THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY and SOCIAL MEDIA JEAN SHIRK
Talking to Ginger: the SF Symphony and social media
Jun 24, 2015
Presentation given by PR Manager Jean Shirk to Stanford University Continuing Studies class in Marketing and Social Media, 9/27/11. The SF Symphony uses its own social network, its Facebook page, a Twitter feed, mobile websites and applications and other tools to reach and communicate with audiences and fans.
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Transcript
THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
and SOCIAL MEDIA
JEAN SHIRK
What we think we’re communicating
What people are hearing
Salesperson Friend
Why is social media any different?
• “May I help you?”• “That widget is on
sale.”• “That looks GREAT
on you.”
• “How are you?”• “The new sushi place
has a great happy hour.”
• “I think this one may fit you better.”
Our fundamental challenge:
How to communicate about a complex, 19th and 20th century art form—one that requires a considerable attention span—in 21st century terms and technology, with an audience that has not grown up with classical/orchestral music.
Attendance and participation in the arts is declining
• Decline in participation for most art forms. • Nearly 35 percent of U.S. adults – or an estimated
78 million – attended an art museum or an arts performance in the 2008 survey period, compared with about 40 percent in 1982, 1992, and 2002.
• Between 1982 and 2008, attendance at performing arts such as classical music, jazz, opera, ballet, musical theater, and dramatic plays has seen double-digit rates of decline.
The Internet and mass media are reaching substantial audiences for the arts
• About 70 percent of U.S. adults went online for any purpose, and of those adults, nearly 40 percent used the Internet to view, listen to, download, or post artworks or performances.
• More Americans view or listen to broadcasts and recordings of arts events than attend them live (live theater being the sole exception). Classical music was the most popular music category (with 40 million viewers/listeners).
Preparing to communicate so people (and Ginger) hear us
• SF Symphony culture: Supportive thought leaders and creative culture
• Preparation and education• Willingness to experiment and learn • Willingness to listen• Willingness to think and act or respond
quickly• Organization’s key leaders open to a more
personal, individual voice in communications
Be for real
• If it sounds like writing, rewrite it. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. – Elmore Leonard
• Offer rich, exclusive content: video, music, podcasts, photos
• Behind-the-scenes reporting and photography from our own musicians and music director
• Give everything context
Stop selling stuff and just show up
• Win one fan at a time• Pretend you’re at a party and you’re
welcoming people into your home• People want and seek– Authentic experience– Connection– Transparency
• Give people a reason to share, read, or participate – show them they’re valued
Doing a lot with what you have
• Creating your own content with the resources on hand• Budget = <$10,000, excluding staff time and overhead• Video – some created by highly paid professionals, and
some on iPhone/professional quality video camera with a skilled but amateur PR team videographers
• Creative – all written by in-house professional public relations team
• Photography – photography by a combination of in-house and contract photographers
• Music – produced by a highly professional orchestra
Communication Tools
• Blogger night: invited writers with web-based publications of all kinds to hear the orchestra, interview players, conductor, staff, in 2006
• YouTube channel launched in 2006• Facebook fan page launched in 2008• Twitter feed launched in 2009 • SFS social network launched in 2009• Foursquare promotions/outreach launched in 2009• Mobile (iPhone) app and mobile website launched
2011• Android app coming 2012
SF Symphony social network
• http://community.sfsymphony.org• Ning platform• Inexpensive to build• Easy to use and inexpensive host for video, audio, text,
photos• Exclusive content• Special offers and contests for members• Popular content: videos, events, profiles, photos,
contests• Not-so-popular: discussions, forums
Behind the scenes with the musicians
The making of Keeping Score: Mahler
Candid interviewsA few minutes with Yo-Yo Ma
After the ecstasy, the laundry
• Communities are like gardens: they grow weeds, and they don’t thrive unless tended
• Each has a life and an ecosystem of its own – you don’t rule it
• Be willing to abandon what doesn’t work
Yes, it’s true - your mother – and your grandmother – are on Facebook
The graying of Facebook
• 65% of online adults (18+) use social networking sites (Pew Internet Research, 8/11)
• In the Baby Boomer-aged segment of internet users ages 50-64, social networking site usage on a typical day grew a significant 60% (from 20% to 32%) in ONE year (PIR, 8/11)
• Average age of FB user: 38 years old (Flowtown study, 9/2010)
• 61% of Facebook’s users are 35 and older
• Facebook.com/sfsymphony• Facebook.com/michaeltilsonthomas• From <1,000 fans to 11,370 for SFS; 8,200 for
MTT • Facebook has had little music integration to
date (til Spotify)• Little advertising, mainly for specific concerts
What works on Facebook
• News• Personal stuff• Photos of special events• Backstage snapshots• Goofy or funny stuff• Spontaneous stuff• Special happenings• Unusual, interesting stuff
Backstage with Lang Lang and the Mayor of SF
Hello?
Listen and respond to your customers
Ultimately, it’s about connection and sharing
Jean Shirk, Public Relations ManagerSan Francisco Symphony
• [email protected]• @sfsymphony• @bean• 415-503-5420• http://community.sfsymphony.org• www.facebook.com/sfsymphony• http://twitter.com/sfsymphony• www.youtube.com/sfsymphony• www.foursquare.com/venue/112731
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