Social Media and Marketing

Anne Longmore, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir:  Social media – Facebook remains the best, since it cuts across all ages/demographics.

Adam Reinwald, National Lutheran Choir mentioned that Fridays, 3-4pm central time, there is a UK-based Twitter conversation called #choralhour.

Lindsey, of Cathedral Choral Artists, in DC mentioned that they have increased their expenditure on Facebook over 5 years now up to $1000 per concert (!!!) and have hit the sweet spot with Facebook ads – they sold 1800 seats in their fall concert (out of 2000).  They considered that concert sold out!

Adam Reinwald of National Lutheran Choir (Mpls, MN) said his organization has done away with all print marketing! They have eliminated their Facebook boosts.  He is very interested that Lindsey at Cathedral Choral Artists has increased ticket sales using paid Facebook ads. The NLC also DOES NOTE promote on NPR stations anymore (paid advertising) because it has not resulted in an increase in ticket sales.  What used to be a marketing budget has turned into giving away free tickets to friends of loyal users, then that second wave of people coming is used again in the same way (NLC gives free tickets to their friends). They also offer FREE tickets to EVERYONE under 26 as of this last year, and their survey results show that it gets in the most people in the door.  “Ideally those folks do their marketing for you.”  It’s offered to all subscription holders. They do collect emails from all these users.

NLC is moving to a cloudware called Patron Manager – Adam says it’s really valuable if you are doing ticket sales in-house.

Crowdfunding:  The New Age of Fundraising Solutions for Choirs

Amy Harkins Byers

We cannot rely on one fundraising source.

If you have a 501c3, you cannot use donation-based crowdfunding, you have to do a give back program on Kickstarter, Power2Give, or Fund Fine Arts

Amy loves Fund Fine Arts:  it’s a mobile app:

• no upfront costs
• zero inventory
• earn anywhere from 77% -98% in profit, (lower amounts will get 77% profit, $100-200 will be in the 80%’s of profit, minus the 3.5% PayPal charge
• offers a Give-Back to all

Jane is registered for a webinar on Fund Fine Arts at 2pm on June 27.