social media strategy (updated)
DESCRIPTION
An updated version of my social media strategy recommendations for Yale Repertory Theatre in 2010. Incorporates new research, and corrects previous formatting issues.TRANSCRIPT
+
Yale Rep & Social Media
A recommended strategy for 2010
+Why is Social Media Important?
Because 3 out of 4 Americans use social technology. Forrester, The Growth Of Social Technology Adoption, 2008
Visiting social sites is now the 4th most popular online activity—ahead of personal email. Nielsen, Global Faces & Networked Places, 2009
85% of social media users believe that a company should go further than just having a presence on social sites and should also interact with its customers. Cone, Business in Social Media Study, September 2008
*Thanks to Espresso for statistics on Social Media
+Social Media Adoption among Theatres
- 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Flickr
Blogs
MySpace
YouTube
November Unique US Visitors (MM) LORT
+YRT’s Social Media Goals: 2010
1. Listening to what audiences are saying about YRT • Success: YRT’s responsiveness to audience research; # of fan’s positive
and constructive interactions
2. Empowering audiences to promote YRT • Success: # reached in second order impact, increased awareness via
word of mouth
3. Deepening YRT’s relationship with current audience • Success: increased loyalty, increased positive perception of YRT
4. Attracting new audience members to YRT • Success: increased acquisitions, increased ticket sales
5. Leading theatres in the social media field • Success: conferences, awareness among TCG & prospective students
+ The Key 3
+96% of LORT theatres are on Facebook. On average they have:
Eff
orts
4 wall posts/wk
11 photo albums
8 videos
14 events
22 news links Im
pac
t
1,153 fans
12 wall comments/wk
2 discussion groups
+Important Research Findings on Facebook
Fans “like” twice as often as commenting
on a wall post
Asking questions generates highest
level of user engagement
Fans comment more on administrative-focused posts than
artistic posts
70% of fans are women, but men comment more
frequently
24% of fans are students; they engage less
frequently than non-students
Based on a study of Kansas City Repertory Theatre:
+ Example
+YRT Goals for utilizing Facebook
Empower fans Every time they post a comment to Yale Rep’s fan page, we get
exposure to their friends via News Feed
Deepen Yale Rep’s relationship Extend our relationship with the audience outside of the theatre
Use Facebook Insights to measure results Look to Kansas City Rep, Actors Theatre Louisville, and
Denver Center for the Performing Arts as examples
+Strategies for engaging fans on Facebook Acquire more friends by
Linking YRT fan page to YSD and Yale Cabaret’s fan pages
Promoting fan page on print & online marketing materials
Friending YSD students, staff and faculty
Advertising on Facebook
Post new content at least once per day (wall comments, links, photos, video) about artistic & administrative life at YRT + respond to fan’s comments
Long term: consider if/how to unify fan pages and alumni groups across YRT & YSD
+Success Metrics on Facebook
2,000 fans by Dec 31, 2010
Top 10 LORT fan pages
Nov ’09 average =
1,153
5 fan comments on average per
post
Top 10 LORT fan pages
Nov ’09 average = 2.6
Monitor Facebook Insights
Active Fans
Pageviews per post
Audience demographics
+82% of LORT theatres are on Twitter. On average they:
Eff
orts
Joined in April 2009
Follow 485 people
Tweet once/day
Imp
act
Have 640 followers
Get 11 @mentions/wk
+Important Research Findings on Twitter
Number of followers is best predictor of
high user engagement
A theatre’s followers are often
geographically diverse
Followers will casually mention
your theatre as often as they will speak
directly to you
Asking questions generates highest
levels of user engagement
Theatres really are using Twitter for
more than just marketing
Based on a study of American Repertory Theatre:
+YRT Goals for utilizing Twitter
Listen to our audience They’ve already begun the online conversation—this is an opportunity to
gather audience insights and an informal method of customer service
Empower them to spread the word In the longer term, consider if/how to adjust the marketing expense
budget to reflect this “free” word of mouth buzz
Use Twitalyzer and Hootsuite to measure results Look to ACT Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and ART as examples
+Strategies for engaging followers on Twitter Consider using Hootsuite Twitter desktop client
Create a Twitter username that’s easy to search for (@yalerep)
Find followers by Searching for who’s already talking about YRT
Promoting YRT’s Twitter username on print & online marketing materials
Following other Yale & theatre organizations
Post new content every day Use an authentic voice
Respond to and retweet every @mention
Comment on other user’s tweets
Ask questions to followers
+Success Metrics on Twitter
1,500 followers by Dec 31, 2010
Top 5 LORT users
Oct ’09 average = 640
40 @yalerep’s per week on
average
Top 5 LORT users
Oct ’09 average =
10.6
Pop! Opening week = 30
Monitor Twitalyzer &
Hootsuite
Signal, Generosity,
Velocity, Clout
+88% of LORT theatres are on YouTube. On average they:
Eff
orts
Joined in Jan of 2008
Uploaded 28 videos Imp
act
27 subscribers
1,770 channel views
Top 5 videos average 2,924 views each
+Important Research Findings on YouTube
Viewers engage on a “per video”
basis
Men 45-54 are largest
demographic
Related videos are top referral
source
80%+ of views occur more than 2 months after posting date
Plays get higher views on average
than musicals
Based on a study of top 20 viewed LORT theatre videos:
+ Example
+YRT Goals for utilizing YouTube
Empower the viral video YouTube has proven to be the most cost effective way to reach tens of
thousands of people interested in your product
Attract new audiences This is the best opportunity prospective audience members have to
preview high quality Yale Rep productions
Use YouTube Statistics to measure results Look to ART, Center Theatre Group, and Portland Center Stage as
examples
+Strategies for engaging viewers on YouTube
Upload a new video to YRT’s YouTube channel every month LORT average = every 10 weeks, but 34 theatres average 1+/month
Don’t assume that only a certain “type” of video will attract high viewership.
Understand current demographics of YouTube
Make videos easy to find Embed videos on Facebook and yalerep.org
Link to videos on Twitter
Use keyword tags
Put videos into playlists
+Success Metrics on YouTube
100 subscribers by Dec 31, 2010
Top 5 LORT channels
Dec ’09 average = 27
YRT currently = 33
2+ videos with 10,000+ views
Top 20 LORT videos
Dec ’09 average =
2,924
YRT currently = 6,656
Monitor YouTube
Statistics & Data
Total views
Referring Sources
Audience demographics
+Don’t Waste Time On
MySpace • 14% of LORT
logged in past month
• 13% had fan comment in past month
• = not enough engagement
Flickr • 34% of LORT • Joined Sept ’08 • Uploaded 146
photos • 12 contacts • = not enough
applicable uses
Blogs • 50% of LORT • Joined Sept ’08 • Wrote 5 posts in
November • 0 comments on
average • = not enough
engagement
Except maybe for YSD
+How much time will it take?
4.8Facebook
4.4Twi/er
2.9Blog
2.9YouTube
1.2, Flickr
1.3, Other
9.5Crea:ngMaterial
2.7Learning
1.7Measuring
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Social Media Weekly Staffing Hours
~10 more hours/wk
+2010 Implementation Timeline
WINTER SPRING SUMMER FALL
Facebook Launch YRT Fan Page
Twitter Launch @yalerep
YouTube Expand video
production knowledge
Social Media
Review Social Media Report
Begin incorporating
SM into marketing plans
Review role of SM across YRT & YSD
Follow up report measuring
success in 2010
+But what if…
Social Media is just a fad
Using today’s platforms will prepare us for what tomorrow will bring
It takes too much time
It won’t if it’s embedded throughout organization as a daily routine
It doesn’t fit with the YRT brand
Users expect a different “voice” depending on the platform
People say bad things about us
That’s ok! Studies show buyers ignore Amazon sellers with only positive ratings
+In the future Professional networking
Mobile apps
Geo-aware games
Blogs
+
Questions? *From Espresso’s “What the F**k is Social Media: One Year Later
+Appendix: More Reports on 24 Usable Hours
YouTube
Flickr
MySpace
Blogs
Staffing for Social Media
+Created by Devon Smith, Director of Research & Analysis Yale Repertory Theatre
Email: [email protected] Follow: @devonvsmith Read: http://devonvsmith.tumblr.com/