Today, after updating local media information and starting a social networking/facebook plan for Sisters Art Works, I finally understood how much the world of marketing is constantly changing. While I am a devoted facebooky, I had not seen my way clear of joining the twitter revolution until this very day. Having an impromptu marketing meeting this afternoon, I realized the power of social networking if utilized properly.
The bare bones of arts marketing is the same as as any business and industry. The Main Goals are:
1. Target appropriate audiences
2. Get your message out
3. Track audiences and marketing results
4. Create feedback and communication loops that link back to products and services
Simply put, “the primary aim of arts marketing is to bring an appropriate number of people into an appropriate form of contact with the artist, and in so doing to arrive at the best financial outcome that is compatible with the achievement of that aim.” This is according to Keith Diggle, author of Arts Marketing and Keith Diggle’s Guide to Arts Marketing. Both of these titles were new to me, despite covering much ground in the area of arts marketing in my research. I found that Diggle was included in this synopsis of arts marketing definitions by HEC Montreal.
The current conundrum is to harness social networking into an effective marketing strategy rather than a jumbled mess of tweets and updates. Because arts and cultural organizations aim to benefit the general public, it is much harder to accomplish the 4 Main Marketing Goals as stated above.
The question is: How can arts institutions utilize social networking without letting it take over the organization’s real goal – the art?
For instance – say I start a facebook site for my arts organization, get a boatload of friends, update until I’m blue in the face, notice an increase in younger attendees, then these same audiences turn to a new networking medium and leave facebook and my arts organization behind. Certainly, this is the fear of many arts administrators. However, despite the initial investment of time and resources, social networking must be a key strategy for arts organizations looking to tap into a younger audience.
Examples of successful social networking abound: The League of American Orchestra’s The Hub is remarkably similar to networking sites with orchestra updates and the “industry buzz”.
Boing Boing has elements of twitter in its frequent updates on the arts and culture, among other things.
My first step for Sisters Art Works was to create a facebook page. Lets see where it goes from here….
Clearly, I’ll have to rethink my aversion to twitter one day. Similarly, arts marketers need to stop thinking of social networking as the enemy and a waste of time. There will be far more opportunities for the arts to maintain cultural relevance if they do.
Find more like this: Mulling on Marketing
