You Asked, We Answered: “What the Heck is Arts Marketing?”

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Megan Wurtz of Confluence Arts Solutions for our “From the Ground Up” professional development series. Megan shared valuable insights and tips on how to market our arts programs and services effectively and efficiently.

In case you missed it, here are the top five takeaways from her presentation:

1. Arts Marketing vs. Regular Marketing: Arts marketers face unique challenges and opportunities that set them apart. Remember to be mindful of your valuable resources: time, money, staff, and personal mental health.
2. Traditional Advertising vs. Digital Advertising: If your annual operating budget is under $3 million, focus on digital marketing. The three components of digital advertising are; organic posts, boosted posts, and paid ads. Shifting your digital budget from boosted posts to paid ads will allow you get the most out of digital advertising.
3. Develop Best Practices, But Leave Room for Exceptions - Strategy: Plan ahead, set realistic goals, use data, adjust when needed, and allocate your budget wisely.- Brand Voice: Define who you are, who you want to be, who you want to attract, and what impression you want to leave.- Content: Create a variety of content, reuse content, follow the 80/20 rule (80% of your content should provide value to your audience, 20% should be promotional), showcase your extraordinary work, and be a goldfish (move on if something doesn’t work).- Language: Adapt your language to the platform, the audience, and the goal. Write for them, not for yourself.
4. Get to Know Your Audience Using the Four Ps;Product: Identify your organization’s products because not everyone is selling tangible goods). Pinpoint audience segments based on interests, needs, and preferences.Purchase Pathway: Determine where people are in your purchase pathway, differentiating between awareness and loyalty.Platform: Choose where you want to communicate with your people. Different platforms have different strengths and weaknesses, so customize your content and language to them.Patron Type: Recognize the different types of patrons you have, such as ticket buyers, donors, or gift givers. They have different motivations and behaviors, so tailor your offers and appeals to them.
5. Utilize Your Resources Respectfully: Be mindful of your resources, including time, money, and people. Remember to appreciate your staff, your partners, your supporters, and yourself.

Don’t forget to join us for our next “From the Ground Up” professional development session with Arts Services Inc. (ASI) , where we will explore more topics and tips to help you grow your arts organization. To register, visit our website or follow us on social media for updates. We look forward to seeing you soon!