10 Ways to Think About Social Networking And The Arts (the zen of "free" as a strategy)

Very interesting post . . .

I wonder, has anyone seen research showing a correlation between the amount of free content given away on an organization's website and the number of people attending its live performances? It seems like beefing up your web content and enabling your community to connect online will result in deeper relationships with those already attending . . . but does it really do anything to bring new people into the performance hall? I can't tell exactly what your perspective is on this, Doug . . .

Good advice on many fronts, especially about staying away from content-producing, the more so in fields where the organization may not have expertise (video, magazines.)

But be careful about recycling received wisdom about the demise of newspapers: it's not so much the scale (internet or print or whatever). Many newspapers that are now closing are doing so not because they are really failing, but because their profit margins -- generated at the 17 to 18% level for years -- fell to about 6 to 10%, a margin that would be the envy of many another business. There's a good deal more to the so-called "failure" of newspapers than the owners (new or old) are willing to admit, and a good part of that has to do with finally realizing that they had to do something other than roll the thing off the presses at night.

This is a great post, thanks so much for it. I especially like points nine and ten. I think many organizations don't realize the amount of time and how much transparency is necessary to be successful with social media. Often organizations see it as a low cost marketing tool and miss the opportunity to really connect with the audience.
Thanks again

Chris
www.dialoguefringe.wordpress.com

Just to add on from Trevor's comment, Theatre Royal Stratford East in London (noted for its excellent audience attendance rates and community involvement) will be handing over some programming decisions to its audience on the build up to the 2012 Olympics. I wonder if social networking tools will be used in this idea? What a fantastic way to reward and empower those loyal to you though, as well as encourage new audiences to get involved at the same time.

News Story: http://www.theatrebristol.net/2009/5/1/stratford-east-theatre-audiences-to-choose-programme-in-run-up-to-the-olympics

It's going to be fascinating to watch this unfold because the arts and the world of social networking function on fundamentally different communications models.

The arts' model is a top-down or perhaps center-out model wherein the messages are packaged and then handed down (or out) to various publics. There is very little dynamic feedback in this model, as you mention in point #9, and both the message and its distribution mechanisms are tightly controlled by the arts institution.

But in social networking there is no top or center. This is a fluid, multi-dimensional, unregulated environment where control over the shape and distribution of the message is subject to the collective will (whim?) of the participants.

I think the arts are still trying to figure out how to package a traditional top-down message and insert it into this environment so that it will "take on a life of its own" or "go viral." But given the difference in models, that seems like somewhat of a square peg/round hole approach.

Your 10 things appear to be pointing to a new model wherein arts institutions inhabit this new world and start playing by its rules.

It'll be interesting to see how willing we are to embrace a more decentralized, democratic, audience-centric approach.

Great post. As an industry, we're always trying to "keep up" - and too frequently, we don't consider the necessary adjustments to suit our unique needs.

Another point - with more and more digital media, it is easier than ever to access and analyze consumer behavior and marketing effectiveness. The need to build our analytical skills in this industry is greater than ever and one of the best ways to ensure that we're properly deploying our scarce resources.

Thanks for the terrific work that you do!

Not only is this great advice, it's relevant to the arts right now. I'm thinking of how there's currently a transition away from newspapers but also longstanding art publications; and the ways in which artists use social networking sites and blogging to reach not only a broader audience, but each other as well.

Thanks for posting!

[p.s.] There's no reason why there couldn't still be a marriage of physical content to online. Many real-world projects can manifest as a result of having that readership, and make the experience more valuable to those who are participating. (limited edition books, art projects, dvds, gallery shows, etc)

I agree with the commenters: actual video production is easier than ever before. On my social networking site for theater lovers, www.BroadwaySpace, we produce unique content (like BroadwaySergey, etc.) for a very low cost. And as you'll see with some other video content on the site (Ryan O'Connor Show), which is shot with a webcam, it's not about the high quality of the video, but the high quality of the actual content that makes people interested.

And that's the hard part about video production.

Great article! Thanks for spelling it out clearly!

Ken Davenport
www.TheProducersPerspective.com

Video dairy... I have to beef up my spelling.

And yes, I definitely agree with being strategic about the use of video. Don't do it for the sake of doing it. That is, unfortunately, the main reason why many nonprofit organizations get into social media. Keeping up with the Joneses is not a strategy.

I'm working for a nonprofit now where a Facebook Page is probably not a good fit, but a site like Slideshare might work. Think of what tools are useful in accomplishing your goals. Social media is not a strategy, it's a tool to execute strategy.

@Marc: I agree - to a point. Video isn't that hard to do occasionally, and the YouTube revolution has changed our expectations about what video production can be. My point - which I didn't make clear at all - was that if you're going to make video, don't just make bad TV. And don't make bad radio or magazines. If you're going to do it well and do it creatively, it takes strategic thinking. And once you get it up and going, you create an expectation that can be a big hole to have to keep filling.

Also: What I didn't say in this post, but meant to - the real revolution and lesson about social media (I think) are that it's possible to empower an audience. The internet 1.0 was about creating and making content accessible. Web 2.0 is about becoming the infrastructure through which a community can talk to one another. It's fine to create good content; it's much more powerful if you can help an audience to create content itself around what you do.

Arts organizations are well-positioned for this. People come for the artistic product. They stay engaged because you help them talk to one another. Producing the art is only part of the equation these days. Producing the art puts you at the center of a community and makes you essential to it.

I second Marc's comment. Video is easy to produce these days and gives greater insight into the creative process of making theatre. It might take up more time, but if done correctly can give audiences more ownership of the show/company.

Video Dairy? Udderly cool!

This is some of the best advice I've seen for arts orgs, but I do wonder about point #8.

Video isn't really that hard. I think orgs can create some creative video content that is valuable for its audience without breaking the bank. The good thing about the Internet audience is that they don't necessarily need a produced, polished video. Musicians can tape a quick video of a practice or a musical comment (for example, Dutch author Ronald Giphard is now doing a video dairy about the writing process of his new book).

Raw content, of course, does not mean uninteresting content. It does need to add value and be worth your audience's time.

Another point is to let your audience create the content. Provide the raw content and let your audience put together a polished video or multimedia item. When R.E.M. launched their new album last year, they provided raw shots of the band performing a song. Fans could then create their own music video. Think about the possibilities and mashups for arts orgs!