How to Promote a Community Theatre

Here's a "mouse in the corner" peak at a new project that I'm doing with a small theatre group in my area. Take what you can from this exchange between my client and I here and use it to improve your marketing. When you understand marketing, the actions are not so dissimilar with different businesses. Also, by taking something that is commonly used in one industry and using it in another reveals some great results. Doing this is called benchmarking.

Here goes:

Client's email to me after initial consultation:

Thank you for your email. Here is the brake down for this show
Royalties $1800
Overhead $200-$400
Advertising $200-$400
Music dir. $300-$500
Dir $300-$500
Staging, costuming $200-$400
Plus your cost/%

It's amazing this is a lot of money. We put on this plays with no budget. One angel, my wife, our bookkeeper and i fund the plays, most of the time my wife and bookkeeper get the money back they put into it but nothing more. I normally get about half back , but never full Re-emberseme. It's apparent we are not doing this to make money. How ever I don't have the money to put into the shows, yet i keep doing. Why? For the love of theater. But I sure would like to get some money out of the deal. Please help me to be a success.
Sent from my iPhone

My reply to original email message after our first consultation:

Thanks for this; you are going to be very happy that you and I are working together. You will have many “ah ha” moments like this one as together we discover exactly what your dream of this theatre can really be for you and others. We need to set another meeting where I’m going to ask you some in depth questions about where you (and the theatre) came, where you are now, and where you want to go and when you want to be there. I know we’ve chatted a bit about this already but now it goes on paper with a timeline.

I normally charge consulting charges for this but for now I will only make money on any ads I sell and any promotional media used for the theatre. Perhaps in a year’s time you’ll be more successful and we can revisit this; sound fair?

 

The theatre will make more this year because of one, we are promoting this (just a little at first and much more as time and monies allow), selling ads in the programs, and the tickets are raising to:

All Four Shows; a 2014 Year Pass: only $24 (keeps the original ticket price at the $8 and you’ll have working capital; just be sure to only use it as the plays happen; not all at once for the first of the year’s play).

$10 or $12 for regular pricing depending on the seating arrangements; the yearly pass gets people the best seats.

We will also have a special “Meet the Players” event after each of the shows performance where the general public can be a part of the cast party for a charge to cover the costs and a bit more to add to the funds. And, we’ll sell tickets at every silent auction in the Twin Ports area events that we can find.

And that’s just the start!

Let’s touch base and decide on another “working” meeting.

Ter

 

Would you like coaching like this for your business? Contact me at: www.terscott.com/coaching.