A survey of Web 2.0 and the performing arts

Is the presenting arts world ebracing Web 2.0 and social networking as tools for audience development? That's what we wanted to know, so we put a survey in the field, and got back some interesting results. In summary, it appears the arts world is slow to incorporate many of the new tools available, but is eager to do so. No big surprise, I guess.

The survey went out to subscribers to the Association of Performing Arts Presenters marketing list serve. Forty-two people responded, representing a good cross section of arts presenters (a near-even split between organizations with annual operating budgets under $5K, $5K-2M, $2M-$5M and over $5M).

Ninety-two percent use email marketing and the same number sell tickets online.

Web 2.0? Not so much. Twenty-one percent use blogs, but no more than five percent use patron performance reviews, e-groups, e-vites, forums, personal patron profiles or classifieds.

But they want to. On a one-to-five scale, one being "not valuable at all" and five being "very valuable," five of the seven tools we surveyed averaged a response of three or better. In order, they were: groups,3.63%; e-vites, 3.59%; forums, 3.42%, reviews, 3.35%; blogs, 3.26%; personal profiles, 2.32%: and classifieds, 2.18%.

Several organizations mentioned anecdotally that they have profiles on social-networking sites like myspace or Facebook.

And a few survey respondents provided valuable comments:

"The more we can use methodology to engage our audiences and extend the experience beyond simply sitting in the theatre attending a show, thebetter. Pre- and post-show events, lectures, receptions, interactive activities, kids nights, behind-the-scenes opportunites, etc."

"We have actually developed a series, completely separate from our standard season sponsored events, to target young adults (and students). We are marketing the series exclusively with social networking tactics. I think in the future these strategies will become increasingly important--most especially, with developing audiences that are younger..."

"We are a presenting, multi-genre PAC. I think blogs, etc, WOULD benefit arts producers like ballet and opera co's, symphonies, rep theatres, etc. But not beneficial to us, because I see only very limited crossover of our buyers from country to classical, acrobatics to Irish, or even ballet to modern dance, even though I've spent LOTS of bucks trying to get them to do so."

"This is long overdue! Nonprofit orgs don't have the resources to independently hire computer programmers to make this possible, so somebody needs to become a comprehensive contractor right away!"

Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey. It's still open, if you'd like to participate. Click here to take survey.

Web 2.0 and the performing arts

There is a revolution afoot in the field of marketing, one that suggests consumers, not advertisers, are the most reliable, most trusted sales agents. Consumer rating tools at web sites like Amazon, Neflix and epinions.com are proving what affinity-marketing giant Avon has known all along: word of mouth sells product.

The explosion of Web 2.0 content-creation tools like social networking, blogs, video sharing and podcasts have put consumers in the drivers seat, creating a powerful class of what Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba have dubbed "Citizen Marketers."

This all has significant implications for arts marketers ... if we can marshal the resources necessary to join the revolution.

Among arts organizations there is an emerging understanding that the most powerful vehicle for communicating value is audience members’ own expressions of the transformative emotional experience of live performance. Some organizations have begun using blogs and online forums as a way of sharing comments from patrons, but most of the resulting communication takes place after a performance has occurred, so it is of limited value from a marketing perspective.

What if patrons considering a performance at one theater could read the opinions of people who've seen the same performance elsewhere? What if an arts organization's web site gave its patrons easy access to those opinions? Would that help sell more tickets?

What about a tool on an arts organization's site that allowed patrons to form their own social groups around specific interests and invite friends to events like dinner and a show?

We at AudienceBuzz.com have set out to introduce proven concept of affinity or peer-to-peer marketing to performing arts presenting organizations around the world. Our tools are new and flexible web and database software applications, consumers’ demonstrated penchant for sharing their opinions on things they value, and a profound understanding of arts marketing based on over 35 years of experience by AudienceBuzz.com’s principals.

AudienceBuzz.com, as it is currently configured, is our first foray into product development. It is a social-networking site similar to myspace or Facebook. We're calling it our beta product, and expect it will teach us much about patrons' values and communication tendencies.

Next up on our development list: Web 2.0 tools that can be integrated directly into arts organizations' web sites.

In the meantime, we plan to use this blog to create an open exchange of ideas that will benefit all arts marketers. We hope you'll join us.