A presentation outline by Marc van Bree

Changing environments: flip the funnel

Change is the only constant and in this era of flux we need to adapt our marketing communications accordingly. The cultural environment is changing, in terms of proliferation and participation, the media environment is changing, in terms of proliferation, fragmentation and vanishing traditional arts coverage, and the business and marketing environments are changing.

We can broadly distinguish three core stages of the end-to-end performing arts experience: the courting and purchasing process, the event itself, and the follow up. I’ll look at the way orchestras have long brought in new patrons and how they have treated those patrons at and after the concert. And I’ll ask: what if we turned things, quite literally, around? What if we flipped the traditional marketing funnel? And what is the role of social media?

The how and if of social media adoption among orchestras

In October and November, 2009, I sent around a survey to orchestra marketing, communications and web managers at American orchestras. The survey was designed to collect details about the state of social media, ranging from budget size and time allotment to attitudes and goals.

Social media activities, familiarity and usage seem to be widespread among orchestras. Managers find social media important and organizations are generally enthusiastic. However, the efforts are far from organized and strategic. It seems many orchestras are dipping their feet in the social media pool, but do not have the policies, budgets, and metrics in place to effectively use the tools at their disposal, even if they do recognize the need for checks and balances.

It seems, in other words, that orchestras are at the brink of a strategic approach to social media, but have yet to jump. I’ll look at recommendations stemming from the survey results for organizations to formalize their goals, plans, policies, teams, budgets and performance measures to create a comprehensive social media strategy.

Evaluating your social media efforts

It is important to approach your social media strategy from an integrated marketing communications perspective. This means, in terms of evaluating, you will touch on both sales or commerce and behavior or policy change.

While I wholeheartedly believe social media should be used for sales and commerce purposes – as long as you play by the new rules of social media – and that those efforts should be measured, the first and foremost reason for engaging in social media should come from a mission statement-inspired goal.

I’ll look at a nine step process – from determining what you will evaluate to estimating your evaluation budget – of measuring and evaluating your social media efforts.

With these concepts in mind – from the changing environment to evaluating your efforts – you should have the information and tools to strategically map your own social media plan.

About Marc van Bree

Dutch native Marc van Bree is a public relations practitioner with a broad experience communicating – on and offline – in the nonprofit and cultural environment. He blogs at Dutch Perspective on the intersection of communications, culture and social media. Recent projects include the “Orchestras and Social Media Survey” and an ebook “Orchestras and New Media: A Complete Guide.”

Marc provides communications and social media consulting for nonprofits and cultural institutions. He is currently employed as public affairs associate at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. At Chapin Hall, he implements research dissemination strategies and produces events and conferences.

Marc joined Chapin Hall from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, one of the world’s premier orchestras, where he served as public relations coordinator and later as publicist. At the Chicago Symphony, Marc took on an active role in the organization’s online communications strategy. He developed the CSO’s first online, multimedia press room; initiated the organization’s Facebook and Twitter pages, reaching nearly 10,000 fans; built relationships with industry and local bloggers; and managed weekly dynamic Web content for BP CSO Radio Broadcasts.

Marc graduated cum laude from Columbia College Chicago, the nation’s largest arts and communications college, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing Communication and a concentration in Public Relations.

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Schlagwörter: Marc van Bree, Orchestermarketing, Orchestra Marketing, Social Media Strategie, Social Media Strategy, sprecher10