We still need to talk about email

by Phil RickabyMarketing, TheatrePosted on One Comment

A while back, I wrote this article about how many theatre companies are using email. Unfortunately, there are still companies that are using email poorly, and as such are hurting their reputations.

I recently received an email from a company that I purchased theatre tickets from. This company did not put any notification about email subscription in their purchasing process. After purchasing tickets, I noticed that I had begun receiving regular emails from them. I asked to be removed from their mailing list. They complied at the time.

Almost two years later, however, I received an email from them, and it is a plea for financial assistance. I understand the need to reach as wide an audience as possible with your email campaigns, especially for your fundraising. But your need does not change the best practices of email marketing. Your need does not make the fact that I never subscribed to your mailing list any less annoying.

Here’s the thing: your campaign loses value if you contact people who didn’t ask to hear from you. Because the reaction from these people (like me), is not just to delete your email, but annoyance. This does not make us likely to give you money, or go to your show. In fact, I’m more likely NOT to do those things.

One of the most important lessons of marketing by email is don’t annoy your customer base. If you, as someone who is thinking of sending email, has ever thought something along the lines of “Of course they want to hear from us, they are our customer”, you must stop and not hit send on that email. Being your customer is not reason enough for you to send an email to someone. They must have given you permission to do so. And if they haven’t, do not send them your newsletter. And absolutely, do not send them an email asking for money.

You can do better. And you need to do better. If you’re going to use email as a marketing or fundraising tool. Do it smartly. Or lose customers.

So you’ve decided to go to the theatre

by Phil RickabyTheatrePosted on 2 Comments

Welcome to the theatre. We are certainly glad to have you. It’s possible that you haven’t been to the theatre before, or maybe it’s been a long time since you’ve been to a play. Either way, there are a few things you should know about how to behave during a live theatrical production.

1. Turn off your cellphone: I know people tell you to do this all the time, say in movie theatres and the like, and it just as important here. In fact it may be more so. The glow of your cellphone is distracting to the people around you, and it can be seen from far away. Most everyone in the theatre can see that glow when you look at your phone. And worse, the actors can see you, and it’s distracting. No matter how concentrated an actor might be on the scene, the ethereal glow of the cellphone draws attention immediately. Which can be dangerous if the actor has to do something like sword fight. It’s also disrespectful. These actors are here, right now, putting their hearts and souls into the play you are, watching. Show them the respect they deserve and turn off your phone and pay attention.

2. No texting. This goes hand in hand with turning off your cellphone, but I have seen a lot of this lately, so it needs a separate entry. There is no excuse for texting in the theatre. Period. Not only is it distracting, to the people around you, but, as above, it’s disrespectful. So, turn off your phone.

3. No pictures. Put the camera away. That includes the one on your cellphone (which, should be off). I know that you are excited to be here, and that sharing or excitement by posting pictures of what we are doing or seeing is part of the digital culture, but its not appropriate here. There are a couple of reasons for this: a) copyright; the production you are seeing is copyrighted, and the set and costumes and images are all a part of that. b) It’s rude. The glow of the camera is just as distracting to the people around you as your phone. And if you left your flash on, then it’s even more so. It doesn’t matter if you turned off the flash, and the brightness of the screen, it can still be seen.

4. Stop talking. Sound carries in a theatre. What you think is a quiet whisper is actually carrying across the theatre. And to the stage. If you want to discuss something, wait till intermission. During the play is not the time to discuss how funny that line was or ask about something you might have missed.

5. Stay for the bows. The actors have spent the last two hours working hard to bring you the show you just saw. Thank them for their hard work. Don’t get up and leave before the bows start, stay in your seat and applaud. It’s not your chance to beat the rush to the parking lot while everyone else is distracted. It’s your chance to thank the actors for the show you just watched. Stay till its over.

Do you have any other suggestions for behaviour in the theatre? Share them in the comments.

Theatre companies…we need to talk about email

by Phil RickabyMarketing, TheatrePosted on One Comment

Theatre companies and arts organizations…we need to talk about email and how you use it as a tool.

First, I know that email is an important tool for promoting your shows. You need to use it to help get the word out about the critical acclaim of a show, to help sell tickets to this show and to promote your upcoming shows. I get that.

But you really need to improve on how you are emailing.  Because you are risking pissing off potential ticket buyers and may soon be breaking the law.

First, let me give you an example. Let’s say I buy a ticket to one of your shows. I use your online portal to do so, and in the course of the transaction I provide my email address (which is standard practice so you can send me a receipt). The following week, I receive a promotional email from you. This is troubling, because nowhere in the transaction did you tell me that by buying a ticket you were going to sign me up to your mailing list.  So, I’m annoyed, but its one email, so I let it slide.  A few days later, I receive another. I’m a little more annoyed, but I let it slide because hey, its just two emails.  When I receive a third email a few days later, I am angry.  Because not only have you sent me email without asking for permission to do so, now you are sending me emails every few days.

Here’s another scenario. I start getting email about a show that’s happening locally.  I’m not sure how I got on the mailing list, but I am interested in local theatre, so I don’t mind.  But I get another email the next week.  This new email doesn’t really say anything different than the first, but there it is anyway.  And again, I wonder how I got on this mailing list, but like I said, I support local theatre, so that’s fine, but I am getting a little annoyed.  When I get another email, similar to the first two the following week, I get angry.  So I unsubscribe. But I’m still angry, because I don’t think I ever subscribed to your mailing list.

Theatre companies: you have to look at how you are populating your promotional mailing lists.  If you are putting people who happened to buy a ticket to your show, but didn’t ask them if they wanted to receive your emails, then you are not being a responsible emailer.  If you are a theatre company that adds anyone who sends a play submission or audition submission to your mailing list, you are being a bad emailer.  And in Canada, you need to watch out for this, because soon you may be subject to CASL (read up on it now, because you don’t want to be surprised by it).

You need to ask permission to send promotional email. Assume that aside from email receipts, the only emails you should send are ones where the recipients has given you permission to do so.

This is serious business. Trust me, nothing pisses off your customer more than an email they didn’t ask for. A pissed off customer isn’t likely to be a customer any longer.  Also, make sure that every time you send an email (to a subscriber base that has opted in) that you are saying something new; do not reiterate what you said last time.  That’s a good way to just annoy your subscriber. Annoyed subscribers are ex-subscribers and are people you can no longer reach.

Please, think about this.  I don’t enjoy unsubscribing, I don’t enjoy getting angry about email of all things, but you have to play your part, and follow some email marketing best practices.  Please. You’ll be doing yourself and your subscribers a favour.

Saluting the Booth: Questions

by Phil RickabyTheatrePosted on 2 Comments

Lately, I’ve been thinking about curtain calls in theatre.

For a long time, when seeing Fringe shows or smaller independent productions, I’ve noticed that during the curtain call, actors often “salute the booth.” That is, they acknowledge the stage manager — and, by extension, the rest of the crew — with a gesture similar to the one used to acknowledge a conductor after a musical performance.

In my opinion, this is a great practice. The crew works just as hard — if not harder — than the actors, and they absolutely deserve recognition.

But here’s what I’ve also noticed: when I go to larger productions, like a Mirvish show or something at Stratford, that salute doesn’t happen. There’s no acknowledgment of the booth. No nod to the crew.

So I find myself wondering:
Is saluting the booth considered “unprofessional” in larger venues?
If not, then why doesn’t it happen?
Why doesn’t everyone salute the booth?

Building An Arts Community

by Phil RickabyCommunity, Culture, The Biz, TheatrePosted on One Comment

At the beginning of the year, I talked about wanting to start a creative support group. I said:

“I’d like to propose a regular get-together of creative people. Coffee (or beer, for those who drink it) at some place where we can sit and talk about theatre, or writing (or whatever), in the hopes that I can keep the creative juices flowing — and hopefully so can the other folks participating.”

A few people got in touch, so we created a Facebook group and started meeting up. We’ve had a couple of gatherings so far. Essentially, it’s a group of creatively inclined people getting together to talk about what they’re working on, share encouragement, and connect with others who make things.

Last night, we happened to discuss yesterday’s blog post, and the conversation turned toward the gaps between different artistic disciplines. Most of us around the table were from theatre backgrounds, and we found ourselves talking about how fragmented the “theatre community” really is. Often, the sense of community only exists during the run of a show — we come together for a production, then drift apart. One person described theatre as less a community and more like an underground brother- (or sister-)hood.

When you start thinking beyond theatre — about connecting with dancers, painters, sculptors, musicians — the separation becomes even more pronounced. Very few of us are actively engaging with artists outside our own disciplines.

So why don’t we socialize more with artists from other fields? And if we don’t, how can we expect to become the kind of arts boosters I wrote about yesterday — the ones who advocate not just for their own work, but for the arts?

When I first envisioned this “creative support group,” I imagined it as a space for artists from all backgrounds. But since most of my social network is theatre-based, the group has so far drawn mainly theatre folks. I’d love to expand it — to include dancers, musicians, visual artists, and creators of all kinds.

Personally, I’ve found these regular gatherings creatively energizing. I’d encourage you to start your own. Bring together artists of all stripes. Talk about what you’re working on. Encourage each other. Learn about art forms you don’t “get.” Stay inspired through the simple act of connecting with fellow creatives.

And maybe — just maybe — if more of us do this, we can start to build a stronger, more unified artistic community. One that’s better positioned to support each other, draw in wider audiences, and truly: “Make the case for the relevancy and value of our art.”