The Internet as a Marketing Tool

The Internet is one of the most effective marketing tools available to you. Your website is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week promotion machine.

A great website allows you to interface with your customers and potential customers. You can use your site to inform your audience of events, sell tickets and merchandise, even provide a virtual community that allows your patrons to interact with you and each other.

You can also use the Internet to conduct research on your audience — directly, through polling, or indirectly, by capturing information on how they navigate your site.

Your Website Enables You to:

»	Build awareness of the organization.
»	Help with new audience development.
»	Position the organization in the community.
»	Promote and market 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
»	Answer questions from current and potential patrons which frees up staff.
»	Provide another means for customers to contact you.
»	Can be updated quickly with changes in programs, schedules, activities.
»	Save money on postage, mailings, brochures.

Arts marketing on the Internet complements other marketing activities. Include your website address in other promotional pieces/advertising.

Tips for Effective Arts Website Management

»	Define goals: What is the purpose of the website? What do we want people to do when they are there?
»	Respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Unanswered e-mail turns off a potential patron, ticket buyer, or donor.
»	Use the website to build an e-mail list: Generate leads for e-mail marketing by placing a prominent link to join your newsletter list.
»	Keep navigation simple and intuitive: Use labels, such as "calendar," "buy tickets," "children's concert series." Avoid acronyms.
»	Use graphics and streaming media intelligently: Keep graphics simple. Web image files should not be too big because it slows down the time it takes your page to load. Remember, not everyone has high-speed Internet access.
»	Measure and analyze site traffic: Use web tracking software that gives more than "hits" information. This will help "fine tune" the website.
»	Keep site updated: Outdated information will discourage the audience. The press will check the website for current information.
»	Put basic information up front: Address, directions, parking information in a prominent location on website.
»	Test site with your patrons: Ask a few to "buy a ticket" or "check on next week's concert" to learn about the ease/difficulty of using the site.
»	Market the site - don't just say it exists: Selling tickets online represents a strong reason to visit the site.

To Pro Bono or Not to Pro Bono your Website?

»	Website should be professionally produced.
»	Pro bono work is the first to be eliminated during economic downturns or when staff is reduced.
»	Website should be under your control.
»	Website needs constant care and maintenance.

E-mail Marketing for the Arts

»	E-mail marketing can outperform many of the traditional marketing tactics.
»	Most arts organizations don't exploit the interactive potential and don't involve the patron.

Why E-mail Works for the Arts

»	E-mail comes in 2 flavors: spam (not requested & unwanted) and opt-in (requested & wanted).
»	Opt-in e-mail works because arts feeds a passion and can develop loyalty to a specific organization.
»	Most successful when offers are connected to the recipients' needs and interests.

Tips for Effective E-mail Marketing

»	Make the collection of e-mail names the #1 objective of your website. Most important goal: "Sign up" link for your e-mail newsletter.
»	Always collect demographic and preference information along with the e-mail address. Consumers are willing to give personal data in return for the promise of special offers and information not available to others.
»	Segment lists and make all of your offers targeted. The more closely the offer matches their needs, the better the response rate will be.
»	Include a "call to action" with e-mail marketing. Ask e-mail recipients to click on a link to do something ("click here to purchase tickets online").
»	Offer HTML and text formats. HTML is the most common form that means e-mail includes text formatting and pictures. Invest in the correct software.
»	Favor quality vs quantity. Send a targeted message that responds to their needs and offers them something that they otherwise could not get.
»	Prepare destination web page. "Click here to buy tickets" should send them to your web page where they can order tickets.
»	Integrate e-mail list development into offline marketing efforts. Develop a consistent and rich database of information about your patrons.
»	Measure, Measure, Measure. Track the results of your e-mail marketing efforts.
»	Test your way to success. E-mail marketing provides the ability to change and modify your offerings.