I. Promotion

• Find theater bloggers and other promoters in your area. Offer them free tickets to productions to get them in the theater and reviewing the performances online. When they write reviews, create a link to their blogs so other people can see from an outside source how great your theater is.

• As soon as you get a list of bloggers in your area, start commenting on their blogs. Even if they are not writing about your theater, this will help you get your name out there. Always provide a link with each comment that leads readers back to your website. But remember, no one likes to hear unproductive information, so make sure your comments are useful.

• Sell merchandise on your website! This is a great way to let the fans of performances promote the theater for you. Creating t-shirts and other merchandise is one of the most profitable ways to market your theater.

• Link your theater’s home page to its MySpace page (or other networking page) and vice versa. This cross promotion will allow an easy flow of traffic between all sites and allows viewers to quickly find more information. Mention your website in your blogs and press releases.

• Market your website off-line too! Have your website listed on programs at performances, playbills, and announce it at shows during the curtain speech. Tell the audience what you have to offer (discounts, merchandise, behind the scenes action) and they will want to check it out.

II. Show Character!

• Literally, make a section for the characters in upcoming events! This allows fans a smidgen of information leading up to the show, sort of like a preview to a movie.

• Also, have a segment explicitly for the performers. This should be a biography including age, where they’re from, and their ideal roll. Even ask some bizarre questions, like “If you had to be any flavor of ice cream, what one would it be”. This allows them to show their personality and can make for some good laughs.

• The best way to provide an inside look on current and upcoming performers is to take pictures and videos of everything! Post all intriguing material on the website. Include rehearsals and cast parties along with the actual performances. This lets fans get the inside scoop of what theater is really like. Creating this bond between the performer and the viewer will make the audience feel more connected to the show, and will keep them coming back for future performances.

• Be creative! Make the website entertaining and interactive. The Altar Boyz have a website which includes a specialized video game along with an “Audience Confessions” section where fans can post any statement onto the site. Some other ideas may be individualized quizzes, blogs, and audio clips (especially if you are promoting a musical).

III. Create a Community

• To make it easy for fans to know about the updates on your website, have them sign up for email newsletters or an RSS feed. These will inform the subscriber of any new content that was added to the site, so they don’t have to manually check back for updates. The subscription or sign-up process should be as easy as possible, making it only one or two clicks away!

• Creating a chat room or forum page on your site is a must. Forums allow fans to have a common place to discuss various theater productions. Be sure to have these pages focused around the audience rather than the theater itself. This will make the fans come back regularly. To get some conversations going, add an “After Performance Thoughts” forum. This way, audience members who have just seen the show can tell others their thoughts and recommend it to others. A good forum will promote itself and in turn, promote the theater.

• Let fans become part of the theater community. Make it a club, where they can receive emails, newsletters, discounts on tickets, and special deals just for being members. Allow people to enter to win prizes (maybe an autograph from their favorite performer, or free tickets). Remember to make the sign-up process as simple as possible.

• Allow people to buy tickets from your site, or at least reserve tickets. This makes the buying processes easier for the viewers, and increases the traffic to your site. It also can allow you to get email addresses that you can utilize for your email newsletters.

• Let people contact you! Set up an email address solely for the theater in highly visible areas on your website. List the address in so that people can read but it spamming software cannot, such as theater(at)website(dot)com. Make sure to respond to any inquiries in a timely manner.

IV. Track

• Record traffic, discussions, and sales on your site. This will help gauge what performances were most appealing to customers and can give you ideas for future shows, blog discussions and promotions.

With these four tips and tricks for online promotion, your theater should be showing at full capacity in no time. For more ideas and expanding thoughts of these basic steps, visit other theater sites to see how they put them into action.

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Your band rocks. You know it rocks. You’ve found the sound to take to town. But these days, everything’s on the Internet, and if you want to share your music with the world, you need to be there too. Don’t worry! It doesn’t take a degree in Computer Science to get ahead online. If you can surf the Internet (and we know you can, or you wouldn’t be here) you can expand your fan base across the country and around the globe.

1. You Must Submit

• Websites like GarageBand and Kazaa let listeners enjoy totally free music. Tap this vast market by submitting your songs to online radios. You’re potentially reaching an audience greater than the biggest gig you’ve ever played, and you don’t even have to unload your equipment from the van. One upload covers you forever.

• Once your music reaches the masses, these sites will help you connect with your new fans. Most sites allow you to add links to your website or email newsletter, so that you can capitalize on the momentum of the moment. Music lovers hear your music for free, follow the links to your site, and become instant fans.

• Links make the Internet go ‘round. Post your own on comment boards, forums, and fan sites. Encourage your fans and groupies to post links, too. More links posted by more people in more places equal more search engine relevancy. Remember, a link is more than a URL and a name. Anchor text, with interesting descriptions, encourages people to click.

2. Give It Away Now

• Internet newcomers sometimes balk at offering free content, but what better advertisement is there? If listeners fall in love with one or two of your songs, they’ll be happy to pay to download the rest of the album. If they’ve never heard of you, what will compel them to spend money just to find out whether or not you’re any good? Free content is free publicity.

• Root your website in your own sound. You’re a band! When fans hit your home page, they need to hear your music. Use an audio encoding application to create MP3 files of the songs you want folks to hear. Then upload the file to your site, so that it’s easy for them to find and play high quality recordings of the music right then and there.

• Everyone loves freebies. Once you’ve got your fans’ attention, give them incentives to love you more. Create online contests or other ways for visitors to win free tickets or VIP Passes to your next show. Mail personalized postcards with images and track titles to anyone who downloads the album. All the extras help create a real bond with your fans.

3. If You’ve Got Something to Say, Why Don’t You Say It?

• The best way to stay in touch with the virtual community is to read and comment on other websites and blogs. If you know music, other musicians and bloggers want to hear your feedback on their work, and if you leave comments on blogs, other bloggers will follow you back to your site. Google Blog Search, Blogdigger, Bloggapedia, BlogTopList, Blog Catalog, and Outpost Earth can help you find your music community online.

• Keep it real by keeping your own blog with Blogger, WordPress, or LiveJournal. Stay in touch with your fans by giving updates on your band’s schedule, offering snippets of new songs, and providing juicy gossip about the music. Add links back to your website so fans can download music or sign up for your newletter. Read your fans’ comments, respond to them, and watch your network grow.

4. Reach Out and Touch Someone

• Social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace are a boon for bands of all sizes. These sites walk you through the creation of your own page, then help you find new and old fans among their existing members. Once you’ve built your page, you can post band news, add friends, customize your page, and get active in the music community.

• You put a lot of effort into that music video. Make sure it gets the audience it deserves.

• Post your videos for free on YouTube, Yahoo Video, and Google Video, and link them back to your website. There is literally no better way to find fame on the Internet than with a viral video—one that is so wonderful that everyone who sees it reposts the link and shares it with their friends.

• Join communities tailored to your genre. Find existing communities or create your own through MyBlogLog and Ning in addition to the other sites mentioned above. Joining these specific networks will help you stay in tune with the music world and find new fans and contacts to promote your band.

• Take it back to the real world. Once you’ve connected with your online community, you can start networking with posters hung in prominent locations or postcards sent to your mailing list. Just ask your fans if they want to receive mailings! You can use Ticket Printing’s Design Your Own tool to create publicity that will catch attention and connect you to your listeners.

So, start networking today! Spread your music and your influence far and wide across the Internet and watch your fan base grow.

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Promoting your theater online is an intensive process, but if well executed it can have huge payoffs.  There are 3 major topics that can cover online promotion effectively:

1. Press releases
2. Newsletters
3. Blogging

All of these areas have different functions so it is important to carefully think through what you would like to achieve with each. This series  takes an in-depth look at each of these major topics and gives techniques on how to improve their effectiveness so you can have the whole house coming back for more.

This first segment will increase the number of reviews for your theater’s performances by creating fabulous online content through press releases. The sole purpose of a press release is to charm an editor or reviewer to write about something that is happening with your theater. Topics may include a performance, additions to the theater, change in management, or public related events. There are some basic rules to know before writing and sending out your press release.

I.  Content
Because most press releases are posted on the web, it is a good idea to write with specific, keyword rich content. This will allow search engines, like Google, to place your press release higher on a list of search results. When writing your press release for keywords remember:

• Don’t be too general. You’ll get lost in the competition.
• Place the most important keywords in specific areas, like in the title and headers.
• Make readers your first priority.  If a keyword interrupts the reader experience it should be omitted.
• Include the location of your theater (city and state).

Also, include links to past press releases (if you have any), blogs, your website, pictures, videos, playbills, or even audio musical clips. Rich media connects readers and encourages interactive experience.

There are some things you must cover in a press release, but there are many things you also should stay way from. Follow the formatting guide below to get the basics of what you need to include in your press release.

II.  Formatting
Present only relevant information in your press release answering the following: who, what, where, when, and why. Press releases are also written in a specific format. An ideal press release should only be a page long. Normally, the information will fall in this order:

• Press release dates. This includes the day it was written, and the date you want it to be released.
• Headline. Usually this will be the name of the production and the author. Make sure to keep your headlines catchy because this will be the first thing they read.
• Body. Here will be a short description of what your theater is promoting.
• List of cast members (if applicable).
• Additional Information. This section is optional but may include awards and reviews, and cast pictures.
• Date, place, location (including area code), times of performances, and price.
• Contact information. Include at least phone number and email.
• ### or END. This signifies the end of your press release.

Below is an example of the top section of a theater’s press release for a musical comedy:

III.  Don’t be a Nuisance!
If a reviewer isn’t writing about you after you send them several press releases don’t waste any more time trying to persuade them. Instead, target reviewers who have an interest in the subject you’re announcing. When someone does write about your theater be courteous! Send them a sincere thank-you letter to encourage them to write again.  Also, consider sending your press release out to online press sites. They can help you optimize your distribution list.

Press releases have potential to create excellent public relations for your theater. With these tips for writing press releases you should be on your way to a full house. For more online promotional techniques for your theater, see the second segment of this series,

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1. There can be only one!

Your band is unique. Play your individuality up online. You’re real people with real messages for your fans. They want to know who you are. Add links talking about your history, including how you got together, your history and influences as a band, and personal biographies of every band member. Create new content available only on your site, like behind-the-scene photos and videos. All you need is a digital camera and someone to follow you around documenting your gig, rehearsal, or trip to the store to buy new guitar strings. Album artwork, upcoming performance schedules, lists of your favorite philosophers, and even snapshots of yourselves as small children all constitute high-interest content.

2. Talk to Me!

The Internet isn’t a one-way street. Once you start promoting yourself online, you need to provide an easy way for booking agents or promoters to reach you: your contact information. Don’t post your personal email address on the site unless you love unsolicited junk mail. Instead, designate an account just for band-related correspondence and post that information in a prominent place. If possible, make the “Contact Us” link a different color than the rest of the page. A corner of the page is a good place for this information. When you add this address, you can expect a certain amount of junk email to hit your inbox, but don’t worry! If spammers can find your site, so can real people. Services such as Gmail have excellent spam filters, and eventually your target audience will find you.

3. Feel the Love!

Toot your own horn. You’re musicians after all. Whenever your band makes the news or receives a positive review online, be sure you link to it so everyone sees how popular you are, and how people besides your mom think you’re great. Make sure to save these reviews to your hard drive, too. Sometimes sites fold or take down old content. You can always repost reviews (with permission and attributions) and other testimonials on your own pages. In addition, you can create an RSS feed so your fans can sign up to receive updates any time new content is posted on your website, blog, or news feed. When people are talking about you, that’s free publicity! Your website can turn up the volume on the buzz.

4. Right back at ya!

The Internet is all about community, and community means dialog. Give your fans that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from proximity to their idols by creating forums where fans can interact with each other and band members. Set up a message board where people can post questions or comments about the band or its performances, and make sure to answer those questions personally. If you can’t monitor these boards, find a host to interact with the community, set the overall mood of the forum, and ban trolls and other undesirables. You can even set up online chats during which fans can talk to the band online for an hour or so. This all helps to generate more positive press for you. You can cull the best of this information into testimonials reposted elsewhere on the site and use the contact with your fans to figure out what they want. If you can’t manage a forum or a board, keep a blog instead and write just for your fans. It’s an easy way to let folks comments and connect.

Stay tuned for part 2, in which we continue to reveal to you the awesome power of the Internet, the strength and beauty of your website, and the secret ninja skills of Web 2.0!

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This two part series shows schools how to gain the advantage of a technique used by many online marketers called Search Engine Optimization.  SEO is the practice of designing a website to include popular keywords and strategic linking structure in order to achieve a high ranking in search engine results, and drive traffic to a site.  Part one of the series will cover the importance of good SEO, as well as some search friendly website design tips.  Part two will include some tips, tools, and techniques for better keyword choice and placement, as well as link building strategies.

5 Reasons Schools Should Invest in SEO

1. The internet is now the leading form of communication.
2. Parents and youth trust the web as an immediate and relevant resource.  Most people look to the web when seeking out any form of information.
3. The internet opens parents up to many more options when considering schools, they expect more, and are harder to convince.
4. With more options available to them, parents are also more selective of where their limited funds go; they want to know how you can maximize their child’s potential.
5. Investing in search engine optimization is the most efficient and effective way to drive parents and potential students to your site and boost enrollment.

You may have a great web page but it doesn’t serve a point if no one is able to find it. Even if your school already has considerable traffic there may be a way to gain even higher online visibility. The following techniques are an inexpensive way to gain a significant advantage over larger, well-funded schools.  In general SEO has three main components: search friendly web site design, keyword selection and placement, and link building.

Website Design

One of the most challenging aspects of SEO is finding a balance between including valuable and visually appealing content that keeps visitors engaged, and successful search engine optimization.

3 Quick SEO Friendly Web Site Design Tips

1. Limit Rich Media Content – While rich media content may be visually attractive to visitors it should be used with caution. Search engines work best with text and it is often difficult for them to effectively crawl frames and java content.  This makes it much more difficult to achieve a high ranking among search engines.  If it does not directly promote the benefits of your school it is a good idea to leave it out.  You must also consider that many visitors have a slow internet connection and will become frustrated while waiting for pages to load.  The tradeoff is ultimately up to you. The good news is that this technology is constantly improving as search engines become better at identifying information embedded in flash and java content.  There are ways flash content can be optimized for search, and a larger percentage of the population continues to obtain high speed internet connections. As a general rule it is best to stay knowledgeable of advancements and to balance new advances with traditional, proven, techniques.  It won’t be long before your school’s website can have the best of both worlds.
2. Use Sitemaps – Each page you build should link back to the site map, in addition to the homepage.  This makes it much easier for search engines to find all pages on your site and index them regularly.  If your site includes more than 100 pages than you should create additional site maps that all link to a master site map.  A link to the master site map should be located on each page of your website.
3. Use Silos – School websites tend to host pages with many different themes, such as, sports, student activities, teacher pages, etc; this has the potential to confuse search engines. A silo creates a directory that is connected to your general site concept (your school) but is also isolated around a theme (sports, drama).

Example:
Yourschool.com/sports/football.html
Yourschool.com/sports /volleyball.html
Yourschool.com/sports /soccer.html
Yourschool.com/sports /wrestling.html

Doing this will increase the chances that your site will be ranked for general keywords (schools) but it will also be ranked for more specific keywords (high school football teams). A good place for more information on creating silos would be Bruceclay.com.

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But with all the online tools available, it can be a bit overwhelming for nonprofits who often have limited time and resources to even know where to begin. This series will help you sift through the online opportunities that exist for nonprofits and provide a simplified, manageable view. Six distinct online channels have been identified and are discussed further in this guide. Each portion of the series will focus on a single topic and discuss how your nonprofit can leverage the web to better your nonprofit organization. Topics to be discussed include:

1. Social Networking
2. Online Auctions
3. Email Campaigns
4. Wiki Pages and Event Calendars
5. Blogs

1. Social Networking

Social networks facilitate those with similar interests or who are interested in understanding others interests to interact with one another. Why are they so important to your nonprofit organization? Each social “connection” forms a vast network of users who can share information instantly with each other…Its word of mouth at high speeds. The days of blindly blasting messages into the web hoping someone, somewhere would listen are over. Nonprofits which truly become involved and interact in social networks can share information about their cause to those who have expressed interest in your cause. Not only will you be marketing your cause to those who care, but they can also effortlessly market for you to their own network. Before we look at which social network(s) is right for your nonprofit, let’s discuss the basics of interacting with others on a network.

Create a Profile
To get started on a social network, you will need to create a profile for yourself and/or your company. For most nonprofit organizations a profile for the organization will be the best choice, although starting an individual profile can be a good way to get to know the social network. As a rule remember that members of social networks value being open and honest and do not take well to companies or organizations misrepresenting themselves. So be sure that if you choose to have an individual profile it is really you represented and not your organization masquerading as you! Something else to remember is that setting up a profile is not a one-time chore but rather an ongoing process. To create a truly viral campaign that spreads throughout the network, create a profile that is compelling, fresh, catchy, and ultimately makes others want to share. You want to make a good first impression, so think about what will be on your profile before you begin adding friends.

Connect with People
To make your profile relevant, you will need to establish a network of supporters who are willing to discuss and share about your organization. The easiest way to begin finding online “friends” is to first look to your close real-world supporters such as organization members. Encourage them to connect with your profile and to invite others they feel would add to the network. Remember people will value your online relationship more if you are active and respond often and in a timely manner.

Connect with Groups
At some point however, you will likely need to reach more people by becoming involved in online groups. Groups allow users to express and share their interests and passions with others within the online network. With millions of users, social networks have groups for almost any imaginable purpose. For instance, if you are looking for those who support fighting breast cancer you could choose from one of more than 177,000 groups found on MySpace alone (MySpace 8/21/08). Groups are also a good way to stay up to date on the happenings relevant to your cause. Become personally involved, interact, and establish your network.

Set up a Charity Badge
Charity badges allow you to create a tangible online link that connects your awareness campaign with your fundraising. After you have created a profile and established a network, you are ready to utilize a charity badge. If you are not familiar with charity badges, they are basically online widgets that can be easily copied and shared with others. So these small pieces of code can be transferred effortlessly throughout your online network. Badges will often include a brief description, fundraising goal and progress, and a button to assist in a quick, easy donation. The image shown to the left is an example of a charity badge powered by the Network for Good.

When using a charity badge remember the following tips:

1. Make your fundraising goal reasonable.
2. Begin with a small success in mind and work your way up.
3. Place your badge on your website, blog and anywhere else you possibly can!
4. Send thank you emails!

Selecting a Social Network
Wikipedia’s full list of social networks may prove to be a bit overwhelming. When selecting a social network be sure to consider who your audience is. It may seem like the best idea to join the social network with the most users; however you want to target individuals who share passion for your cause. This task may prove easier on smaller, niche audience networks. This will translate into a better return on the time invested.

Popular Non-Profit Social Networks

• Change.org – Change.org is a social network dedicated solely to nonprofits and individuals with a specific cause. Unlike many social networks, where the primary purpose is basic interaction, Change.org is designed as a facilitator for users to: Connect, Take action, Donate.
• Care2 – Approaching nearly 10 million strong, this is an incredible platform to create lasting relationships with people who share similar goals. This website allows users to start petitions, groups, post news stories, and create blogs all relating to a specific area of interest.
• Squidoo- Squidoo is a unique social network site; it allows each user to create his/her own “lens” which is basically a single web page (much like a profile). Creators use this one page to describe their passion or interest. Unlike other social networking sites, the purpose of Squidoo is to spark readers’ interest in a certain topic and then direct them via links, videos etc. to further information elsewhere on the web. Another unique element of Squidoo is that it does not require those viewing your page to be a member and boasts an average 11 million viewers a month.

Popular Social Networks

• Facebook - Facebook is one of the largest social networking sites and has a strong following with college aged students. While not the appropriate platform for all nonprofit organizations, it can be an effective way to attract an audience of generally active young adults. However, Facebook claims that currently their fastest growing demographic is those 30 years old and older.
• MySpace – MySpace users interact via pictures, video, blogs, forums and more and often create groups based on common interests. As of August 22, 2008 there were 24,144 nonprofit and philanthropic groups. MySpace pages are also easily “crawled” by search engines, so it will help you gain ranking in search engine results.
• LinkedIn- While LinkedIn is not one of the top largest social network sites it is a great resource for your business. LinkedIn is designed to facilitate professional relationships between business men and women and also a great place to give and receive advice in regards to your organizations operations.

As a final thought, be sure to build your social network before you need it. Asking for donations write as you become someone’s friend is a good way to lose an online friend. Gain rapport with your online community by consistently updating your pages with new content. Also have a designated person who will take the time to accept friend requests, post comments groups and other people’s pages and invite others to become friends. The more people feel you care about them; the more they will care about your cause.

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• Ticket Sales
• Tracking
• Participation
• Donations
• Awareness

There is no single sure-fire way to overcome these challenges but there are several resources and techniques available to help your organization rise above.

1.  Ticket Sales: By far, the #1 most difficult task reported was the ability to sell tickets. Different people have different tastes in prizes. Make sure your prizes make sense for your organization and your potential ticket purchasers.  For instance, if your prize is a hunting package, you probably shouldn’t go to animal rights organizations to sell tickets. However, you should go to local businesses, communities, and don’t forget to ask family and friends. Remember, people will buy more tickets if you promote your cause in an interesting and fun way. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Early bird pricing: Have a special low price in the early stages of selling tickets. People love to know they are getting a good deal and will be more likely to buy.

• Special deals: Find creative ways to give deals to customers. For example, offer $40 for as many tickets they can fit once around their head, waist, neck, etc…

• Dunk, throw pies, or cut hair: Along with your prizes, get a well known local celebrity (the school’s principal or football team’s coach) and sell tickets for a chance (or multiple chances) to dunk the principal, throw a pie, or cut the football coach’s hair in any way they like.  Don’t forget to invite the newspaper.  Advertise on your website, local radio, public events, newspapers, and at local business.

• Prizes for sellers: Giving awards for most tickets sold, most hours put in, or best attitude will give ticket sellers a goal.

It is also important that the buyer knows why you are selling tickets in the first place.  Have your sellers come up with an enthusiastic sales pitch. Include your organization name and purpose, try to address common questions before they have been asked, and be sure to actually request the listener to make a purchase. It is easy to make your pitch too long, keep it short and sweet so you don’t loose their attention.

2.  Tracking: The next difficult task is tracking tickets. Ticketprinting.com’s survey reported that 19% of nonprofits did not record ticket sales in any way. Tracking is important for legal reasons because the government requires all nonprofits report the outcomes of their raffles. Accurate tracking can also be used to create a database of potential customers for your next raffle. Microsoft Excel was nonprofits’ favorite program for tracking, with 43% of all respondents using the program.  Record everything! This includes names, relation to seller, phone number, email, dates, ticket numbers, etc…Excel allows you to easily set up a spreadsheet with all the required information. If you set up your spreadsheet correctly, it can be used over and over again.  Below is an example of what a typical recording spreadsheet looks like in Excel:

For those that are more web savvy, consider using Google Docs in conjunction with your Excel (or other) worksheet.  Google Docs allows you to upload a file (in this case the tracking spreadsheet), and then share the file with anyone you invite to join.  Those invited can make live changes to the file.  This is useful for raffle tracking because sellers can update the tracking spreadsheet with their current sales progress in real time and one person is not responsible for all recording duties.

3.  Participation: Because most raffle events are put on by volunteers exclusively, it may be hard to find reliable support for your event. People can’t help if they don’t know, so tell everyone about your opportunity. Joining online networks specifically for volunteering is an excellent way to connect your organization with people who are ready and willing to help in your area. When getting volunteers, remember you have to make it convenient for them. According to volunteermatch.org, 89% of volunteers think it is important for volunteering to fit into their schedule and 80% also found it important to understand their expectations.  Tell them what they need to do! Idle volunteers probably won’t come back. Always show your appreciation by following up with thank-you letters.

4.  Donations: Finding the right prizes is the first step in initiating a successful raffle. There are many online sites that businesses and individuals visit to donate. Sign up for one today and start receiving donations.  Also, ask local business because they often are willing to give back to the community that supports them.

5.  Awareness: The most effective way to create awareness for a raffle is through word of mouth. Promote your raffle through your website, newsletters, email, TV, and meetings. Tell everyone about your raffle and ask them to do the same. 63% of the respondents in TicketPrinting.com’s survey said they hold raffles in conjunction with a major happening such as a dinner or a sporting event. This will get more people involved in your raffle because it is a natural and fun activity to participate in at a large event.
Although raffles are challenging, they are highly rewarding. By following these tips and tricks, you will have a more efficient, meaningful, and successful raffles for your organization.

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On Your Mark…

It is important to plan all aspects of your raffle beforehand to make sure you will reach your goals. Prepare for everything! Above nothing else, have the following sorted out to perfection:

• Prizes: Know what prizes you are raffling. Whether they are donated or you had to invest in some yourself, it is beneficial to have them before you start selling tickets. Prizes are one of the top factors in a successful raffle. There are a number of ways to obtain great tickets for your event, but the ticket pricing should reflect the perceived value of your prizes; not your costs.

• Volunteers/organizers: Make sure everyone knows their job by assigning tasks and positions. Set up group leaders to manage your various tasks, like ticket selling.

• Ticket sales process: Know how you will track your ticket sales! Whether it is by hand, on the web, or by an Excel spreadsheet, record everything. Analyzing this data can determine what needs to be improved, what areas you are doing well at, and perspective buyers for your next raffle.

Get Set…

An essential yet very difficult task in directing a raffle is managing the people involved. Most raffles are organized and managed solely by volunteers, or a mix of volunteers and the organization members. This means you have to get people motivated. As you probably already know, this is easier said than done. The top motivator for volunteers is to make it clear they are helping a great cause. Let everyone know your organizations purpose and tell them how their work will specifically help the organization reach its’ goals. Give updates on how the event is going and keep everyone informed.

From TicketPrinting.com’s survey, we found there are two very different approaches to getting volunteers involved in the ticket sales process. The first, and most popular approach, is to have prizes or awards for sellers with the greatest number of tickets sold (prizes for best attitude, hardest worker, etc. were also given in many situations). Conversely, the other option is to have sellers take only as many tickets as they think they can sell. Then, if all their tickets are not sold the specified deadline, they will have to purchase their remaining tickets. Whichever method you choose, remember to keep all volunteers busy and make them feel like they are making a difference!

GO!

As mentioned, tracking and recording sales is an essential part of hosting a raffle. Doing a poor job of tracking opens the doors for legal repercussions. According to our recent survey of over 200 nonprofit organizations, a surprising 19% had no tracking system at all. To effectively track ticket sales, you must at minimum record the seller/buyer’s name, amount sold, price, location, ticket numbers, and dates. You can track sales by hand, use an Excel spreadsheet, or invest in an online program. For those looking for a more inexpensive and simple tracking system, consider setting up a Microsoft Office template. The key to templates is to make them reusable, saving you the time of reproducing documents.

Now that you know the essentials in managing a raffle, put this knowledge to use! Raffles are great fundraisers and can have a real impact on your organization. The more time you put in before the raffle, the more likely you will be able to handle any unexpected setbacks. Following these steps will help ensure a smooth raffle and give you confidence for future events.

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• Be yourself: Show your (or the characters’) personality. Make your page unique to your persona.  The more someone can relate to you the more likely they will be interested in the theater.

• Cross link: Create a link from your website to your social networking sites and vise versa.  If you have more than one networking site, link those together too.

• Join Groups: Join as many relevant groups as you can. This will help get your name out there.

• Find Friends: But, don’t add everybody!  Only keep the ones that are related.  Other theaters, fans, and connected characters are great.

• TALK! Get your name out there by leaving purposeful and genuine comments on other profiles and blogs whenever possible. Aways respond back in a timely manner.

Now that you have the basics in socializing skills, let’s take a look at these sites to determine how to use them to their fullest abilities.

This not-for-profit group “Increases the organizational efficiency of member theatres”.  The site is dedicated to the more professional side of theater.  They offer many benefits including:

• Grants for theaters, directors, writers, and actors every year.

• Professional development programs for management, as well as career workshops for artists.

• Advocacy guides to allow the most recent information of “federal legislation regulations and other significant government opportunities and issues” that deal with the theater industry.

• Job postings where theaters can advertise openings for various positions.

• Publications in the American Theatre magazine where many articles and advertisements for individual theaters can be promoted.

This professional networking site facilitates interaction within industries.  Here, your theater can search for cast members, stay in touch with other industry professionals, and:

• Research job applicants and get “recommendations” from past employers, colleges, and interviewers.

• Cross reference your web site onto LinkedIn so other members can view important information like performance and casting call dates.

Ning has custom social networks for nearly any topic, and almost 100 networks for theater related groups.  Here you can create your own network and join many others.

• When you have a custom network you can add videos, pictures, blogs, and forums for members of your network to comment on.

• Place your own advertisements on your page. This is a cheep ($20/month) way to promote upcoming events that many members will see.

These sites are ideal to promote your theaters performances through videos and pictures.  If you have an extremely good video, it will gain quick popularity or become viral.  This in turn will promote your theater.

• Also consider submitting material to other social bookmarking sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon, Technorati, and Del.ico.us to get your name out in the digital world.  Consider a video blog or podcast at these sites. Include behind the scenes material. Give viewers a taste of what it is like to be a part of the theater production.

• At the end of your videos/albums make sure to give them information on how to get tickets and more information (most likely linking them back to your website).

These networking sites are less formal and are open to everyone. A great way to promote your theater and its well-known productions is to make a networking profile for the characters as well as the theater itself. These two sites are great for promotion because they can really let your personality shine Consider using these sites for your popular characters too. Here are some techniques for individualizing your pages:

• Add a backgroundthat relates to the profile you are promoting. Have a picture of the character for their profile picture if you are on the character’s page, and of the theater, or its logo, on your theater’s page.
• Remember to cross reference! Link your website to your MySpace and vise versa. Some other add-ins can be photo albums, blogs, notes, quizzes (for the character’s page) and personalized layouts. Definitely write a blog for your theater’s page. A good blog will create interesting conversation and do it’s own advertising for the theater. The more interactive the better!

• Add music and videos. These clips will serve as a preview for performances, intriguing the listener to come to your theater to see the rest of the show. They can be easily embedded into your page through MySpace with MySpace TV or YouTube. There are many applications for Facebook, like YouTube Video Box, AdGabber, and iLike.

• Use a calendar. This updates everyone on performance dates and other fundraisers or parties. MySpace comes with a calendar application and Facebook has many you can use, such as Jotlet or My Google Calendar

• Join groups, or create your own. This will allow people in your local area to join and discuss various theater topics.

This is an ideal social network for any character or cast member who has a blog to join because it allows a person to share what they are doing and see what other people are doing at any moment through cell phones, blogs, and instant messaging.

· Update your account through your cell phone. Here you can tell your friends what you are doing through your phone and receive updates about your friends instantly.
· Provide a link of your Twitter blog to you other networking sites. Because Twitter uses widgets , it will allow all your other pages that allow widgets to be updated simultaneously.

This is an ideal social network for any character or cast member who has a blog to join because it allows a person to share what they are doing and see what other people are doing at any moment through cell phones, blogs, and instant messaging.
· Update your account through your cell phone. Here you can tell your friends what you are doing through your phone and receive updates about your friends instantly.
· Provide a link of your Twitter blog to you other networking sites. Because Twitter uses widgets, it will allow all your other pages that allow widgets to be updated simultaneously.

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Costs: As with all distributors on or offline, you will probably have to invest some dough to get started. Costs may include:

• Startup fees or subscriptions: Most companies require either a one-time fee, monthly subscription, or a yearly membership fee. These vary greatly per company but boil down anywhere from $30-$480 a year because of the extra services that come included with the higher priced companies.

• Cut: For every physical CD it is common for a distributor to take at least $3-4. Percentage cuts of your sales are another common way for distributors to redeem money. If it is a more reputable company, like Amazon, it could be a percentage cut up to 55%, or as low as 9% from sites like CDBaby.

• Uploading Fees: Not all organizations have subscription fees, some charge a fee per song you upload to their site. This usually costs about $10 per 100 MB (about 25 songs).

Services: It is important to note that you will probably get what you pay for. The prices of online distributors vary greatly based on size, and the services they offer. Below is a quick summary of the different services online distributors can provide.

• CD/Digital Sales: Some distributors only offer CD sales; while others only sell your digital music, and some do both. Read the fine print and make sure you know what you are getting. Be aware that you may have to do the shipping if you are selling actual CDs.

• Protection: Some sites are not protected from malicious attackers. Make sure the business you choose has some sort of spyware protection.

• Connections: Some services connect with other big sites, like Rhapsody, iTunes, and even Amazon.

• Community networks: Most online distributors allow a community of artists, listeners, and other music buffs to join in on discussions, listen/critique music, and network.

• Additional services: Some sites go as far as giving their members tutorials, press kit builders, communication kits, sales reports, and contact lists. Of course, these always cost a little extra.

Watch out! There are thousands of distribution sites out there, but only a select few are actually qualified to do the work. Double check to make sure the site you choose is providing all the services you want it to. Here are some things to look out for:

• Specific areas and genre: This may be a benefit if you only want to target people in your local area, or that are interested in a specific music type. Just keep in mind that you will be subject to a smaller audience.

• Uploading music: Different sites will have different methods of uploading music. You will need some computer skills to be able to do this successfully.

• Shipping: Some sites focus only on promoting and selling your music, and make you ship your own CDs. If you go this route, it’s important to make sure you have time allotted for shipping your music.

• Promotion: Many sites only make your music available for purchase, and won’t help with the promotional aspects of distribution.

Now that you have an idea of what to expect from an online music distribution site, take-a-look at some of these popular music distribution services and see which one works for you.

• Amazon: This is the #1 seller of online independent CDs on the internet today.  With millions of visitors a day, your product will be seen next to many mainstream artists.  The Advantage program allows you to add as many CDs, videos, or books as you like for a yearly fee of $29.95. You also get a short bio page including pictures and sound clips.  They take care of returns at their cost.  Amazon will do all the shipping, but you pay for the charges.  Because Amazon is a highly visible site, there is a higher cost in commission rates.  You set your retail price and keep 45% of your sales.  Keep in mind that you will need to generate a UPC code for your CDs.

• CDBaby is the #2 seller of online music.  You can think of them as an exclusive online music store selling CDs and digital music.  CDBaby has the capability to connect you to iTunes Music Store, and Rhapsody.  They also have a “mini-store” page for your band on their site.  You can sell your CDs for however much you like, they charge $35 to sign up, keep $4 of every CD sold, and 9% of every mp3 sold.  To start all you have to do is pay the sign-up  fee, and ship them four professional looking CDs.

• CDPulse: Like CDBaby, CDPulse allows you to sell both mp3s and CDs.  They also provide a mini-site for your band where you can connect with fans.  They do all the shipping for you, and you will receive daily/monthly sales reports.  Plus, many venues sign up to recruit here so you can easily get gigs in your area.  There are no costs to sign up, but they do keep $4 for every CD sold at your chosen price, and you get .60 cents for every mp3 sold.  Pay an additional $9.95 per month for additional features like broadcasting of your shows.

• Artistopia believes in aiding an artist by helping them sign with a label and connect with the music industry. They have a free membership plan where artists can list 1 album, upload 3 songs, post press releases, add 3 pictures, distribute newsletters, and gain access to other communication and messaging tools.  They also offers a professional plan where you get all the aspects of the free plan, can upload an unlimited amount of songs and pictures, and gain access to great artist management and marketing tools for a one-time payment of $99.95.

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