5 Cost-Effective Ways to Increase Your Reach
By Kayla Mahoney – January 17, 2018
Whether you’re producing a comedy show, a play, a concert, or Moana sing-a-long, the name of the game is getting butts in seats. But how do you do that without devaluing your brand, wasting your budget promising audience members free bitcoins with every ticket purchase, or forcibly carrying millennials one by one into the venue? With these 5 ways, you can sell out your next show and help grow your audience without breaking the bank.
1. Make a Great First Impression
The best way to get a repeat patron is to make a great first impression. Look at the experience from the patron’s point of view. Is it easy to find your event and buy tickets? Make your process as easy as possible so your ticketing site doesn’t end up a vast wasteland of abandoned carts and forgotten dreams. When the attendee comes to your event how are they welcomed? As Tiiu Rebane, Patron Services Manager at San Francisco Playhouse says, “We have warm and welcoming faces in the front lines (box office, bar and front-of-house staff), a real live human welcoming them in a speech from the stage instead of a recording, and targeted follow up thank you emails/surveys.” All these things add up to create an emotional feeling for your new customer which will be a deciding factor if they want to come back.
2. Create Compelling Content
Creating and promoting content is a great way for audiences to get a taste of your show and want more. Producing a comedy night? Link the comics previous work or website. Maybe write a blog about your performer or show. Like this one. You’re reading this, aren’t you? Interesting and exciting content can help you gain fans even before they’ve seen a show, and keep fans long after their ticket stubs start to fray in the pages of their scrapbooks. Sometimes half the battle of putting on a show is getting people to know it exists, so once you’ve hooked them with your content amuse bouche, it’s way easier to feed them the main event course.
3. Establish Strong Partnerships
Finding your audience is not just about who you know would love your event, but who you don’t know that would love your event. Wait, what? Simply put, think outside your comfort audience zone when promoting your show. Expanding your target audience horizons can get you access to individuals who wouldn’t cross your path with your regular marking strategies. Shake it up and you might strike audience gold. Or audience bitcoin, whichever is worth more when you read this. Don’t believe us? Just ask Paul Chalker, Marketing and PR Manager at The Chapel, “Hands down the single most effective way to reach new audiences is through partnerships. Find other local (or national) businesses that share similar ideals as your venue and connect with them, make partnerships with them and get creative. The only way to build your brand and extend your reach is to let your marketing efforts multiply, and partnerships help you to do just that.”
4. Connect with Your Audience
Whether on social media or IRL, interacting with your audience is key to making sure they feel welcome and appreciated. It could be a shout out online for a “like,” or free glass of wine at a show for purchasing a ticket in advance. Small gestures go a long way to ensure a one time fan is a lifelong fan. Tiiu Rebane adds, “It is so important, on so many levels, to connect with your audience! That’s what not only keeps them coming back but what hopefully turns them into believers and mouthpieces for your organization. With all the competition out there on stage and on screen, that personal touch translates directly to company growth and sustainability. We keep our lobby well-staffed and I know most of our subscribers and donors by name, and when a new subscriber joins (or asks about joining) I do my best to make them feel appreciated and aware of the perks. I feel like this place is my second home, and I want our patrons to feel the same.”
5. Run Contests
If you want to get the word out, running contests is a great way to get leads for little investment. Entering a contest is easy, fun, and exciting for customers who will love the thrill of a win, even if the ticket cost is low. Everyone who entered your contest now at least knows about your show and is one step closer to being a paying seat-sitter. Paul Chalker says, “Run ticket giveaways and contests through partner channels. Utilize their customers, social media audience, and email lists.”
Whether you want to increase ticket sales, expand your reach, or just get your name out there, following these 5 steps will start you on your path to sold-out crowds. Play your cards right and your tickets could be hotter than a show where Beyonce and Justin Beiber dance battle at the Olympics.
Want help growing your audience? RushTix can help your next event succeed using all these steps and more! Learn More
[show-testimonials alias=’Kayla’]