The Mobile Theatre: Engaging Audiences on the Go Theatre Communications Group 2014 Conference David Dombrosky Chief Marketing Officer InstantEncore.com
This presentation from the 2014 Theatre Communications Group identifies various ways in which theatre companies can leverage mobile technology to connect with their audiences.
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Transcript
The Mobile Theatre: Engaging Audiences on the Go Theatre
Communications Group 2014 Conference David Dombrosky Chief
Marketing Officer InstantEncore.com
Mobile technology is NOT the future. Its the PRESENT.
There are 4.5 billion mobile users worldwide with nearly 7
billion mobile subscriptions. SOURCE: International
Telecommunications Union
SOURCE: ComScore Nearly 40% of all Internet traffic comes from
mobile devices. (source: ComScore) 25% of US mobile internet users
never or infrequently open websites on desktop or laptop computers.
(source: Mobithinking) 2013 reports from mass email service
providers show that 50-61% of emails are opened on smartphones or
tablets. (sources: Movable Ink and Experian)
SOURCE: Pew Research Center 90% of American adults have cell
phones 58% of American adults have a smartphone 42% of American
adults own a tablet computer As of January 2014
SOURCE: Pew Research Center
In May 2013, Musical America published a special report on
mobile marketing in the performing arts. Download it for free at:
http://bit.ly/14blFUX
Group of Minds Longitudinal Study of Arts Patrons & Mobile
Usage First survey in 2009 Second survey in 2012 Distributed to
45,000 arts patrons 4.3% response rate
We cant afford to engage with mobile. You most likely already
participate in mobilized environments. NOT TRUE.
Social Media Tools are Mobilized
Other Mobilized Online Tools
QR Codes QR = quick response Bar codes can be linked to content
QR Code readers are free Generators are also free. Ex: Scan.me and
Goo.gl
Directing QR Codes to Your Standard Website
Best Practices for QR Codes Give the end user a mobile-friendly
experience Have a clear call to action Use a code generator with
analytics
Three Questions: 1. How many visitors are coming to your
website each month via mobile devices? 2. Is your website
mobile-optimized? 3. How many monthly visitors need to be coming to
your website via mobile devices before you actively pursue
providing them with an optimized experience?
Source: wwww.ourmobileplanet.com 71% of US smartphone users
EXPECT a website to be as easy to use on their phones as it is on
their desktop or laptop computers. When visiting a website that is
not optimized for mobile use, 81% of US smartphone users will
bounce away from the site without engaging. 80% of those who leave
will NOT come back.
Mobile Websites Websites intended to be opened on a mobile
device within an Internet browser Accessible from all types of
mobile devices Designed for touch screen navigation Require access
to the Internet (3G, WiFi, etc.)
Tips for Making Your Website Mobile Friendly or Mobile
Optimized Keep the layout simple and easy to navigate Keep images
to a minimum Use .png or .gif images faster to load Test your site
on a number of mobile devices Optimization plug-ins for current
content management systems (e.g. WordPress, Drupal, etc.) Create a
separate mobile site For example: m.yoursymphony.org instead of
www.yoursymphony.org Consider using free and low-cost services like
YoMobi or DudaMobile Redirect mobile users to your mobile site
Responsive Design
Mobile Apps Software designed for a mobile device
Mobile Apps Software designed for a mobile device Platform-
specific
Mobile Apps Software designed for a mobile device Platform-
specific What can apps do that mobile websites cannot? Apps are
faster than mobile websites. Apps allow you to access native
features of the mobile device like the camera or GPS Many apps have
a feature called push notifications that allow you to send short
text messages to your subscribers. Many apps have an offline
feature which allows you to use the app without an Internet
connection.
Mobile Apps Software designed for a mobile device Platform-
specific What can apps do that mobile websites cannot? Psychology
of the end user Mobile users open the internet browser on their
phones when they are searching for something. When mobile users
want to engage with content repeatedly over time, they want an app
for that.
Investigate Multi-Platform Services InstantEncore Mobile Roadie
Apps for Venues Crowdtorch TN Mobile Plus Cloudtix Online-based
services that use a central control panel to deliver content to
multiple mobile platforms Android, Apple, mobile web, etc.
Hire an App Developer Be sure that your app has needs beyond a
template service Look for local developers or relationships to
leverage Make sure that the developer creates apps for Apple AND
Android GET REFERENCES
Things to Think About What does your audience want from their
mobile experience with you? What types of content do you already
have to use? What budget level do you have to devote to mobile
engagement? Can you leverage other resources or relationships?