1,000 True Fans

I recently revisited a talk given by the excellent Diane Ragsdale in which she refers to Kevin Kelly’s theory of 1,000 True Fans*. Kelly tells us “a True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.”

I actually first heard about this concept from Ragsdale four or five years ago when she gave a talk in Vancouver. I still remember the excitement I felt at learning about this seemingly simple idea—one that I believe is ideally suited to nonprofit arts organizations.

Now, being reminded of the concept, I am surprised that this—in its revolutionary simplicity—apparently has not caught on.

What could be more desirable than a solid base on fans eager for your art, productions and presentations?

Every arts organization has some fans, and with some degree of activity there is always the potential of acquiring more. Imagine building a league of followers who are eager to attend your performances, advocate for you through word-of mouth, donate, subscribe, share and comment.

Kelly acknowledges we do not need to fix on the number 1,000. He says, “in fact the actual number is not critical, because it cannot be determined except by attempting it. Once you are in that mode, the actual number will become evident. That will be the True Fan number that works for you.”

The point is to nurture the right number of fans that will allow your company and work to survive and even thrive. A small dance company offering one or two performances a year in a small venue will be fine with fewer fans than, say, a large presenting venue that may need 1,500 fans and perhaps many more.

What is important is to work towards the number you need, adding one a day or one a week, and reaping the benefits as you go along.

Imagine the return on your communications efforts. On one hand you can communicate to a group of people who actually want to hear from you, or you can market to a great mass of unknown people hoping a miniscule percentage will actually see your ad and take action.

Thanks for reading!

Paul

*Learn more about Kelly's work here.

Trickle or Torrent: How Successful is Your Customer Retention?

The idea of customer retention is quite simple: have the same people buy tickets year after year.

But, it is not that easy, and on the other side of retention is attrition: the rate at which your patrons leave, never to buy tickets again.

It is natural to experience some attrition, but, if the two sides of retention and attrition are not well managed, it can make the difference between a trickle and a torrent of lost patrons.

The Value of Retention

Most arts administrators know it is an endless and costly search to acquire new ticket buyers.

• It is estimated to cost 5 times more to obtain a first-time ticket buyer than it does to keep an existing customer.

• The Harvard Business School reports a 5 percent increase in customer retention can increase profits by at least 25%, and possibly up to 95%.

• A returning ticket buyer is likely to spend twice as much as a newly acquired patron.

• 9 out of 10 first-time buyers are not likely to return.

So it doesn’t take much to recognize the sound economic necessity of retaining your ticket buyers from one year to the next.

It's Yours to Earn

To a great extent, retention is tied to the loyalty your ticket buyers feel towards your company. But that implies the relationship flows from the customer to your organization.

It is much wiser to reverse the direction of the relationship: retention comes out of the emphasis and investment you place on customer service and overall experiences.

You have to earn that loyalty.

Putting it into Practice

• Customer retention needs to be embedded in the marrow of your organization and the actions of its people. Don’t wait until you are about to launch a new ticket campaign; instead work on retention throughout the year, so your ticket buyers are there when you need them.

• Your front line staff should be your ambassadors of customer retention and contributors to your patrons’ experiences. Give guidelines to your team, but give them flexibility to be responsive to situations as they arise. Fast, courteous service is key to great experiences.

• Get to know your ticket buyers through your data. Create a picture of them and understand why they attend your performances. Delve into the data to learn the attrition patterns. If you discover the patron life cycle is shorter than you thought, you have an opportunity to work towards extending the relationship.

• Use surveys to help collect information, so that you can better understand your ticket buyers. Go beyond basic satisfaction questions, and ask about their interests and motivations. And continually ask for feedback.

• When you receive feedback, you need to listen to it. A customer may not always be right, but their perceptions and opinions are right to them and that is what matters most. Try to understand the root cause of negative feedback, as there may be more to it than you were initially told.

• Relationships are based on interactions. If the interactions are few and far between, the relationships will have little substance and no staying power. Find frequent and varied opportunities to connect with your tickets buyers in order to deepen the relationships.

• Communicate with your patrons; don’t talk at them. Give your patrons value, and provide them with information. If you only focus on ticket sales, you will never build relationships. Also, communicate frequently, as you never want to give your patrons an opportunity to forget you.

• You know the service you want to provide to your customers, but do you know what they are actually experiencing? That subscription form that took so long to design may not be as user-friendly as you thought. The “on hold” music on the telephone may be completely inappropriate to your company’s brand.

• Set goals. Go back to your data and look at how many people bought tickets over two years and how many bought tickets in the first year only. What is your retention rate? Now consider what you will do in the next year to improve that rate and set a goal accordingly. If you reach a retention rate of 75% or 80%, you are doing well.

Final Quick Tips

• Send personalized welcome cards to first time buyers.

• Surprise people with unexpected gestures. It doesn’t have to be expensive - it is surprising the joy a little piece of chocolate can bring.

• Send a thank you email to your patrons following a performance.

• Immediately after a first-time experience, send new ticket buyers an incentive to return for an upcoming performance.

• Above all, be proactive.

The Takeaway

A lot of money and time goes into finding new ticket buyers, and the majority will not return. Invest in your current patrons and you save time and money on marketing, you have more people attending your performances, and you have a stronger bottom-line. Designing a customer retention strategy is not difficult or costly, but it does have to be deeply rooted throughout your organization. Customer retention is a mindset. Add greater loyalty and increased satisfaction to the already mentioned benefits, and you are well on your way to a long-term relationship with your patrons.

Thanks for reading. Paul

Are You Talking To Me? The Art Of Communicating

In a noisy world of cluttered, distracting marketing messages, it is a good question. Is anyone aware that you are trying to communicate to them? Have you actually captured the reader’s attention, not just once, but on an ongoing basis?

Much of traditional marketing is a one shot deal. Money is spent on ad campaigns that have limited shelf lives, and the worst part is you have no residual benefit when the campaign has run its course.

But, if you place relationships at the centre of your communications, then you have something that can be yours forever.

Relationships are built on trust, value and communication. Relationships are about talking with people, exchanging ideas and sharing interests.

Do You Even Know Who I Am?

Of course, if you want to relate to someone, you have to know to whom you are talking, and this is where personas come in.

Consider who is at the receiving end of your communications:

• Are they old or young?

• What is their income level and where do they live?

• What are their experiences with your art form?

• Are they long-time attendees, or are you trying to reach first time buyers?

• What are their interests in your company and what motivates them to attend your events?

• What are their connections to your company?

The more detail you have in describing the persona, the better you will understand your target audience and the greater chance you will have in crafting communications that will build relationships.

Split Personas?

As you work through this process, you may realize your target audience really has more than one persona. Just as you are unlikely to talk with an elderly relative as you would to a twenty-something, you are not likely to communicate in the same way to long-term donors and first-time audience members.

Multiple personas require multiple conversations and that means different communications directed at different target groups. Of course, this is not manageable for every arts organization, but the key point is you must define your target audience and write for that persona.

If you do not have enough data to describe your target persona, consider online surveys or place questionnaires in your programs. Organize a small team to circulate among the audience members at intermission and later share observations. Talk with your frontline staff, the ticket sellers and ushers, to learn from their own observations and experiences.

Because it takes at least two to have a conversation, you also need to consider your company’s persona. What does your company represent and what are its values? What are your company’s voice and tone when presenting its unique point of view? What is its personality?

Now We're Talking

Now that you have at least two personas, yours and your target audience, you can begin to craft a writing style that is personal and relatable. Instead of communicating from an impersonal business to the faceless masses, you can communicate person to person.

This type of communication is not about ‘we’ the company, but rather about ‘you’ the reader. It is not about ‘the sell’, but about sharing well chosen information and inspiring interest.

It is about individualizing your audience and caring about them as people. And most important, it is about building relationships that can be around for a long time.

The Takeaway: identify the persona or personas that describe your target audience, and understand your business’s personality and voice. Know the person to whom you are writing, offer inspiring communications and ‘talk’ with them as individuals. Establish trust and you are on your way to creating lasting relationships.

6 Strategies to Guarantee Productive, Purposeful Meetings

Our lives are full of meetings. Some are productive, but unfortunately many are not.

So much time is lost with wasteful, ill-conceived meetings. Imagine this scenario: a group of 10 people are scheduled to attend a 2-hour meeting. On average, it takes each member 30 minutes to travel to and from the meeting. That is a total of 30 hours, or almost an entire workweek, that has gone into that one meeting. It better have been worth it!

A couple of years ago, I vowed I would do what I could to lead meetings that valued time and the participants. Practice and experience taught me a lot.

Here are my six strategies that will help you lead productive and purposeful meetings.

Purpose: There should always be a good reason for people to drop what they are doing in order to attend a meeting. Even if the meeting schedule was set well in advance, make sure the original purpose is still valid.

Before confirming the meeting, you should be able to complete at least one of these statements: “We are getting together so that we can… because we need to… so that we can…”

If there is a clear, purposeful reason for the meeting, go ahead. If there isn’t, cancel it.

Prepare: When sending out the meeting confirmation, let the committee members know what is expected so that they can prepare for the meeting. I usually tell the group to read the circulated materials prior to the meeting, as we will only take questions and comments. In other words, the reports will not be read aloud at the meeting.

Of course, this means materials need to be prepared in advance, so that the committee members can prepare.

Plan: Before finishing a meeting, it is a good practice to plan what needs to be done at the following meeting. Review the questions that are awaiting answers and the tasks needing action. Document these in the minutes and include them in your next meeting reminder. It’s a great way to ensure your next meeting has purpose.

Participate: Do your best to get everyone to participate by calling upon each for their comments and questions. If you are dealing with an important topic and need full participation, tell the committee, prior to the meeting, that you will be going around the table asking every member for their feedback. Once again, the participants have the opportunity to prepare in advance.

Persistent: As the meeting leader, always be gently persistent. It’s your job to keep the conversation on topic, prevent individuals from dominating, and avoid unnecessary repetition. You may sometimes feel like an autocrat, but at the end of the meeting your colleagues will be happier to have experienced a well-run meeting that ends on schedule.

Professional: This means respecting your colleagues’ time and contributions. Prepare and conduct meetings like a professional and expect professionalism from your colleagues. The meetings do not have to be stuffy and formal, but you will be surprised what can be accomplished from a well-run meeting.

The Takeaway: Implement the six Ps of meeting management and you will find the quality and productivity of your meetings quickly improving. You may even find the duration of your meetings start to shorten.

Remember: Your meetings need purpose, planning and preparation. Get everyone to participate. And be persistent and professional.

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Thanks for reading The Takeaway, a concise digest of current ideas, curated especially for not-for-profit arts organizations. If you read a useful tip or discovered a new idea, please consider passing this page along to your friends and colleagues by using the share button below.

Paul

Quick Pitch in a Fast Machine

It is the oddest thing, but I often provide awkward answers to the question, “What do you do?” I obviously know what I do, but condensing experience and variety into one or two sentences, my elevator pitch, is not as easy as it may seem.

That is why I was intrigued to read Charles McFarland’s recent post Three Steps To Nail Your Elevator Pitch in which he suggests we flip the answer to the question. Instead of answering, “this is what I do”, Charles suggests we go further by answering, “this is what I can do for you.”

To find this new perspective, Charles offers three steps:

1.  Start by offering “an emotional reason why you do what you do.”

2. This will lead you to describe “How you achieve results and what exactly you do.”

3. And finally, close with a call to action.

Armed with this information, and intrigued with the notion of responding to the implied question “what’s in it for me?”, I decided to try out my own elevator pitch.

So, what do I do (for you)?

I enjoy the challenge of working with arts organizations that are seeking change, transformation and revitalization to help them reach their potential and achieve the success they desire. I accomplish this with years of experiences, inquiring investigation, and a lot of dedicated, hard work.

Thanks Charles.

January 4, 2015

3 Questions to Launch Your Content Marketing Strategy

Communications can be daunting and confusing. There are some many options today, it is difficult to know where to start, and there is so little time sort it out and launch a marketing campaign.

But, with a little time and a little preparation, you can develop a content marketing strategy that will get you on your way and give your communications some focus.

QUESTION 1. Who is your audience?

We are selective when we talk with different people. We do not choose the same words and tone, and we filter our topics, when we talk with our mothers, partners and strangers.

Before you start writing, consider your readership – your target audience, your ticket buyers, subscribers, and donors. Are you able to describe this group? Would you say there is a general homogeneity? Do you know anything about their lives and personalities? Do you know what connects them to your company and your artistry?

If you are not able to describe your audiences in general terms, you should find out about them. Talk with them at intermission. Solicit their feedback and ask them to complete surveys.

Once you have an idea of your audience, your can explore the appropriate tone and wording of your communications.

TIP: Multi-disciplinary programmers and presenters may want to consider segmenting their communication lists and developing different tones.

QUESTION 2. What are you trying to achieve?

It is easy and obvious to say we want to sell tickets. But challenge yourself to think beyond this. Do you want to raise the profile for your brand? Do you want to build a community of loyal fans? Do you want a platform to assert your artistic vision?

A short list of objectives will go a long way to helping you develop a consistent tone and guiding the selection of your topics and themes.

TIP: Make sure your communication objectives are matched to your business and artistic output. If not, success will be elusive, and you are very likely to confuse your audience.

QUESTION 3. What is your unique position and value?

All artists believe they have something unique to say through their art. It should not be any different with your communications. Consider what sets you apart from all the other theatre/dance companies, actors and musicians.

Finally, consider the value of your communications. Are you simply adding to a world of over-saturated media, or are you adding something of value?

The Takeaway:

Before your start writing your communications, take a little time to think about your content marketing strategy. Make sure you know for whom you are writing, and why. Communicate appropriately with the right tone, words and stories. And finally, write from your unique perspective so that you add value to the conversation.

Thanks for reading The Takeaway. If you read a useful tip or discovered a new idea, please consider passing this page along to your friends and colleagues by using the share button below.

And thanks for the inspiration: Rock-Star Content Marketing Strategy.

January 4, 2015

Some Thoughts On Content Marketing

Long ago, and well before I had heard the term ‘content marketing’, I discovered that sharing stories and information about music, dance and theatre had an amazing effect on building and retaining audiences. Rather than relying solely on the unrelenting deluge of advertising (‘buy tickets!’) and typical press releases, I wrote articles about the concerts I was presenting.

My best illustration of this is a jazz series I initiated despite the fact I knew nothing about jazz. Obviously, I had a lot to learn in order to succeed and to find an audience. I tackled both through research and writing.

Turning my budding knowledge into informative and chatty articles, I wrote out the instruments and rhythms of Cuban music, the history and harmonies of Delta blues, and the legacy and ladies of the Great American Songbook.

It was a good experience: I learned a lot, and the jazz series found a strong and loyal audience base.

Content Marketing is actually something of a misnomer. ‘Content’ refers to the curation of information that readers and audiences will find enlightening and valuable. The word ‘marketing’ is a little problematic, as the goal is not to sell, but rather to illuminate, illustrate, and share mutual interests.

Content marketing is powerful. It has the ability to establish trust and build relationships. It is eminently shareable through email and social media, easily increasing word-of-mouth. It differentiates your company from everyone else, and it places special attention, often with a unique perspective, on what you put on the stage.

Best of all, it really doesn’t cost a thing – except time and imagination. But, before you say you don’t have time, consider the benefits that far exceed a few hours of researching, thinking and writing.

The Takeaway: rather than placing yet another newspaper ad urging people to buy tickets, or writing another press release that will not likely see the light of day, communicate the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of your passions. You will find that people actually share your passions as they learn more about your interests and your art. 

Six Tips for Writing Content Marketing that Counts

Like anything, content marketing takes practice and dedication. Here are a few simple tips for getting started on writing content that will find an audience.

1. Give your readers a reason to care: your content should be focused, well written, and relevant. Tell your readers something they likely do not know.

2. Write for the reader: it’s not about you or your brand. Don’t sell or tell. Write as if you are talking to someone.

3. Offer pictures and videos: it is a quick and easy way to illustrate a point and tell a story. Plus, it is also very shareable.

4. Be creative: use your imagination and you can find interesting new angles about anything. If someone can write great content about bubble wrap, you can write awesome content about your art. In other words, don’t underestimate what people will find interesting.

5. Tell a story so people want to keep reading: it doesn’t have to be long, but give your writing some shape with an introduction, development and a conclusion. Spell check, get a critical second opinion, and then spell check again.

6. Keep writing: dole out one story over a few posts or keep coming up with new content, but don’t stop – this is a long term commitment for a long-term relationship.

My inspiration: 15 Content Nuggets

10 ATTENTION GRABBING TITLES TO BOOST YOUR READERSHIP

There is a lot riding on the title of your writing. It is said that eight out of ten people will read your title, and only two out of ten will carry on from there. You want the subject line to be good, eye-catching and inviting.

One of my best (I think) was "Wombats, Missiles and Radios", which was actually the title for a story about Christmas carols leading up to a typical seasonal sing-along concert.

Here are 10 sample titles that you can use to boost your readership and perhaps ever inspire a few stories.

1. How To Look Like A Diva In 10 Easy Steps

   • Write about stage make-up tricks and techniques

2. 20 Ways To Boost Your Inner Shakespeare

   • Research ways to sound like a Shakespearean play

3. Dieting Like A Dancer

   • Tell people about your eating habits when preparing for a performance.

4. So You Want To Be A Singer? (or Dancer, or Actor)

   • Give people a glimpse of what it is like to be a professional artist.

5. [Your Play], Then and Now

   • describe historical and current interpretations of the play.

6. My Most Frightening Moment On The Stage, or My Best Moment On The Stage

   • Tell your readers about something that went wrong or right during a performance.

7. What Everyone Should Know About Ibsen

   • Avoid the usual biographical information; find and relay interesting and unusual stories about the author/composer/choreographer.

8. En Pointe with Tutus

   • Offer a short history of dance (or theatrical) costumes.

9. So, What Really Goes On Behind The Scenes?

   • An introduction to the backstage world of your production.

10. Why Is The Green Room Never Green And Other Myths

    • There are lots of theatrical superstitions and oddities that will be fun to describe.

Some of these may seem a little over the top, and they will not suit every situation. You can use these titles as inspiration for your own creations, or you may copy them directly. No matter what, remember the goal is to pique the reader's curiosity so they go beyond the title.

My inspiration: How to Write Magnetic Headlines 102 Headline Writing Formulas

Thanks for reading The Takeaway. If you read a useful tip or discovered a new idea, please consider passing this page along to your friends and colleagues by using the share button below.

January 4, 2015

Fanvocates and Millennials

Turning Your Fans into Your Advocates

No doubt you have some fans. These are the people who regularly attend your performances, retweet your tweets and like your Facebook posts. Perhaps they make annual donations or buy subscriptions. You know them to see them and you probably know their names by heart.

Your fans also are your advocates... or at least they could be with a little extra attention on your part.

More and more we are hearing about ‘advocate marketing’ or ‘customer advocacy’. In this edition of The Takeaway, we have a quick look at the concept of what I am calling the 'fanvocate'.

• Discover new fanvocates in your social communities: Use HootSuite and other search tools for ‘social listening’. Find out who’s talking about you and say thank you. Don't be shy.

• Identify opportunities for fanvocates to help: You don’t have to respond to or comment on everything. Why not invite some of your fans to do this for you?

• Mobilize your fanvocates to do more: Come up with some fun and engaging ways to encourage advocates to do even more for you. How about awarding badges or points?

• Tap into the synergies of advocacy marketing and social media: Everyone talks about word-of-mouth. Why not encourage it to new heights?

• Give your fanvocates targeted communications: Develop a program around valuable opportunities with tailored messages.

• Celebrate your fanvocates and give them a great experience: Help your fan base grow while avoiding attrition with recognition, awards and learning experiences.

The Takeaway?  You probably have advocates waiting in the wings. They are just waiting to be asked, and you know peer-to-peer advocacy is powerful. So why not consider developing a simple and manageable program to turn your fans into advocates?

The Millenial Advocate

Up to the minute: Millennials check their smartphones 43 times per day and most will view email on the day it was received.

Socially connected: Five out of six Millennials connect with companies through social media at a rate that outstrips newsfeeds, email and search engines.

Passing it along: Millennials will share six pieces of content via social media and five via email on a typical day.

Instantly gratifying: Millennials consider speed of response very important.

The Takeaway?  Get them onside with relevant and share-worthy communication and you just might find Millennials  among your influential advocates.

Thanks for reading The Takeaway. If you read a useful tip or discovered a new idea, please consider passing this page along to your friends and colleagues by using the share button below.

Thank you for the ideas:

Millennials Check Their Smartphones 43 Times a Day 3 Strategies for Building a Brand Advocacy Program How to Identify and Mobilize Your Company's Biggest Advocates on Social Media

June 1, 2014