorporate seasonal hues like red, green, gold, or icy blues to reflect the spirit of the holidays. Simple touches like snowflakes, holly, or sparkling ornaments can frame your content beautifully without overwhelming the design.
- Playful Fonts with Readability: Opt for festive fonts for headers and callouts, while keeping the main text clean and legible.
- Interactive Elements: Add animated touches or clickable holiday-themed graphics, like snowflakes that reveal messages or links to exclusive content.
These design enhancements will make your program not just informative but visually memorable, creating a sense of festivity that complements the performance itself.
2. Exclusive Holiday Content
One of the key advantages of digital programs is the ability to include content that goes beyond what printed programs can offer. The holiday season is the perfect time to give your audience something extra to enjoy.
- Behind-the-Scenes Videos: Share clips of rehearsals, cast holiday preparations, or interviews with performers about their favorite holiday traditions.
- Personal Greetings: Include messages from your artistic director or performers, thanking patrons for their support and wishing them happy holidays.
- Holiday Playlists: Curate a playlist featuring music from the performance or other festive tracks to keep the holiday spirit alive after the curtain falls.
- Interactive Features: Add holiday trivia quizzes or polls, such as “What’s your favorite holiday song?” to engage audiences in a fun, participatory way.
These elements not only entertain but also strengthen the emotional connection between your audience and your organization.
3. Fundraising Made Easy
The holiday season is an ideal time for fundraising. Many patrons feel inspired to give back during the holidays, making it the perfect opportunity to integrate donation requests into your digital program.
- Simple Donation Tools: Include a prominent Donate Now button in multiple sections of your program. With Audience Access, donation buttons are seamlessly integrated with Stripe, making the donation process simple and secure. Patrons can give directly through a user-friendly donation page with just a few clicks, ensuring a frictionless experience that encourages generosity during the holiday season.
- Holiday Campaigns: Create specific campaigns, like “Support the Arts This Holiday Season” or “Help Fund Next Year’s Holiday Classics.”
- Stories of Impact: Share how previous donations have made a difference for your organization, whether by supporting performers, funding new productions, or offering community programs.
Audience Access digital programs make giving seamless and accessible, helping your organization meet its year-end fundraising goals without disrupting the patron experience.
4. Highlight Upcoming Seasonal Events
Holiday performances often bring in first-time or one-time attendees who are new to your organization. This is a prime opportunity to turn them into regular patrons.
- Promote Future Events: Include links to upcoming performances, such as New Year’s concerts or spring productions, with a simple “Buy Tickets” button.
- Exclusive Offers: Offer special incentives, like discounts on upcoming shows or pre-sale access to next season’s subscription packages.
- Create Anticipation: Tease next season’s line-up with engaging content or behind-the-scenes glimpses of what’s in store.
By strategically using your digital program to cross-promote future events, you can encourage holiday attendees to return for more performances, building a loyal audience base.
5. Memorable Call-to-Actions
Every festive digital program should have clear, actionable steps for your patrons. Whether it’s engaging with exclusive content, donating, or purchasing tickets for future events, your CTAs should guide patrons toward deeper connections with your organization.
- Engagement CTAs: “Click here to share your favorite holiday moment with us on social media!” or “Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive content year-round.”
- Fundraising CTAs: “Help us keep the magic alive! Donate today and support the arts this holiday season.”
- Loyalty CTAs: “Reserve your seat for next season! Get early access to tickets for our upcoming performances.”
With the right CTAs, you can ensure that your digital program doesn’t just inform—it inspires action.
Conclusion
The holidays are a time for joy, generosity, and connection—and your digital program can embody all of these qualities. By embracing festive designs, exclusive content, and seamless donation tools, you’ll create an experience that patrons will remember long after the holidays have passed. Not only will this enhance the audience experience, but it will also support your organization’s goals for engagement, fundraising, and audience growth.
Ready to bring your holiday digital program to life? Start with Audience Access, the #1 digital program for the performing arts. From festive designs to built-in donation features, Audience Access makes it easy to create a memorable experience that delights your patrons and supports your mission. Get started today!
