Schoolin' Life

Today I accepted the position as Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the Performance Network Theatre in Ann Arbor! I will finish my degree in Arts Management as I start this new journey! Thank you to Ken Stevens, Pam Cardell, The Staff ad Board of Performance Network, EMU Theatre, MASS MoCA, and all the lovely people I call family!
Let's get to work!

How Does Social Media Work?

As a part of the Symposium Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Eastern Michigan University I was granted the opportunity to perform a field research project on social media. My mentor, Ken Stevens, hired me as EMU Theatre’s Social Media Specialist. Read along to gain insight on EMU Theatre’s use of social media and hopefully be inspired to apply these discoveries to YOUR organization.

In the beginning stages of my research I sat down with EMU Theatre to figure out their goals in terms of marketing. One of the goals: Increase Social Media Initiative.

As you can see, there are many social media forums, however,

 I will discuss Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogger, and Tumblr.

While we were accomplishing the marketing goals I was able to develop my thesis:

Steady streams of current and positive content generate an active online audience interaction.

This was my scholarly way of saying: If you post frequently and tactfully, people are going to respond. 

But before we go any further there are TWO RULES that you must move apply before you venture into your organization’s social media initiative:

1. Do not fear your own voice. An audience does not need APA formatted blogs to appreciate the content. Let the voice inside your head spill onto your blogs and posts. Your audiences will appreciate the authenticity.
2. Do not fear a small audience. It is better to have a small group of people who actually care about your content, than a large audience who have no emotional investment in your brand.

Can we move on? GREAT!

One question I hear a lot when an organization is contemplating incorporating social media is, “Why would we do it?”  What do organizations gain from social media? Do Facebook “likes” and Re-Tweets equal dollar signs?” Not exactly. But the benefit to a social media presence is the ACTIVE ONLINE AUDIENCE INTERACTION. You are able to interact with your customer before, during, and after their actual interaction with your product.

Personally, I use Facebook as EMU Theatre’s social media tool. It is easy to share content such as photos, videos, anecdotes, and blogs. Not to mention it has 483 million daily active users.

When I began my job in August, EMU Theatre had 218 Active Monthly Facebook Users, which means 218 Facebook users have interacted with our brand in the past month. Today, our Weekly Reach (meaning the number of people who view our content in their feed within a week) is consistently 7,500+ users (and that number continues to grow!). 

How did we do it?

MORE CONTENT: Photos, videos, anecdotes, and blogs.

Recent Facebook success has come from sharing all types of content but photos particularly generate enormous amounts of responses. Your organization can do its own form of pulling back the curtain and allowing audiences to see the behind-the-scenes work. We share the entire process with our online audience from rehearsal photos, to our first rehearsals in the theatre, to show photos. We also create themed archive albums to bring back pictures from past productions.

Rehearsal

Full Performance

Many questions arise with tools such as Twitter and blogging. EMU Theatre uses Twitter to CONNECT WITH PEOPLE in 140 characters or less. 

By using the #DeadMansCellPhone hashtag we were able to discover UFV Theatre, a university theatre in Canada who was also doing a production of Dead Man’s Cell Phone on the same weekend. We were able to share photos and tell each other to “Break Legs” (because sometimes Theatre People actually say that). Did this put more butts-in-seats? Not exactly. But EMU Theatre actively created a conversation about our service while enhancing business-to-business networking.

Our success with Youtube was a product of listening to our audience. We began to notice our most popular content was the promotion of our students. We embarked on a web series called Inside the EMU Actor's Studio in which I interviewed actors, directors, and designers of upcoming shows. 

 

I had read in many social media blogs to create a series of one type of video that would appeal to a specific audience, rather than making many different videos to appeal to all types of people.

Blogging is another forum organizations claim to have “nothing to say”. This is simply untrue. A dental office could not only send postcards about new equipment, but they could blog about it too! A restaurant could commission their workers to blog about who they are and why they enjoy their job. Trust me. The content is there. Remember the first rule? Do not fear your own voice. I mean it, people! Who cares if no one reads it right away! Get ahead of the game! Challenge yourself.

(click here for EMU Theatre's blog!)

Finally, we used Tumblr for our national and international reach. Simply open a Tumblr account and click around. You will see how easy it can be to connect with people from all over the world who share very specific interests such as Shakespeare, cabaret, Moliere, etc.

(Awesome photo I found on Tumblr!)

This is all great…But how do people find your content in the first place and why do they come back?

1. Start Tagging: "Tagging" a nifty word for a way to direct searches to your content. Each form of social media uses its own “tagging” system. I highly encourage you, whenever you open a new social media site, explore the tagging system. This will help audiences, who are looking for the content you’re posting, find your content. (These are example tags for EMU Theatre: theatre, theater, musical theater, acting, auditions, Shakespeare, cabaret, physical theatre, commedia dell arte, etc.)
2.  STOP SHOUTING! No one cares about a mediocre post.

(Click here for more info about Shouting)

See. Who acts like this crazy guy? People don’t repeat ordinary information anymore. For example: Instead of posting, “Guys and Dolls opens on April 13! Don’t miss it!”  Try, “When the lights come up, enter into the 1940’s. Guys and Dolls. April 13-21.” Make it about the emotion! 


If you're still not convinced. EMU Theatre promoted a special late-night performance of Dead Man's Cell Phone through social media and word of mouth. The result? 180+ students attended the special event! Our social media numbers continue to grow, and we have a lot of fun producing content!


I am challenging you and your organization to pump up your social media use.Think of it as a creative task. You never know, you may learn something new about yourself or your organization. Just remember…

1. Do not fear your own voice.
2. Do not fear a small audience.
3. Start tagging.
4. STOP SHOUTING!

#NAMPC

Thanks to generous scholarships and supportive mentors, I was able to attend The National Arts Marketing Project Conference (NAMPC) in Louisville (Loo-ah-vull), KY. If we didn't get a chance to meet face-to-face OR we did and you simply can't remember the hundreds of names that ran through your ears - My name is Marissa Kurtzhals (aka @immastereo). I am the Social Media Specialist at Eastern Michigan University Theatre and I'm currently working on my undergrad in Arts Management.

Here's What I Learned at NAMPC

1) Conferencing is Intense.

Waking up served its challenges. Between the traveling, amazing conversations, informative seminars, and lots and lots of free food - fellow NAMPC-ers can probably relate to my thoughts every morning, "How am I going to make it through today?" Most of us relied on outside resources for that critical boost...

2) Arts Marketers Love Their Coffee.

Once that first sip hit my lips - I WAS GOOD TO GO! There were power stations (free coffee) throughout the day which had long lines stretched before them filled with rabid #caffeinejunkies.

3) Twitter is Awesome (Yes @unmarketing...Awesome).

One of my goals for the conference: Be Better With Twitter. Mission accomplished! My followers more than doubled and I was able to meet up with the marketing director of Stratford Shakespeare Festival just by tweeting her! It got to the point that I knew more people by their twitter names, than I did their actual names (@fuzzydinosaur, @littlewhits).  

4) Everyone Else Thinks Twitter is Awesome (a Little TOO Awesome).

If you were tweeting at NAMPC - I don't really need to explain...WE TOOK OVER TWITTER! We took it over so much that we couldn't even use it! Looking back, this makes me proud, but at the time - I was not happy with this inconvenience. Luckily, I got my nerd on the day before and created a NAMPC Twitter list (@immastereo/namp) of all the tweeters who were tweeting about NAMPC. The list was able to take the lead when the hash tag - #NAMPC experienced a tremendous surge and people followed my list! Did you hear that @EMUTheatre?? They were following MY list!

5) Curiosity is Key.

As you've clearly noticed by now, this is not by any means a comprehensive summary of the content that was offered at the conference. However, I would like to share some substantial pieces of info I gathered.

• You can (and should) tailor dynamic pricing to your organization.
• Google Analytics is a must.
• Your brand is determined by your audience.
• Seriously, stop shouting on social media sites.
• When it hits the fan - it's not time to hide behind the fan - it's time to be awesome.

6) Theatre People are My People.

On Saturday, the lunch tables were labeled so you could choose with which group to chat. Some of the tempting options included Emerging Leaders, Blogging, Advertising, and Visual Arts. I began frightfully wandering throughout the room - scanning every table - and came across...ONE OF THE THEATRE TABLES! Everyone was extremely friendly (as you can see) and we had great conversations!

7) It Doesn't Come Often...But NAMPC Sleep is Beautiful.

A belly full of room service and a brain full of ideas...this girl slept HARD every night. (This bed was more comfortable then my bed at home.)

8) Connections are Priceless.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the conference early and get back to reality (school). But on my way back to Ypsilanti, Michigan, I stopped at Danelle Cheney's apartment in Cincinnati. Danelle is a graphic designer at the Cincinnati Art Museum and one of my best pals. She let me stay with her and made me breakfast for dinner. What a pal. I met so many amazing people from some notable organizations (The Public Theater, Long Wharf Theater, Jacob's Pillow, and Arena Stage). AND I chatted with Bob Lynch...I felt like I was meeting a celebrity.

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped me prepare for my trip! Dr. Bill Fennal, Ken Stevens, Pam Cardell, Susan Badger Booth, Katherine Myers, August Rosa, Wendy Kivi, Emily Clarkson, Danelle Cheney, and Mama K.

(excuse my gigantic looking finger and check out EMU Theatre's blog!!)

Why Don't People Like Art?

Well Hello.

This would be my first personal blog. But I will say that I've written many-a-blogs in my day. I completed my internship at MASS MoCA in June and now I'm working for Eastern Michigan University Theatre. Both jobs require(d) me to blog blog blog blog blog. So why not start my own eh?

This semester I have finally completed EVERY single gen ed requirement and all of my courses are for my major, which is Arts Management (I also have minors in Marketing and Theatre Communications. Woo!)

As a part of my minor, I decided to take a course called Sports and Events Marketing, taught by Professor Sam Fullerton. I figured, "Why not? We're both selling the same concept - Entertainment as a service." The only difference, I have found, are the numbers. As I'm reading the book for class, I see stats that tell me that sports are the 11th largest industry in the U.S. I realize that they DO have a pretty outstanding merchandise platform and practically built-in loyalty, but how are they able to sell out events on a regular basis? Arts orgs are pretty much happy with any attendance they get!

But why? I asked my beloved Mother and she said, "Well...not everyone can paint or act. But basically anyone can grab a basketball and shoot a couple hoops." My Mom is right. And that is just wrong.

But she brings up a good point.  Do people really think they CAN'T draw? or dance? or craft? I mean...I totally understand feeling a little shown up when you're standing in front of a Renoir or watch a youtube video of Martha Graham, but why does this scare people? Shouldn't it inspire them? But I suppose I understand. Fortunately, my family is fairly athletic so I have an appreciation for sports. However, if I asked my theatre friends to "shoot some hoops" or go to an EMU Football game, they'd look at me like I was insane. (Note: But pretty much anyone would go to a Red Wings or Tigers game...I mean...Let's get real.)

But why does the high school football team - who barely won a third of their season - get a new field and the drama club - who brings home state trophies - not even have a working drinking fountain in the green room? (What? I'm not bitter.)

...I don't have an exact solution for this dilemma, that's why I'm going to school. But sometimes it's good to read let these things out. We all know it. So someone needs to say it. Well here you have it: SPORTS GET MORE ATTENTION THAN THE ARTS. There.


I believe the solution to the problem (if the problem is addressed from an arts administrative stand-point) begins with education. I believe if elementary and secondary education can genuinely excite children and invite them into the arts community - they will beg their parents until - they too are passionate about the arts. Sports can be a huge part of family tradition, and that is where consumer habits form.


Now let me clarify something...Yes. My future job is in the arts. And yes, I most certainly want to earn a living off of my career. But my concerns have nothing to do with the bottom line. My choice in my education is deeply rooted in my belief that our existence could simply not function without the arts.


I will stifle this tangent for a future blog. I have many thoughts and opinions about the arts and I am always searching for the thoughts an opinions of others.


Comments are (obviously) more than welcomed. Keep reading =]