We all know how stressful it can get to plan a big show or community theater season. After the hours of planning and prep, the question now is, “What can we do to increase ticket sales?” After working with different community theater groups, the Eviva Media team suggests these three website updates to help increase sales.
- Add a ticketing system in your community theater website.
People love convenience. An online ticketing system gives your patrons the chance to buy tickets 24 hours a day, even when the box office isn’t open. When you are trying to reach people who have busy lives this convenience could be the difference between getting a sale or them passing on your show.
There are many options for ticketing systems and most offer ways to integrate with your website. Possibly the ticketing system you are already using has the functionality, it just needs to be implemented? Even something as simple as paypal can be used if your website is set up correctly.
- Use email marketing to promote your shows.
Email newsletters are one of the most effective tools used to market a show. They are normally sent to a group of people who has voluntarily subscribed to get updates from you. Since they are already interested in your theater, the chances of them purchasing tickets are higher. Integrate your email sign up with your website and make it easy for users to opt in during the checkout process.
When setting up your email lists, segment your users according to various attributes: types of shows they’ve seen, season ticket holders, how often they see shows. Many of the ticketing systems offer integrations with email marketing tools to make this list creation easier.
When sending out emails, personalize your emails to connect and always remember to include a link direct to your website where they can purchase tickets. Don’t make users navigate from the home page. The shortest number of clicks = the better!
- Get your cast to promote your show.
Everyone loves to perform for a packed house. Get the stars of the show involved with promotion. This could include more traditional ideas such as handing out postcards or flyers, doing news appearances, or lawn signs. Don’t stop there! Record videos of rehearsals or interviews with actors and post them on your website. Have your cast share the website via social media or even give them a unique coupon code and hold a contest to see who can refer the most ticket sales.
Make your next show a big hit with the help of Eviva Media
Try implementing one, or all three of these website updates for your next show. Need help getting started? Reach out to our team of experts to help you get your show the visibility it needs to succeed.
