Americans for the Arts

Many of us in the arts administration world have experienced ticket sales panic when it comes to new or unusual works. How do we get people to take a chance on something they’ve never heard of, when we’re literally scientifically conditioned to resist change?

What if nonprofit organizations considered their funders as customers in the classical business sense—with problems that needed solving? How would they relate to them then? Would it not change interactions, communications, and messaging? 

It is our opportunity to make the performing arts a memorable experience by making connections at every customer touchpoint. We work hard to connect with subscribers online all year, but also to reach them in person at least twice per year when they are at our venue. 

Gaps in perception. Limitations of perspective. Failings of imagination. We can call them many things, but we all have them. And when it comes to building audiences for our arts organizations, they can really cause us trouble.

Who are you thinking about when you’re activating audiences? Who are you inviting to the conversation with your marketing campaign? Who are you missing? Who are you leaving out, intentionally or not?

How often have you felt that if your arts organization only had more data, you could reach new audiences? But if you only gather data from a pool of individuals who are already paying attention, then you are missing out on a much-needed conversation with new audiences.

The digital landscape is crowded, and with human attention spans coming in at 8.25 seconds (yes, that’s shorter than the attention span of a goldfish), arts marketers need to create content that not only stands out but also helps them connect with their audiences.