The Arts Presenters conference wrapped up earlier this week. Some of my favorite sessions are always the ones organized by the North American World Music Coalition (thank you, Alison Loerke!), who this year teamed up with the Summer Outdoor Festivals and Presenters. As I sat in a session titled "Fresh Perspectives: Capturing Audiences Through E-Marketing," I constantly updated my Facebook status so that others not in attendance could "listen" to the conversation and ideas. Moderator: Anastasia Tsioulcas – American editor
of Gramophone Magazine and a freelance writer/editor, New York City; Panelists:
Mehmet Dede, Bookings & Marketing at Drom, New York City; Chad Herzog,
Director of the Performing Arts at Juniata College, State College,
Pennsylvania.
Here is a transcript of my notes on Facebook:
9:16am: APAP
session on Emarketing, panelists are bragging about their URLs :)
9:17am: APAP
Emarketing session handout at http://www.tinyurl.com/apap1909.
9:19am: Chad
Herzog panelist from Juanita College tests out his Emarketing on a focus group
first.
9:22am: Including
his grandmother.
9:23am: Panelist
Mehmet Dede says his venue still uses direct mail.
9:24am: panelist
Mehmet wants to add music jukebox to his venue's website.
9:25am: Panelist
Chad considers their electronic space their third venue (in addition to 2 physical
venues).
9:28am: Panelist
Chad says their Facebook content is more organic than their website, which I
thinks means more dynamic, more freq updated.
9:29am: His FB
page has more interaction w audience, corrolary events, RSVPs, etc. A cmnty org
put together separate event relevant to a performance, on their own.
9:32am: panelist
Mehmet is praising flavorpill, daily candy, YouTube; and facilitator Anastasia
is surprised how few presenters are posting artists' performances.
9:33am: Audience
question: are u getting rights to post video; Anastasia says artists are
providing content.
9:36am: Mehmet
says emarketing is not just about getting people to show, but about retaining
audience with post performance footage, etc.
9:37am: JDub
label's Aaron Bisman says his youngest mrkting staff says Facebook event
updates from musicians/labels pisses people off, FB is a personal space.
9:38am: Anastasia
says 5 pm is magic time when workers start deciding what to do that night.
9:45am: Audience
asked what to do abt negatv online feedback; Chad: I love it, usly community
responds and I don't have to do anything.
9:49am: Community
uploaded tattoos of dance performers and had photo contest online.
9:53am: Audience
asked about cost of SMS text blasting; Chad says there is short code u can buy.
9:54am: Cost is
around $1000; google ‘SMS short code;’ u have to set up a server or contract
someone to do it.
10:00am: I asked
for data about how much time it takes to recruit 100 FB friends for a venue,
and which online tools including automation are really working for...
10:01am: Mehmet
says u need 3 weeks lead time for online promo.
10:03am: Audience
asked how to ensure links in eblasts are not dead.
10:06am: Mehmet
says Buzzd.com is another option.
10:09am: Audience
mmbr says it all dpnds on what yer audience wants in terms of not angering
them; accoladearts.net is going to put up a white paper on setting up SMS text
blasting.
10:11am: Audience
mmbr says another service for artists is called Mozes and another called
kadoink; geographic SMS outreach systems.
10:12am: Audience
member says ‘when are we going to stop printing brochures?’
10:15am:
FingerLakes stopped printing brochures and only got 14 phone calls of
protest; so they have a mailing list of 14 and they send them printed version
of their website.
10:20am: Mehmet
is plugging widgets; company called Wix.com, tools to update MySpace and FB,
more personal look; Giant Step used it, adding motion to emailer flyer...
10:21am:
Anastasia is plugging Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
10:25am: Chad
plugs Flip Mino video cam which he gives to house staff to spontaneously intrvw
audience mmbrs.
