How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Facebook Anchorage Concert Association Jason Hodges, Executive Director Jason Grenn, Marketing Director Join us, won’t you? • Like us on Facebook • Twitter: #ANCconcerts • Download our iPhone app on iTunes • www.anchorageconcerts.org Questions to Answer • Is social media right for me? • How do I create engagement? • How can I measure the effectiveness of social media? • What should my goals be for using social media? • Do I have to be an expert to use social media? What you talking about, Jason2? • Who we are and what we do • Story time • The joy and wonder of Facebook Legal Disclaimer • We’re not experts • We don’t have a social media plan • We are making this up as we go • We’re being thoughtful and careful • We know what we’re doing for us Why You Should Care • Social Media Video Myths • Facebook will solve all my promotional, brand and identity problems • Everyone is on Facebook • There are no costs associated with Facebook Are you overwhelmed? Image: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net / FreeDigitalPhotos.net m_bartoschImage: Why do you use Facebook? • It’s an extension of you • Share you life with your followers Who is ACA? Nonprofit Arts Presenting • Multi-event, multi-discipline presentations – Music, Dance, Theatre, Broadway • 75% of revenue comes from ticket sales • 25% is contributed by businesses, individuals, and other entities • This is not Lady Gaga Our Customers • 2,245 subscribers who buy 3 or more events each season • Each subscriber spends on average $615 • Subscribers buy on average 11.75 tickets • Average ticket price is about $50 • We sell between 65,000 and 70,000 tickets each season Product vs. Customer Service • The Event is what drives people to us • Subscribers purchase 33% of total tickets sold each season • Convert single ticket buyers to subscribers • Larger subscriber base allows for better management of expenses Recent Season • Eileen Ivers • Chic Gamine • St. Lawrence Quartet • Calo Flamenco • Chicago The Musical • Alpin Hong • Late Nite Catechism • The Lost Fingers • Ahn Trio • Mamma Mia! • Mark O’Connor • American Blue Grass • Wizard of Oz Masters • Ira Glass • Preservation Hall Jazz • Bill Cosby Band • Suzanne Vega • Avenue Q Build a lasting Relationship Customer Life Cycle Wanna go steady with us? • First date is buying a ticket • Commitment deepens with a subscription • We get married with a donation • Culminates with a Planned Gift Traditional Relationship Building Tools • Direct Mail • Newspapers • Radio • Television In case you didn’t get the memo, things have changed Where can I buy Web 2.0? • Old New Tools • Really New New – E-mail Tools – website – Foursquare • New New Tools – Facebook Places – Blogs – Groupon – Podcasts – Facebook – Youtube – Twitter Is social media right for me? • Am I willing to be a transparent organization? • Are there clear boundaries for what is public and private? Is social media right for me? • Do you have the resources to devote to doing it well? Is social media right for me? • Do you have an organizational voice? • Do you know who you want to reach and what your message is? The adventure begins… Boss vs Marketing Director • Fall 2008: The Marketing Director mentions Facebook to ED • The Boss is leery THEN • November 2008: The Boss gets a Facebook account • The Marketing Director rolls his eyes November/December 2008 • ACA puts a survey in the field – Only 23% of respondents have a FB account – FB Appears to primarily attract younger demos – Current audience is older demos • Decision is made to put FB on hold • Didn’t feel core communication was effective/efficient at its most basic level • How would we integrate social media? Take Aways • You need organizational buy-in from top to bottom • Without a strong public relations / promotional / marketing infrastructure, social media will be a blunt tool • We didn’t have a plan Why did FB make sense for ACA? • Personal relationship building • Share content with fans • Immediacy of feedback • A more personal voice for the organization • Opt in engagement • Connect with younger audience members March-April 2009 • ACA unveils website for 09-10 Season • ACA produces 2009-2010 Brochure • ACA launches FB fan page • ACA begins FB ads for Spamalot FB Goals • We really didn’t have any • OK we had one • 1,000 FB fans by Aug 30, 2009 • That was it • And we wanted to have fun Status of Goal • We missed • By a lot • Only 566 on August 30 • But we learned A LOT! What did we learn? • We didn’t have a lot to talk about • If we engage, people will respond – Contests – Artist surveys • We need to have a non-marketing voice • Facebook ads work (at that time) • We needed to have a FB plan If you’re gonna pull the pin, you better plan the bang • Be a trusted friend on Facebook – Post videos – Post articles – Post music • Use limited marketing/development speak • Strategic call to action messages • Regular updates Why Facebook fits us • Event based management • Personal • Instant • Cheap • Little staff time required (sort of) • One of the few marketing tools you can update from your mobile phone • Transparency Part II of FB “Plan” • Special Promos • Photo Contests • Uploading photos from events • Starting conversations • Asking for advice • Posting articles, artist reviews, music, etc Engagement Our Facebook profile • 2,897 fans • 70% are in the Anchorage area • 73% female • 76% 25-54 years Two-Way communication Cats Survey Feeding the Habit • Requires daily staff commitment and an “expert” • Integration with other advertising & tools • More friends/fans/followers = more activity • More need to respond instantly • Creates “good” excuse for why staff must be on FB all day long Measuring Success Facebook ads • 20,204,938 impressions • 5,294 clicks • .026% click thru rate • $0.70 cost per click • $3,686.53 total spent on 30 campaigns Facebook ads • Smaller, more specific groups of users • Keywords, suggested keywords, location, age, gender, education, “connections” • Pay per click or impressions • Connects us with Friends of our Friends who are not Friends of ACA. Unscientific Measurements • Increase in web traffic from Facebook based contests • Increase in number of fans/friends in a month / 6-month / year • Number of comments and posts after and event • Chatter on Facebook around events Buying Friendship • A whitepaper by Webtrends found that the cost of advertising to encourages a user to become a “fan” on the brand’s Facebook page is $1.07. How can you use Facebook One-Way Communication Two-way Communication Best Advice • Have something to say • Reward your friends – Make it valuable to follow you • Respond quickly and honestly – The whole world is watching • Have buy-in – Non EDs, Get a FB page – Marketing Directors, help EDs get FB page You Talk Too Much • How much is too much? • 1-2 times a day? • 4-5 times a week? • What time of day? • Same time everyday? “Do you have a Facebook account?” December 2008 – 23% answered “YES” November 2009 – 62% answered “YES” December 2010 – 70% answered “YES” Things we’ve learned • It takes time, a whole lot of time • Don't act like "marketers" • Be quick to listen and slow to speak • Lose control - Be okay with it Is it worth it? Really? Can’t point to increased ticket sales Can’t point to increased donations More staff time More expenses Integrating marketing & development tools So why are we doing this? FB or something like it Relationship building It’s fun Wrap-Up Keys to success – Know who you are – Have organizational buy in – Listen – Respond carefully and thoughtfully – Engage, don’t sell NY Times is Stealing from us “You can waste a lot of time on Facebook,” said Ms. Shih, founder of Hearsay Labs, a Facebook marketing software company. “But if you’re a business, you don’t have any time to waste. Figure out your objectives first, start small and do things that help you accomplish your objectives.” NY Times November 11, 2009 Resources • Beth’s blog • Nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com .