From print to radio, from television to the internet, the medium for selling event tickets seems to be ever evolving.While the internet appears to be the frontier of the future, the focus has shifted from traditional web advertising.Promoting your event tickets through a web site is still essential, yes, but now it’s a part of a larger movement, that of social media marketing.
Aside from being fairly easy to implement, social media marketing is also extremely inexpensive.No matter the cost, though, you want to get a return on your investment, be it money or time.Here are a few aspects to focus on when using social media marketing to sell your event tickets:
·Frequency
·Interaction
·Quantity vs. Quality
·Integration
These four items are key to being successful as you jump into the world of social media.
Like Clockwork
Part of the appeal of using social media platforms for marketing is the frequency with which you can send out your message.Web users are constantly looking for new information, and sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter allow you to give them that information.You need to mention your event tickets as frequently as possible, so your promotion doesn’t get lost in the constant information stream.
Remember, all news is important in the social media world.If you’ve just designed your event tickets, mention it online.Even if you’ve just started considering what your event tickets should look like, bring that up.Frequent updates engage your audience and make the process more personal, no matter how tiny the detail might be.
A Part of the Team
The internet allows you to interact with your audience like no other medium and social media sites take this to the next level.That germ of an idea for the design of your event tickets?See what your audience thinks.Invite them into the process.You don’t have to listen to their suggestions; you just have to ask for them.The simple act of listening to your audience will draw them in.
Get them talking.Allow comments on your posts on sites like Blogger and WordPress.Create a posting board.Encourage discussion on every aspect of your event, from the aforementioned event tickets to reviews afterwards.Getting them to come back for updates is great, but getting them to come back because they want to interact is even better.
Playing the Odds
When promoting your event tickets online, try to cast as wide of a net as possible. Networking can spread like wildfire, as one connections links you to another who links you to another and so on.Your target demographic for event tickets is simply your first audience, but they are certainly not your last.Once you connect with them, you can expect your message to spread.
If you’re creating compelling content about your event tickets, your updates will get passed along from person to person, and suddenly a link to your site is popping up everywhere.This makes up your expanded audience, those who end up visiting your site and investigating your event tickets because they saw a link somewhere.
It’s the grapevine of the 21st century!
Headquarters
It is absolutely essential that, while promoting your event tickets, you have all of your online interactions point back to your web site.Your latest status update may be interesting enough to gain you new fans, but unless they are following you back to your web site, it won’t translate into event ticket sales.
The process works both ways.It easier than ever to imbed your social media updates into your web site.You want to make sure that anyone who comes to your site directly can also follow you through other sites.Once they add you as a friend or a follower, they indirectly become a part of your marketing team!
Social media marketing is a cost effective, high traffic way of selling more of your event tickets.With just a little bit of time and effort, you can receive a big return on your small investment!
They say the best things in life are free, and they might be right, particularly when it comes to generating interest in an event.Strictly from a business standpoint, giving away your product could seem counterproductive.But giving away your event tickets can actually increase your sales, if handled correctly.
There are three, basic ways to look at giveaways:
·Free event tickets on their own
·Free event tickets paired with products
·Free event tickets in addition to purchased event tickets
All three of these options offer challenges, but they also offer opportunities which can result in unique moments for promotion.
Confidence Sells
In general, giving away event tickets on their own proves most beneficial if you’re planningaseriesofevents.The idea is that getting potential audience members to come to one event will be enough to convince them to come back again, this time at full admission price.
Make sure you consider how you’re going to give away free event tickets.This is a promotion, after all, so you want to reach your target demographic.If you’re holding a celebrity softball game, then give away those event tickets at something like the local minor league baseball game.Finding a connection between your event and the venue for your ticket giveaway allows you the greatest chance of success.
Remember, giving away your event tickets is all about confidence.You are tell your audience that you feel strongly enough about the quality of your product to give them the first event for free.It’s important to tell them that.Consider promotional slogans along the line of “you’ll love it so much, you’ll come back again!”You need to plant the return business seed into their heads right off the bat, because that’s what event ticket giveaways is all about.
A Match Made In Heaven
There are two types of giveaways connected to products: broad and focused.Broad giveaways involve products that regularly sell in large quantities and are readily available to the average consumer.Focused giveaways involve specific products that relate either to your event or to the audience you’re trying to capture.
Which method to choose?Well, that depends on your event.If you’re planning something with broad appeal, than attaching event ticket giveaways to a high visibility product can be successful.If your event falls into a smaller niche, then target specific products.For example, if you’re holding a concert for a group whose audience is primarily children, attach the event ticket giveaway to products aimed at parents.
Make sure you choose your product partner carefully.Your event is going to become synonymous with the product you choose, so make sure it’s a name you want to be associated with.
Bring a Friend
Perhaps the most common type of event ticket giveaway is the ubiquitous “Buy one, get one free!”Similar to the straightforward giveaway, this method is less costly and more targeted.
With free ticket giveaways, you run the risk of giving event tickets to people who might not even use them.But by pairing free tickets with purchased tickets, you increase the chances that the free ticket will actually get used.
This method also gives you the added advantage of having a built in marketing person to help you: the individual who paid for a ticket.In many cases, the free event ticket is going to someone who isn’t familiar with your event, but is going with someone who is.This strengthens the promotion from the start, as it gives you a theoretical advocate for your potential new audience.
The Price Is Right
Regardless of which of these different options you choose from, it’s clear that giving away tickets isn’t as counterproductive as it might seem.Considering all the money you can invest into different marketing avenues, giving away event tickets can ultimately save you money, and generate a greater return on your investment.
If there’s one thing that will get people’s interest, it’s the word “free!”
If you’ve been searching for modern ways to market your theater online, or if you read our last newsletter, you’re well aware that the new face of live theater is online. It’s all well and good for us to tell you that you can connect with patrons new and old through blogging, podcasts, and social networking, but you want to know how it’s done! Here are six theaters that are doing it right.
The Magic Theatre in San Francisco generates buzz about upcoming productions and keeps patrons involved in the theater’s day to day workings with their own blog. Plenty of photographs and upbeat writing inform readers about behind-the-scenes work. Follow this blog and learn how they create props and special effects, what different theater employees actually do all day, and everything you need to know about upcoming productions! The Magic Theater stays current with their own Facebook page (570 fans as of this writing) and other social networking pages, as well as a YouTube channel, where you can view a trailer for an upcoming performance, an interview with the playwright, and a behind-the-scenes video.
You can do more than buy tickets and check out a calendar of upcoming performances on Court Theatre at University of Chicago’s website. Their page also links to their blog, with news about their company and theater in general, and to a page of podcasts. So far, they have links to two interviews with different directors, great content for theater aficionados.
Website: www.courttheatre.org/
Podcast: www.courttheatre.org/podcast/
Blog: www.courttheatre.org/blog/
The wildly irreverent Firesign Theatre has been around since the 1960s. Originally broadcasting live on the radio, the troupe has become a counter-culture classic and their work remains vital and relevant today. Not only can you download lots of old routines, saved as podcast files, from their website, the troupe is using the Internet to reach out in the other direction. In preparation for an upcoming retrospective, they are asking fans with high quality audio and video clips of their work to submit these clips back to the Firesign Theatre website!
Orpheum Theatre in LA really has created a vibrant online community through the use of social networking. Their FaceBook page includes glowing feedback from patrons, links to reviews of their shows, information about prize draws to win tickets to upcoming performances, and even reminders that fans are invited to come take a backstage tour of the theater when there is no scheduled performance. This theater also keeps in touch through the use of a Twitter Feed.
The Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts really knows how to take advantage of online traffic. Their website links to the box office, a donations page, a calendar, their performing arts school, other programs, and even provides weather updates, so theater-goers can dress and travel accordingly! In addition, they maintain a Blogger blog with reports on great performances, news about upcoming shows, and personal musings from the theater correspondent. You can also follow this theater on FaceBook and Twitter.
The Irish Reparatory Theatre is dedicated to the production of plays by Irish and Irish-American playwrights. This theatre has been very successful in their use of Facebook, with almost 1000 fans, links to news, reviews, videos, and even a call for donations to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Their website also offers patrons the option of signing up for email newsletters delivered right to their inbox. They just make it easy for fans to learn more.
by Lance Trebesch and Dustin Stoltz on August 11, 2009
Virtually Yours
Primary Objective:
You have passion for your cause, but passion alone is not enough. To create positive change you need resources: volunteers and donations. Traditional fundraising channels such as a banquet or raffles remain the most effective ways to create hype and generate donations. However, as the web continues to grow, it is becoming paramount to strike a balance between online and offline fundraising activities. Many businesses have already discovered that the web can be a powerful mechanism to reach new audiences.
With so many online tools available, nonprofits relying on limited time and resources may be overwhelmed by the options. This series will help you sift through online opportunities 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:
Social Networking
Online Auctions
Email Campaigns
Wiki Pages and Event Calendars
Blogs
Online Raffles
1. Social Networking
Social networks allow those with similar interests to interact. Each social connection forms a vast network of users who can share information instantly. It’s word of mouth at high speed. The days of blindly blasting messages into the Web are over. Nonprofits that truly become involved and interact in social networks can share information about their cause to those who have expressed interest in it. Not only are you marketing your cause to those who care, but your contacts 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 must create a profile for yourself and/or your company. For most nonprofit organizations, a profile for the organization will be the best choice, although an individual profile can be a good way to get to know the social network. Remember that members of social networks value openness and honesty, and do not take well to companies or organizations misrepresenting themselves. If you choose an individual profile it should represent you, not your organization masquerading as you!
Setting up a profile is not a one-time chore, but an ongoing process. Add interests and ideas as they come to you, and don’t be afraid to build and change your profile as your understanding of social networks expands. To create a truly viral campaign that spreads throughout the network, write 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, establish a network of supporters who are willing to discuss and share details about your organization. The easiest way to begin finding online friends is to start with your close real-world supporters. Look for people who are already members of your organization or on your mailing list. 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
Eventually, you will want 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. Groups are also a good way to stay up-to-date on the happenings relevant to your cause. Comment on their pages and respond to others’ comments. Become personally involved, interact, and establish your network.
charity badge
charity badge
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. Charity badges are online widgets, simple applications that produce attractive links, which can be easily copied and shared with others. Badges will often include a brief description, fundraising goal and progress, and a button to assist in a quick, easy donation, and these small pieces of code can be transferred effortlessly throughout your online network. 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:
Make your fundraising goal reasonable.
Begin with a small success in mind and work your way up.
Place your badge on your website, blog, social networking page, group pages, and anywhere else you possibly can!
Send thank you emails!
Selecting a Social Network
Wikipedia’s full list of social networks can be overwhelming. Consider your audience. The social network with the most users may not be the best choice; your message can get lost in the tide. Targeting individuals who share passion for your cause may prove easier on smaller, niche audience networks, where you can make a greater impression. This translates 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, and 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 or groups, post news stories, and create blogs all relating to a specific area of interest.
Squidoo- Squidoo allows each user to create his/her own “lens”: 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 and videos to information elsewhere on the web. Squidoo does not require those viewing your page to be members, and the site 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 and the site claims that currently their fastest growing demographic is those 30 years old and older. While it may not be the appropriate platform for all nonprofit organizations, it can be an effective way to attract an audience of generally active young adults.
MySpace- MySpace users interact via pictures, video, blogs, forums and more and often create groups based on common interests. As of Fall 2008 there were 24,144 nonprofit and philanthropic groups. MySpace pages are also easily crawled by search engines, which can help you gain ranking in search engine results.
LinkedIn- While LinkedIn is not one of the top social network sites, it is a great resource for your business. LinkedIn is designed to facilitate professional relationships between business men and women. It’s also a great place to give and receive advice in regard to your organization’s operations.
As a final thought, be sure to build your social network before you need it. Asking for donations the moment you become someone’s friend is a good way to lose an online friend. Create rapport with your online community by consistently updating your pages with new content. If you can’t maintain the page yourself, designate someone to accept friend requests, post comments on groups and other people’s pages, and invite others to become friends on a regular basis. The more people feel you care about them, the more they will care about your cause.
by Lance Trebesch and Dustin Stoltz on May 19, 2009
garageband
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.
youtube-screenshot1
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.
by Lance Trebesch and Dustin Stoltz on May 5, 2009
Primary Objective
Answers
Having passion for a cause is a good start but passion alone is not enough. If you want to make positive changes you’ll need resources, namely volunteers and donations. Traditional fundraising channels such as a banquet or raffle remain the most effective ways to create hype around your cause and generate donations. However, as the web continues to grow, it is becoming paramount to strike a balance between online and offline fundraising activities. Many businesses have already discovered, if used aptly, the web can be an incredibly powerful mechanism to reach new audiences.
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:
Social Networking
Online Auctions
Email Campaigns
Wiki Pages and Event Calendars
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.
charity-badge
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 right 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.
by Lance Trebesch and Dustin Stoltz on April 28, 2009
Social networking is a fun and exciting way to gain contacts and increase recognition for your theater. There are many networking sites to work with, each of which should be used for different purposes. Before we begin discussing the top networking sites, there are some basic techniques you should apply when socializing on the internet.
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.
theatre-communications-group1
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.
linkedin1
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.
ning2
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.
youtube-and-flickr2
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).
facebook-myspace1
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.
twitter1
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.
