The handy-dandy electronic email—or email, as you may know it—has been helping businesses stay in touch with patrons and drum up engagement since the 1980s. A tried-and-true method of communication, emails are a powerful way to reach patrons that you should definitely leverage for your theatre.
You may notice, however, that you’re not reaching the email open rates and engagement numbers you’re hoping for when you send out mass announcements, post-show surveys, or other correspondences – and you may be thinking, “Maybe email communication isn’t so great after all.” Not so! You just have to know how to get your patrons’ attention in the digital space. On The Stage presents a variety of tips to boost email open rates and engagement for your theatre.
Sending email messages shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Make sure your emails to patrons feel personal—as if you’re speaking directly to each recipient instead of copying and pasting the same message over and over.
A few ways to do this include:
No matter your patron’s job, presence online, or day-to-day activities, they likely receive way too many emails in a day. The thought of reading another long-winded message is probably headache-inducing… So why not help your patrons and increase email open rates by keeping your messaging short?
When crafting your emails:
To reiterate, your patrons do indeed receive a lot of emails. The ones they open are typically the messages with the best subject lines, be they mysterious, personal, engaging, funny, or urgent. After all, no matter how good the content of your email is, it’s worth nothing if you can’t get your patrons to open it.
Your subject lines should be:
Most people act quickly when given a hard deadline. You can utilize this psychological information when crafting your email marketing efforts.
Create and promote limited-time or limited-quantity deals and exclusive offers, and ensure your patrons know just how urgent this deal may be. The goal here is to get your patrons to not only open your email but act right away by purchasing a ticket.
Clearly state when ticket sales or deals end for your show and, if possible, include details about limited seating or space. By enticing recipients with deadlines, you are challenging them to compete with your other recipients—and everyone loves a challenge!
The timing of your email messaging matters. After all, people tend to check their emails at specific times during the day—in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening.
We’ve got the numbers if you want to get a bit more exact. Hubspot—an American developer and marketer of software products for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service—found that emails sent between 8-9 a.m. were more likely to be opened than emails sent later in the morning. Emails sent at 3 p.m. had the highest open rates for afternoons, and 8 p.m. was ideal for evening open rates.
You can also research what days of the week garner the most open rates (typically Tuesday and Thursday) and how effective weekend marketing blasts can be. Just make sure you’re giving yourself the best possible chance!
Imagine reading a wall of Times New Roman text versus short, snappy sentences in a cool font with dynamic colors and images. Which do you think you’ll be more drawn to? The colorful one, of course!
The same can be said for email marketing efforts. Ensure that when your patrons open your emails, they’re rewarded with a dynamic design and eye-catching visuals. If they enjoy what they’re seeing, they’ll be far more likely to stay on the page.
A call to action – or the main driving force behind why you’re sending an email – should be simple and singular. In short, don’t include multiple calls to action in one email. Example: Buy tickets! Donate! Follow us on social media! Support our newest fundraiser! When given too many choices, many get confused or overwhelmed and won’t take any action at all.
So – create a singular objective in your email messaging and hammer it home. Your patrons will be far more likely to act on that call to action if they don’t have to wade through various bids for their attention.
Much like the theatre world, your patron base is likely quite diverse, with a broad range of generations, from Baby Boomers to Millennials to Gen Z, making up your core demographics. For that and many other reasons, your marketing strategies shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all effort but tailored and segmented to appeal to different bases.
Make sure you’re segmenting your email lists to accommodate the different demographics and how they like to receive messaging.
You may be wondering … “What platform exists to help me on my email marketing journey?” Why, On The Stage (OTS), of course!
With On The Stage’s email and marketing capabilities, you can engage with your audience easily and efficiently through pre-show, post-show, and ongoing communications. Our comprehensive suite of outreach and marketing tools enables you to engage with your audience and grow your patron base. These include automated marketing emails, social media and Mailchimp integrations, posters and flyers, a customizable patron database, and more; you’ll have access to everything you need for successful ticket buyer outreach.
Even better, On The Stage is releasing an update to our emailing capabilities with a variety of new perks, including the ability to:
If you’re looking for a new and dynamic way to connect with your patrons and pump up your engagement, On The Stage is your perfect partner. Book a personalized demo today to get started.