“Social networking”
Ten years ago the phrase “social networking” was obsolete but now it has consumed many of our lives. Social networking covers a host of different tools that allow one to broadcast their life to the world, or just their close friends. There lies the beauty of social media, it allows people to connect with others in ways that they had not before through outlets that best fit their life. With the overwhelming presence of social media in the modern day world, marketers for all types of organizations have been able to change their marketing strategies to utilize these new outlets. With the information gathered about ones life from the social media outlets they use, marketing plans are now tailored to individuals thus affording consumers a more personal relationship with many of their favorite organizations while introducing them to new organizations as well.
Marketing can be summarized as “those activities which occur at the interface between the organization and its customers,” with the end result being, “that customers will conduct exchanges with the marketer’s organization, rather than with the other” (Blythe 2). While the concept of marketing remains the same for organizations of many different types, the focus may be different for an arts based organization or an organization that is involved in cultural productions. Marketing for the arts is defined as “an integrated management process which sees mutually satisfying exchange relationships with customers as the route to achieving organizational and artistic objectives” (Hill 1).
An arts or culture based organization doesn’t simply want consumers to buy their product, they want consumers to have an educational, and more importantly, emotional experience with their organization. The arts are meant to move people to think in new and different ways, which in turn affects the ways that their events and companies must be marketed. Because of the low cost of social media and the large amount of people that they reach, social media outlets have become an effective way for arts marketers to reach potential audiences.
Facebook, Twitter, and personal blogs have become part of most people’s daily routine. When one gets home from work or school, or often during work or school, they immediately go to Facebook to update their status and tell their family and friends what their day was like. Then later, as they are cooking dinner they might tweet a picture of the dish they are preparing. Another common part of many evening routines is now to sit down at one’s computer and write a blog post about something funny that happened in the day, or publish some insight about one’s personal life. The global society is becoming increasingly dependent on the Internet and social media for their information and with this dependency comes a great opportunity for arts marketers.
It is no secret that arts organizations often rely on government funding or donations for their monetary support and consequently funding an in-depth marketing plan becomes difficult. Social media is a great way for these organizations to engage in marketing at a low cost. Organizations can make a free page on Facebook or profile on Twitter as well as producing a blog for their organizations.
Facebook pages are a good way for potential audience members to receive general information about an organization. These pages contain much of the same information as an organization’s website would, but because of the convenience of Facebook they have the potential to be viewed more. Young people are often more comfortable with the Facebook format and will directly search for products or information on Facebook instead of going to an organization’s website. A Facebook page also allows one to “like” or become a fan of the page or organization so that they can receive updates about upcoming events. Patrons can also connect with the organization on a more personal level by uploading pictures of themselves at an event to the page wall which gives the organization positive exposure to the patron’s friends as well.
Twitter is also a wonderful opportunity to keep audiences interested in attending performances. Fans of the organization can follow them on Twitter and then view all of the organizations tweets. While tweets can only be 140 characters, it is easy to send out one attention-grabbing message that gets readers interested so that they look for more information or click on a link attached to the tweet. By tweeting promotional offers of “buy one get one free” tickets where patrons just need to reference the tweet, it can significantly boost ticket sales for a performance that is not selling well enough.
Twitter also allows an organization more control over how they choose to interact with their patrons. A Twitter based marketing strategy that is gaining popularity is something commonly referred to as “tweet seats.” These new seats are special spots set aside for audience members who would like to tweet during the performance of a play or classical music concert about what they are seeing and their personal reaction to it (Freedman). The tweets are often directed at the organization’s Twitter page that has an intern or employee receiving and responding to the tweets in real time (Freedman). Tweet seats are most popular among younger audience members and have been an excellent way to make new attendees feel comfortable in what can sometimes be a pretentious environment (Freedman).
Additionally, blogs of all types can be an asset to arts organizations marketing efforts. If an organization has its own blog, it is possible for many employees to contribute ideas and articles so that patrons feel that they are getting to know the people of the organization, not just attending events. Blog posts that feature a behind the scenes look at a specific production are also a beneficial way to raise awareness of upcoming events. If an audience member has a particularly good experience at an event or performance they may dedicate a post on their personal blog to the experience, giving the arts organization greater exposure.
The use of marketing is an essential factor for any organizations survival. All organizations are trying to sell something so as to achieve a certain goal, and while there can be great diversity in the product being presented and the end result desired, marketing strategies must be employed. In the world’s developed societies where most everyone has a smart phone where they routinely update their Facebook and Twitter accounts, marketing has no choice but to adapt to these changes. While the core principles and concepts of marketing remain the same, the introduction of social media has changed the way we live as individuals and receive information as consumers for the better.
Works Cited
Blythe, Jim. Essentials of Marketing. 3rd ed. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
Freedman, Richard, and Karen D’Souza. “The ‘tweet Seats’” Times-Herald. Vallejo Times-Herald, 5 Feb. 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. <http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_19898166>.
Hill, Liz, Catherine O’Sullivan, and Terry O’Sullivan. Creative Arts Marketing. 2nd ed. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003. Print.