Best Practices for Dance Performance Ticketing

There’s nothing better than a full auditorium after all of the hard work that goes into choreographing, rehearsing, and putting together a performance. And your show deserves exactly that! But it may feel like your efforts are going unnoticed if the auditorium is only half-full come time for the opening routine. 

If you’re hoping to sell more tickets to your next performance, but are unsure of how to get there, On The Stage offers a few tips and tricks for dance performance ticketing following industry best practices. 

Utilize top-notch marketing 

Perhaps the most intuitive way to ensure more people come to your performance or dance recitals is by promoting it just about everywhere you can. A few efforts can include:

• Deploying targeted email blasts: Think of key times during your rehearsal season that would be best to draw attention to your upcoming performances. Make sure that you’re optimizing your digital contacts and sending out messaging that’s compelling and concise.  
• Utilizing the power of social media: The great first step to a best-in-class marketing strategy is harnessing social media. From targeted ads to the creation of engaging content on your pages, working your promotional tools down to a science will greatly increase your ticket sales.
• Offer digital previews: You can easily get more people interested in visiting your studio’s performances if you showcase your dancers’ talent online. Create snippet videos during rehearsals to drum up support and excitement. 

Sell tickets digitally

Accessibility is key to securing more loyal patrons. And what better way to make your performances more accessible to others than to sell tickets digitally?

It’s important that your studio or event has its own dedicated site. Ensure you’re promoting that domain as often as you can – on merchandise, on your social media platforms, and just about anywhere else you can think of. 

Additionally, your ticketing widget should be front and center on your events page. Once people enter that portal, make sure the process is seamless; ticketing in and of itself should be an incredibly fast, efficient, and intuitive process. (More on that later!) 

Offer different ticketing options 

Another way to keep your performance offerings accessible is through the presentation of multiple ticketing options.A few to consider include:

• General admission ticketing: A first-come, first-serve method makes ticketing as uncomplicated as possible.
• Subscription ticketing: A great way to drive up ticket sales is through the offering subscriptions. Those who participate can get early access or their choice of seats.
• Tiered ticketing prices: Offer tiered pricing, with the ability to choose specific seats. For this one, consider tempting offerings for those who are willing to spend more, like VIP treatment, free drink and food, or space in the show program. 
• Referral discounts for your loyal patrons: Discounts are a great way to get more people purchasing tickets, as well as ‘deal of the day’ sales in the middle of your ticket selling season to avoid slumps.

Use community events as ticket-selling opportunities

Make your studio and your work a staple in the community by attending events around town, whether to set up a booth or to talk with community members and leaders.

You can also host performance nights at your studio, offering potential patrons a small preview of your routines. Building up excitement and anticipation for your performances will likely spur early ticket sales. 

Once you realize that you’ve got a million chances to talk up your studio and sell tickets at other events, your sales will go up.

Market different promo codes 

Ensure you’re including as many demographics as possible into your ticket-selling agenda by offering promo codes throughout the sales season. Offers for promo codes include:

• Select groups: Seniors, repeat customers, friends and family, and community partners are all great groups to market towards. 
• Early bird specials: Kick off your sales season with a bang by offering cheaper tickets during the first day or week. This way, you’ll start off with strong numbers. 
• Bulk discounts: If a large family or group wants to come together, why not reward that with a bulk discount?

Offer incentives

Nothing gets people excited quite like incentives and, well, free stuff! A few ways to spur patrons into purchasing tickets for your performances and recitals include:

• Offering add-ons: Discounted merchandise, free posters, a coffee mug, or other branded goodies are always a great idea when selling tickets. 
• Offering VIP treatment: Backstage tours, a walk-on role, or food and drink vouchers never disappoint.
• Offering swaps to community partnerships: Are you leveraging all the potential business partners in your neighborhood? What trades, partnerships, or advertising swaps can you do with the businesses nearby? Consider offering ad space in your show program if community partners email a ticket offer code to their digital contacts. 
• Neighborhood discounts: What “neighborhood discounts” can you offer the nearby businesses and their patrons just because they’re nearby? 

Present streaming and video-on-demand options

Get tech-savvy and present your patrons with viewing options outside the traditional experience – whether it’s video-on-demand after the performance is over, or streaming options during or after the event. 

The more ways you can present your content, the more tickets you’ll sell. This also has the added bonus of more eyes on your work, as well as living up to high standards of inclusion and accessibility for those who can’t make it in-person. 

Reward loyalty 

Let your community know you appreciate them! Patrons who come back to recital after recital are more likely to keep returning, and bring more people along, when they feel appreciated. Whether it’s through a customer loyalty system, early-bird offerings, discounted merchandise, or even a shout-out in the show’s program, people love to feel appreciated. 

Building up a steady client base is important to your studio’s overall success. Once you’ve got that loyalty, encourage those patrons to talk up your performance or studio on social media, or share your work within the many platforms they have. 

Streamline sales at the door

Make sure you’re ready to create a streamlined ticketing experience for those who want to buy at the door. The faster your patrons get in the auditorium and to their seats, the less stress you’ll have before the recital’s first number. 

Familiarize yourself with a convenient, easy-to-use ticket scanning app on your phone so guests can get to their seats with no hassle. Don’t forget to make your studio’s performance enticing to passers-by, and remember that service with a smile will bring people back again and again.

Selling tickets doesn’t have to be a chore –and with the right help, you’ll fill your auditorium all the way up before your next performance. If you’re looking for extra guidance, On The Stage can help. Book a personalized demo today to get started.