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Introducing Automated Patron Communications & Credit Card Brand Exclusive Pre-Sales

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At PatronManager, we’re constantly seeking new ways to help our clients build stronger (and more profitable) relationships with their patrons. We’ve found the best way to do this is to actively solicit feedback from you, the people on the frontlines using our system. 

With this in mind, as part of our August 2019 release, we’re thrilled to announce the arrival of one of our most highly requested features, Automated Communications! With this upgrade, you’ll be able to send automatic pre- and post-show emails to your patrons all from within PatronManager, no third-party apps or other email systems necessary. Want to send an event reminder with parking directions to your ticket-buyers two days before a show? No problem. How about a follow-up survey to all attendees twelve hours after curtain? You got it!Read the Article

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You Can’t Have a Pyramid Without a Base

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Today’s blog post is written by Paul Miller, VP Sales – Non-Profit Ticketing, PatronManager.

The 2018 annual fundraising results are in, and there’s good news and bad news.

The good news is that, despite changes to tax laws that we thought might negatively impact charitable giving, overall fundraising was up in 2018 compared to the prior year. According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s 2018 Fourth Quarter Report, “giving increased by 1.6% in 2018… with philanthropic gains being driven exclusively by donors who gave $1,000 or more.” So great! Giving was up, albeit at less than the rate of inflation. But that only tells half the story.

The bad news from the study is spelled out in the second half of the above sentence: “with philanthropic gains being driven exclusively by donors who gave $1,000 or more.” This, of course, implies that less affluent donors must have donated less or not at all, and there are other marked decreases in two areas that don’t bode well. The report continues, “While total giving from gifts of $1,000 or more increased by 2.6%, revenue from smaller gifts decreased. Gifts in the $250-$999 range dropped by 4.0%, while gifts of under $250 dropped by 4.4%. The number of donors also fell, as did retention rates…” It turns out the modest gain in dollars just barely covered some harsher realities:

  • a 4.5% decline in the number of donors
  • a 7.3% decline in the number of new donors
  • and a 14.9% decline in the number of second-time donors

True, this study looks at all varieties of non-profit organizations, but this recent article from The Wall Street Journal suggests we might be seeing the end of big-time arts donations in general. It says:Read the Article

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A Little Human Touch: Connecting with Your Audience

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Today’s blog post is written by Kevin Patterson, Senior Account Executive, PatronManager.

“Tell me, in a world without pity
Do you think what I’m askin’s too much
I just want something to hold on to
And a little of that human touch”
– Bruce Springsteen, Human Touch

Lately, I’ve been speaking to a number of different arts organizations about how they engage with their audience. Many are looking ahead in the coming months to their subscription renewal campaigns. The conversation is focused on how they are building connections to their audience that result in a positive impact. Sadly, when asked to outline their customer journey strategy, the response I hear often goes something like this:

“We are very engaged with our audience. We send them multiple emails during the year about our organization. We send them postcards. They can also find us on social media. We also send them a letter and follow-up with a phone call to get them to renew!”

When asked how success is measured with this strategy, most can’t quantify it, or if they can, they admit that it isn’t very successful and fault their audience for not paying attention.

If your organization is not engaging in a well thought out, metrics-driven approach to customer engagement, you are setting yourself up for short-term stagnation and long-term failure. That said, crafting a strategy that is devoid of actual human touch as in the above example is not a recipe for success either. Technology is a tool for engagement, not an entire strategy.

So what should you be doing to engage with your audience and create a successful customer journey? A successful customer journey combines a mix of digital technology and actual human touch. For example:Read the Article

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Marketing Goal for 2019: Be More Human

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Today’s blog post is written by Paul Miller, VP Sales – Non-Profit Ticketing, PatronManager. 

Last week I listened to a podcast, which is neatly summarized in this article. In it, social media strategist Mark Schaefer talks about his new book, Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins. I’m just starting the book, but here’s the biggest takeaway from the article: marketing isn’t controlled by marketing anymore.

In 2009, we had already been through decades of a shift away from traditional media and marketing tactics. Even at that time, 66% of all marketing was happening through customer-to-customer interactions beyond the control of the company, like social media and user reviews and such. Today, only 13% of customers are entering the sales funnel through marketing materials generated by corporate marketing departments. As the article says, “Trust in brands and advertising has declined for 10 years in a row. It’s at an all-time low. Now consumers trust each other—their friends, neighbors, and even influencers.”

So if your traditional approach to marketing, and the corresponding dollars spent, are only driving 13% of your audience, what can you do to reach the other 87%? And more specifically, what does this mean for arts organizations for whom marketing dollars are extremely hard to come by? Read the Article

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Arts Marketing in 120 Minutes

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Today’s blog post is written by Paul Miller, VP Sales – Non-Profit Ticketing, PatronManager. 

Indulge me a paragraph or two while I set the scene. My assignment was to teach a class of 50 students as much as I could about arts marketing in two hours. The class makeup? All musicians and vocalists who perform hundreds of times each year, all over the world. To get there, each had to complete a four-year performance degree in music, endure several months of intense physical and mental training, and make a multi-year commitment to joining one of the busiest organizations in the country. They take on various forms: fine concert and marching bands, choirs, chamber ensembles, jazz quintets, rock bands… you name it; and they travel for months at a time, mostly by bus. Sounds like a cool gig, right?

Here’s where things get tricky: besides a grueling travel and performance schedule, they’re also in charge of the “business” side of things. Without any formal training or experience in arts administration, they are responsible for booking, marketing, and promoting their own performances. Furthermore, they’re expected to do all of this without collecting any personal information from their audience (including email addresses). Still sound great? Did I mention that they are also full-time, active duty members of our military?

It was my privilege last week to meet with the dedicated men and women serving in the United States Air Force Bands at their annual marketing summit at Scott Air Force Base in Shiloh, IL. It was one of the most rewarding sessions I’ve ever led, and I want to share with you what I told them.

If I could reduce everything I’ve ever learned (and combine it with everything I know right now), about arts marketing into four big ideas, here’s what they would be:Read the Article

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