Marketing Communications | Audience Development

Back in June I attended a workshop sponsored by Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance on storytelling, particularly focused on using the power of story to tell an organization's story.  You know - THE powerful story, whatever it is, that moves someone to act in some positive, favorable way.

Andy Goodman from The Goodman Center (Chicago, LA, NYC) presented the 90 minute workshop and even I - someone pretty skilled in communicating messages and who has the privledge to work with/for amazing storytellers - walked away with a few new ideas.  I did want to share the components of a wonderful take-away worksheet.  This is useful to anyone who wears any sort of communications hat, and in theory, the story, while delivered differently by every single person, should still paint the same consistent picture and deliver the same consistent message(s). Full credit to The Goodman Center for the following points (some paraphrased by me for length).

Storytelling: Tapping the Power of Narrative
A story structure worksheet

Consider a point about your organization or program that you typically make to someone and choose a story that will illustrate the point. It needs to be something that actually happened.

Answer all of the following questions relating to the incident - You'll need to be able to answer them all for the incident to rise to the level of a true story.

1. What is the point you want this target group of people to take away upon hearing the story?

2. To what audience do you want to tell this story (Public, legislators, a combo? The language you use - as well as the desired result - will be shaped by this choice).

3. Who is the main character/protagonist of your story? It needs to be a PERSON.  An organization itself cannot be a protagonist.

4. What is the back story of the protagonist?  What does the audience need to know about the character and his/her/their situation to understand the context of the story?

5.What is the "inciting incident" that upsets the balance of the story?

6.What is the protagonist's goal?

7. What is the first barrier standing in the way of the protagonist (internal and external barriers)?

8. How does the protagonist pursue the goal? (What happens as the character encounters subsequent barriers, and if there are no barriers, what is keeping the narrative interesting for the audience)?

9. What is the moment of truth in this story? (What happens, what is the changing moment, and what does it shou us about the human condition)?

10. What is the resolution of the story?  (Does the main character achieve his/her/their goal?  Is there a different outcome)?

11. What is the meaning of the story? What do you want the audience to take away?

12. How does the story relate to your organization's work? (Is it emblamatic of your mission?  Does it show what a single program does? Does it explain why your organization does what it does? What should the audience see when you widen the lens)?

I encourage you to think of some of your favorite stories and apply the above guidelines to the story for some examples, especially if you need a little direction in thinking of your own for your organization.  I love stories and especially love great storytellers - whether it's a mundane story, a crazy "this only happens to me" story, or an emotionally charged one - the actual story itself always needs a beginning, middle and end; a set of characters, a plot, a conflict, and certainly a resolution or some "message" or "moral" at the end.  A great storyteller has a way with language, pronunciation and annunciation.  They can bring a theatrical quality to the telling of the tale that will get you the desired result. 

Your organization's story is wonderful for both brand awareness, internal communications, external marketing, and fundraising. 

I wanted to highlight a few social tools and examples that I think "get it" and "get it right" -- some are arts industry related and others are general.  I believe these online tools get it right because there is a thoughtful planning or curating to what they offer and deliver.  Some fill a clear niche...others are part of something bigger but still manage to provide their audience with meaningful information.

Sites and Blogs

Pretty much anything over at Arts Journal is worth investigating.  The site is a digest of some of the best arts and cultural journalism in the English-speaking world. Each day ArtsJournal features link to stories culled from more than 200 English-language newspapers, magazines and publications featuring writing about arts and culture. Click the tab AJ Blogs and you'll find a wealth of blogs that cover specific topics or offer a general look at nonprofit arts, management, and marketing.  Two of my favorites are Jumper and Artful Manager.  Layout and design wise, this site needs an overhaul -- it's stuck somewhere between 2001-2003.  Content wise, it's excellent.

There are a slew of mommy bloggers out there right now and while some might agrue they are not a true journalistic voice, the bottom line is they are real, authentic and have something to say.  And their audience listens.  I personally love the less formal writing style and appreciate both the sublime story as much as the culture tip or review of a family play.  Serious bloggers, mom ones included, know the value of Twitter and Blog conferences.  They participate, they follow back, they produce content that their readers love, and they stay on it.  You can hunt around on Twitter for a few if you think you have a product or service or event that you'd like to have catch their eye.  By taking 30 minutes and checking out a few of their followers or better yet - who they follow - you'll find more.  Two of my favorites areThe Culture Mom and Mommmy 101. Mommy 101 also runs Cool Mom Picks.

Mobile Apps

In the world of mobile apps, I feel like there are a dime a dozen.  Especially if you are an iPhone user.  I think of mobile apps the way I think of any product or service -- they need to deliever what they promise.  Maybe even overdeliver.  We all have apps to our favorite networking sites but what else exists?  What else makes my life a little easier?  You may have heard of a few of these but they are the ones I cannot live without -- RetroCamera, HopStop, Amazon, Blogger, Expensify, and Mapquest.  I'm not a gamer so I don't have Angry Birds on my phone.  My phone is also pretty big and I prefer my music on tiny devices so I can run/workout without any bulkiness - so no music downloading happening here. 

I suspect at some point my 3 year old son will become obsessed with all things game.  I've already got this covered.  While I'm also a very cultured mom, I thank god for inventions like the iPad because they make traveling easier and they also make a simple thing like cooking dinner easier.  I'm fine with my son - eventually - spending a little time playing a game because I know in addition to all the time he spends at school learning, I'm also supplementing that with a ton at home.  That said, I was recently introduced to Ruckus Media.  This very cool company reinvents family entertainment in an online world.  It creates original apps for iPad, iPhone, Droid, and other mobile media platforms and partners with bestselling authors and illustrators, animators, celebrity performers and musicians together with talented editors and software developers to create a completely new form of storytelling.  A great concept to a discerning mom.

Another sweet app I just downloaded is MOMA's.  I love how simple this app makes finding information.  It's way better than even having a site designed for mobile use.  I'm not scrolling across the screen with my finger or zooming in with the click of a link to read some teeny tiny text.  I can search what's going on by day, by exhibition, by topics, by programs.  I love it.  This is one app that overdelivers in my eyes.

This is one area that have no doubt is the future (maybe even the present) for arts centers, even artists. 

What does this mean for your marketing?

In a time where it's about simplifying and drilling down an overabundance of information, how can you work with an app developer to create a useful app for your organization?  Yes, you still have to have an updated and content rich site.  But now you need to get on the app wagon.  So drop that direct mail piece and reevaluate your marketing plan and budget.  The bulk of your dollars and time should be invested in the online world.  Your staff should be blogging and tweeting...and encouraging guests to do so too.  Create a calendar and a time line.  There's always more work to be done but EDs and staff should be setting aside time each week for social engagement.  No excuses for outdated design and content on your site.  With the right messages and content, you'll be exciting your audiences to see that amazing live performance. 

If you don't go where your audience is -- and I'm telling you they are online via mobile devices -- then in the words of Willy Wonka, "You lose.  You get nothing."  In a time of consolidation you have no choice but to do things differently and better.  It's how you inch out over your competitors and as Malcolm Gladwell would say, you have that "sticky" effect - you exist in the minds of your audience.

I'm pleased to announce that as of March 2011, I have been selected to join the esteemed roster of nonprofit consultants at LaSalle University's Nonprofit Center.  The Nonprofit Center works with nonprofit organizations in various fileds - like education, health, arts, human services, and more - throughout the Delaware Valley, PA region to strengthen the organization, its board, and staff.  The Center offers a wealth of programs and services to fit budgets, schedules, expectations and goals.  The Center respects that one size does not fit all and works smartly and thoroughly to place the right consultant on the right project.  Areas of consultant expertise include the following:

Strategic Planning
Board development & Nonprofit Governance
Resource Development
Financial Planning
Marketing & Communications
Executive Transitions
Partnerhsips & mergers
And more

Read more about the Center, their programs and services here.

Artists, non-profits, and small business owners who are pressed for time sometimes ask how they can be successful with social media while spending only a few minutes a day on Facebook and Twitter. My initial response to this question is that social media isn't a magic tool for instant success. Social media provides one more opportunity for you to work hard to build relationships and achieve success in your goals. 

Rather than trying to minimize the time spent on social media, I prefer to reframe the question as follows: "How can I be successful in my real world goals by using social media as efficiently as possible without wasting time that could be better spent in other marketing and networking efforts?" This question explicitly clarifies that the individual actually does spend time and effort on marketing and networking and is not seeking to achieve success with only a few minutes a day of any type of relationship building. 

My response to this rephrased question is more straightforward: Focus your social media efforts on complementing and enhancing your real-world relationships and goals. Anchoring your social media plan in your existing priorities will reduce the risk of spending time in activities that don't move you towards your goals. By leveraging your existing momentum, social media does not have to add significant time or energy to your efforts. 

So what does this mean in practice? Below are three strategies that you can incorporate into a social media plan without getting overwhelmed:

1. Connect with individuals and networks whose goals align with your goals

This includes people who have the ability to help you achieve your goals, as well as individuals and groups who you can help using your own abilities. Is your goal to increase your publicity and presence in your local media? Follow and build relationships with local journalists and reporters. Does your art or business target a specific audience such as children and families? Use social media to connect with non-profits that support this audience in your community.

You don't need 10,000 fans and followers to be successful with social media. Keep your time focused on targeted subsets that align with your specific goals and audiences. And don't wait for them to discover and follow you-actively seek out and initiate the conversation with them.

2. Listen

Participating in conversations and building relationships still can take significant time and energy. Simply listening to online conversations, without actively participating, can help keep your time spent on social media efficient and targeted. Do you want to find other artists to collaborate with on new projects? Search Facebook and Twitter for specific keywords and geography filters to discover people and groups to follow and/or approach. Do you want to discover opportunities to publicly showcase your work in a specific city? Setup another search with keywords for the city and terms such as "event," "tickets," etc. (think creatively and iteratively to develop the best queries).

Services such as HootSuite and Google Alerts can help you keep track of multiple searches over time. Developing your online listening skills will create a foundation that helps you discover the key people with whom you want to spend more time building relationships.

3. Add your real world contacts to your online network

Simply being connected to your existing contacts through social media, even if you don't actively interact, has several benefits. For example, your connections on LinkedIn determine your ability to reach and connect with people through searches and recommendations. When you create a Facebook event for a performance or event you are promoting in a certain city, you can invite your Facebook friends who live in that region as their current city or home town.

Who do you know in person that you have not connected with online? When you meet with someone in person, follow up with a connection on social media. Have you added your old college friends and classmates? What about your fellow artists and collaborators, or new colleagues that you meet at a professional conference or community event? Who else do you know that remembers you fondly?

These loose ties with whom have interacted in person can be activated at appropriate times, without adding a significant every day commitment.

If you add one connection on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter every day for a year, your network will grow steadily with just a few minutes a day. You already have put in the work through your face-to-face networking and relationship building, and adding these contacts to your social media networks is a simple extra step.

How can you ensure that your social media plan moves you efficiently towards your goals? Learn to listen in order to discover the key people and events that are most in line with your efforts, and think of building your social media network as supplementing the relationships you are building in the real world. Of course, there are many other ways to use social media successfully, but if you are looking to get started without getting overwhelmed, these strategies can help you simplify and target your efforts.

About Jacob Weiss
Jacob Weiss is the founder and director of Playing By Air Productions and High-Wired Communities. In addition to developing theatrical circus productions for performing arts, special events, and corporate meetings, he works with artists and non-profit organizations to develop plans for community building through social media and local networking.

It's March now (has been for a good week) and it's time to move into the topic of Social Media.  In a lot of ways I feel like there is already so much information out there on this topic.  I don't like to rehash the same old same old.  However, I believe given my consituency - nonprofits, arts and culture organizations, and small businesses - that many are still coming around to embracing social media.  Ergo, I will give it its 15 minutes of fame but try to do so in a authentic way - by providing examples of what has worked for me and various small organizations I've worked for and worked with on projects.

First an example.

It's easy to get bogged down in the daily grind of tactical to-dos.  But one thing I did early this quarter was revisit my marketing communications plan.  It's high level and outlines my goals, strategies, and then tactical to-dos.  Something new for this year was developing a simple social media editorial calendar.  I have a blog, Facebook Page, Twitter, LinkedIn and You Tube profiles and I wanted a more strategic way of disseminating content across each.  Each one does something and offers something different to its own unique audience.  I created monthly topics to blog about, to find guest bloggers, and to repost useful articles and videos.  I've also challenged myself with creating a personal company video to tell Piccadilly Arts' story.  It's March now and this editorial calendar is already holding me accountable.

So why do all this? 

Incorporating social media into one's marketing plan is necessary today.  A bet a good number of your clients and stakeholders are online somewhere, engaging in someway with others, and possibly talking about you - your organization and brand.  Are you where they are? 

Having a presence and an authentic voice in the online world is necessary but it needs to be done thoughtfully.  The vast majority of my clients and constituency are on Facebook - so using Facebook is a must-do for brand building, for news releases, artist updates, and more.  Twitter is awesome for finding other like-minded individuals, companies, ensembles, and bloggers for more content and guest blogging.  It ultimately helps build authenticity - of myself and my site - in an online world.  LinkedIn is a wonderful way to find and connect with business professionals and potential clients in a professional way.  Links to articles or updates on a new service is what I would post there.  Finally, a YouTube channel and embedding video does wonders for a brand -- it's a connection to the real person.

You may or may not need to have a presence on all platforms immediately - like anything overwhelming, "chunk it" as my history teacher used to say.  Pick one platform where your clients are.  Ask some questions - internally and externally - as to what they would like to/hope to see content wise. Consider where the management will fall too.  I suggest a marketing person/department oversee it (not your IT or designer folks).

Each one will also have it's own set of measurables.  Google Analytics is one way to track online traffic.  Additionally, as a user, you need to decide how you define success.  I generally look at social media as a means to raise visibility and awareness.  If a new client or artist booking comes out of it, all the better.  But social media is marketing first -- it supports the rest of the work and selling you do.  Be sure to define your social media goals as they relate to your marcomm goals. 

In the past year, having a presence on all of these outlets has proven successful for me.  It has raised my visibility, led to new relationships, new ideas, a few guest blog spots, and more.  Start with your communication goals and work social media into those goals.  How can something like a social media calendar help you?  How can it tie into the work you already do (like an email newsletter, fundraising campaign, event)?

It's time to wrap up the topic of risky programming for the time being. It's something that is always at the forefront of my mind and days as I work with educators, administrators and programmers on their series. So no doubt there will continue to be interesting thoughts and angles on this topic.

I wanted to end with a reflection on a recent post to the Arts Marketing site about needing new beans to count. I thought this article did a great job of getting to the heart of the value of arts in America issue we see discussed a lot right now due to a new Congress' proposed budget cuts. It seems fitting that in light of my thoughts on risky programming that a sure fire way to see some risks taken is for all of us that are effected and influenced by the arts to find another better way of defining success.

Clayton Lord tells us "As an industry, the arts suffers from a value problem...In almost everything we do to advocate for the arts, we place financial worth front and center, and in so doing we allow, even encourage, the people we’re trying to convince of art’s value to forget that that value is much more than economic."

He suggests, or rather, insists, that we "grow new beans" -- a new language for explaining what is not quanifiable by dollars and cents (or relating to my niche of children's theater, what is not quanifiable by the state mandated curriculum). While the smart folks at Wolfe Brown perform the R&D of the intrinsic value of the arts (and I look forward to their always smart and progressive findings), I would still encourage all of us today to do something that takes us out of our dollars and cents and butts-in-seats mentality. What can this look like?

* Did a dialogue ensue between you and your friend or you and your child after seeing a work of art?
* Were you so moved by a work of art that you had to blog about it?
* Did you leave feeling as though you understood someone or something better? Or that you had additional questions?
* Did an ensuing dialogue generate philosophical questions?
* How did you discuss the art? Were there differing opinions and if so, how did you handle conflict or disagreement?
* Did you feel more creative in the moment or after?
* Was it motivational in some way?

While Wolfe Brown will do due diligence and provide the methodology, the official language, and means of measuring and reporting, I encourage us as arts lovers, parents, students, educators, admins, program officers to ask these questions and more now. Let's grow new beans. Define intrinsic successes and then illustrate it - for ourselves and patrons.

Here is my new bean: Conversation. When I leave a performance and have to talk about it for days = success. When my son and I experience a museum exhibit or performance and he talks about it the entire ride home, for days after, and I see imaginative, creative expression in him via play and art that usually has a tie to the experience = success. Each conversation is family time, bonding time, cognitive and emotional development; it encourages questions, thinking, and explanations.  Those are a few things that the world can use more of for sure.

My editorial topic for February is Risky Programming.  That is pretty broad, I know.  I thought I'd tackle it from a general perspective first and then follow up with some specifics.

What exactly does it mean to say someone or some series is a risky programmer?  My experience as a manager and agent and from working on the funding side of things has told me this is relative. 

For example, there could be a new venue or series in town and anything that winds up on their stage or on their cinema series is a risk.  Who knows what their community will embrace. 

It could also look like a music venue experimenting with dance presenting.  Not only are there technical risks to consider (do they have the right flooring?  Do they need to rent it?) but he audience issue presents itself again.  Will current audiences - music lovers - embrace a dance performance or full blown series? 

It could mean involving audience members and one's defined communities in the curatorial process. 

If there is a family series, it might look like programming an open mic night for teens. 

It could be varying the type of dance or music presented: introducing hip hop a la Rennie Harris Puremovement to a classical dance audience or World Music to a rock audience, folk/traditional music to an urban environment or site specific contemporary theater piece to a university.

In the case with one of my favorite presenting organizations, The New Victory Theatre in NYC, it means putting otherwise unrecognizable names on stage, many of which hail from overseas, and target a very specific age group.

No matter how it looks, it always involves the uncertainty factor:  How will I fund this?  How will my audiences react?  Will there be interest?  Will I sell enough tickets to cover expenses?

In the coming weeks, I'm going to explore ideas for how risk taking in programming, particularly now with budgets cut the likes of which we have never seen, can be encouraged, embraced, and rewarding.  In the meantime, I invite your thoughts on what risky programming means to you and examples of risky (or riskier) programming.

If you read my guest blog on Mara's Treehouse Blog (see previous posts), you'll see I share Michael Kaiser's (ED of The Kennedy Center) view: There is no reason whatsoever that the arts - by its nature, a creative industry - should be lagging behind other industries in adopting new technologies, particularly as they relate to arts marketing.  Read his article in the Huffington Post on why we as an industry need to trust the technology.

http://tiny.cc/gr5md

In less than one month I've either witnessed or heard about the sort of behavior that might completely ruin one's theater experience.

My first example is my eye witness account of bad audience behavior. While at Performing Arts Exchange earlier this month, I along with many of my industry colleagues, enjoyed several 20 minute artist showcases (short samples of an artists' repertoire) at The August Wilson Center. In the middle of one musical ensemble's showcase an audience member shouted from his seat that the guitarist's amp was over amplified.

The guy shouted. From his seat. In the middle of the performance.

Let's dissect why this is horrific:

1. He interrupted a perfectly decent theater experience.
2. He was rude and obnoxious.
3. After such an interruption it's difficult for an artist on stage to get back into his/her/their groove.
4. After such an interruption, it's difficult for an audience member to shake it off and refocus as well.

Maybe the guitar was supposed to be over amped. Who knows. Regardless, the amped guitar wasn't so loud that everyone seemed uncomfortable in which case either the artist would have stopped and asked for a change or the TD and Sound Engineer would have noticed and made appropriate adjustments. It was just this one jerk in the audience that ruined the experience for the artist and for the audience. If something is SO bothersome to you, the appropriate way of addressing the situation is not to call out but rather, find an usher, find a house manager, flag the sound engineer if you can and be as discreet as possible. After all, there is a show going on.

My second example comes from a tweet the other day. Two local theater critics attending a performance were called out during final bows/applause by the theater company's Artistic Director. Not only was their presence made known but it was done so in a very derogatory way. The AD completely lost his temper, wondered why both critics were even there, why they'd want to interview him or the performers, when they'd just write a bad review anyway. YES. The AD said all that to the critics, in his own house, in front of his audience. Audience that paid for that experience.

Let's again dissect why this is shameful:

1. He was unprofessional, rude and obnoxious.
2. He created an awkward moment for everyone there.
3. He alienated the critics.
4. He ensured that not only would there be a review but it would focus less on the performance/performers and on him and his bad behavior.
5. This is bad PR all around. Geez, where WAS their PR person to prevent this and/or provide damage control?

I'm not a believer that any press is good press. An example like the above illustrates my point. Critics alienated, critics with access to the Internet, critics that in the future may never come back. Critics that when writing about this experience focus not on the show and performers so much as the jerk AD. Moreover, an audience leaves with mixed feelings, maybe even a sour taste in their mouth - they paid to see THAT temper tantrum?

How this should have gone down:
Press are typically comped a ticket to a performance so key personnel are aware that a critic may be in the audience. It's a PR person's job to coach anyone that may be interviewed and if bad press has ensued in the past, to determine how to best move forward professionally. In this case, a fired up AD would have been flagged ahead of time and someone else might have greeted the press after the show. Was there a PR contact? Who knows. If there was, he/she/the company failed. If not, perhaps now there will be. Perhaps the board will fire the AD.

As leaders in our industry, programmers, TDs, ADs, and staff must set the bar for good theater behavior. We don't want a patron nor would we tolerate a patron acting in such ways as the aforementioned scenarios. That person would be escorted out of theater immediately. Our leaders need to be held accountable for their actions.