Rethinking Digital and Social Marketing for the Arts

Rethinking Digital and Social Marketing for the Arts by Sean HowardISPA Conference, June 14, 2011

New Title:

The Five Hardest Questions I’ve Ever

Been Asked

Let’s start with each of you.

Now you must be the Director of Social Media as well?!

Go ahead, say it again little man...

Question #1

Why Social?

Canadians spend more time online than any othercountry in the world.

#1 #2 #1

68% of online Canadians used social media in 2010.

The number of Canadians using social media grew by 13% last year and is still climbing.

Social Media

Blogs

And it’s not just the young ‘uns.

So why social?

Because your audience is there.

And they are spending more time there than ever before.

And social media is one of the few mediums left where it is free to participate in most channels.

So what are we waiting for!?

Don’t shoot the messenger!

Question #2

What should we do in social?

No one knows.

Ready. Fire. Aim.

Ready. Fire. Aim.Social Media Policy

http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php

Rights NegotiationsKnowing your constraints

Presence and ToolsCreating your online presenceStaffing to monitor and respond

Ready. Fire. Aim.Learn as you go

Anyone who says they have the answers doesn’t

Start SmallAgain, knowing your constraints - time, staffing, etc.

Fail FastKnow your audienceTry new thingsPay attention to the stats

Ready. Fire. Aim.Measure. Measure. Measure.

Pay attention to what is working and where

Adjust Your CourseBased on the stats and what is working (feedback)

Ask For InputSometimes we can just ask people what they like

Get FansEngage FansRinse and Repeat

Get FansGhetto contests for the win!

Get FansCoupons and discounts

How many of your offer discounts on yourFacebook page?

Hopefully all of you said yes.

Engage FansContent. Content. Content.

Interviews, sneak peeks, behind the scenes, promotional videos, slideshows, ask the artist,attend a rehearsal, rehearsal videos, guestbloggers/writers, archival material, pre-concerttalks, travelogues, and more.

What content can you create that will driveengagement?

Remember that there are a lot of you!

What social campaign or content has impressed your colleagues?

I asked two of my favourites!

Sue Edworthyhttp://sueedworthy.ca/@sueedworthy

Jennifer Greenhttp://soundstreams.ca/

Jennifer Greenhttp://soundstreams.ca/

“Don’t be precise. Get stuff out there. [...] And don’t focus on what you can’t do. Make a list of all your restrictions. 30 seconds. No equity. And then find a way to curate an experience online within those constraints.”

http://www.youtube.com/user/TarragonTheatre#p/u/4/Ayq8RArjbxg

Jennifer Greenhttp://soundstreams.ca/

“Don’t be precise. Get stuff out there. [...] And don’t focus on what you can’t do. Make a list of all your restrictions. 30 seconds. No equity. And then find a way to curate an experience online within those constraints.”

http://www.youtube.com/user/TarragonTheatre#p/u/4/Ayq8RArjbxg

Jennifer Greenhttp://soundstreams.ca/

“Don’t be precise. Get stuff out there. [...] And don’t focus on what you can’t do. Make a list of all your restrictions. 30 seconds. No equity. And then find a way to curate an experience online within those constraints.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0RijO_wMzo

Sue Edworthyhttp://sueedworthy.ca/@sueedworthy

“what we need to remember is that every time someone clicks like or RTs you, even if it’s to win something, your product just expanded by a percentage of that person’s followers”

Sue Edworthyhttp://sueedworthy.ca/@sueedworthy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOUBDjZMWx4

“what we need to remember is that every time someone clicks like or RTs you, even if it’s to win something, your product just expanded by a percentage of that person’s followers”

“what we need to remember is that every time someone clicks like or RTs you, even if it’s to win something, your product just expanded by a percentage of that person’s followers”Sue Edworthy

http://sueedworthy.ca/@sueedworthy

http://vancouveropera.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html

Learning to create content online that your followers value and want to share

Question #3

How do we make something go viral?

We don’t.

Unless you enjoy putting all your money on thelong shot to win

It’s much safer to create content and experiences that people enjoy and want to share.

But what does it mean to share something?

The jury is still out on whether the amount of face to face interactions is holding steady or declining.

40

47.5

55

62.5

70

What we do know is that there is a significant increase in online social interactions

40

67.5

95

122.5

150

Seen as a percentage of online transactions, the face to face interactions are indeed shrinking.

In a world dominated

by digital interactions,

defines us.

what we share online

Have you ever really, really enjoyed something?

Something LOL funny

but something stopped you from sharing it with your friends?

Most of us have had this experience.

We choose what we share more carefully than we may think.

http://bit.ly/jxjo7A

http://bit.ly/kJibvJ

Here are some I didn’t share with certain friends.

Which is why what we share has to say something positive about us – that we belong to the same social group and like the same things as our peers.

What does the content you produce say about the person who shares it??

Question #4

What can I do if I have no budget to speak of?

The basics on a budget

Editorial Calendar

Management Tools

Online Presence

Measurement Tools

Tumblr BlogMy Website1 or 2 SM spaces

The Online Presence

Tumblr BlogMy Website1 or 2 SM spaces

Management Tools

Tumblr BlogMy Website1 or 2 SM spaces

Single calendar of content ideas across online spaces

The Editorial Calendar

Tumblr BlogMy Website1 or 2 SM spaces

Single calendar of content ideas across online spaces

Tumblr BlogMy Website1 or 2 SM spaces

Single calendar of content ideas across online spaces

Free

Free

Free. Optional

theme for $50

$19 a month Free

Question #5

My question(s) to each of you...

Put yourself in the shoes of a hypothetical “friend of a friend” of the organization.

Someone who doesn’t know you.

And then visit all of your properties online.

Use soft eyes. As if you were seeing a new work.

Which spaces were you easily able to find?

How many are there to find?

Does what you saw capture the scope of the work you do?

Does it portray the quality and passion of the work you do?

How would you best display the scope, quality and passion that drives your organization online?

It’s a trick question in written form.

Try sketching the answer.

Whether as a mood board of your online presence

or a chart of all your online activities...

What is the spine of your work and your

organization?

http://personas.media.mit.edu/personasWeb.html

The C

OLO

PHO

NThe 2010 Canada Digital Year in Review, Comscore, March 8, 2011http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2011/2010_Canada_Digital_Year_in_Review

Canada Social Media Marketing, eMarketer, November 2010http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000734

The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp, Simon & Schusterhttp://www.amazon.ca/Creative-Habit-Learn-Use-Life/dp/0743235274/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308023592&sr=8-1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peer_gynt/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lou/

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/brettarthur/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenpoff/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bombeador/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/helico/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphistolage/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/collylogic/

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Nhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/graphistolage/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystaleagle/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/derek_b/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/halasi_zsolt/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalink/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/megadem/

VP of Digital CommunicationsThornley Fallis Toronto

Twitter: @passitalongTumblr: seanhoward.ca

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