Marketing Tips for Classical Music:
Digital Content Marketing
Christopher Gruits, Director of eStrategy Carnegie Hall
New York, NY, USA
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM Direct2Fan Riviera Hall
Outline • What is Content Marketing?
• Creating Content Online
• Case Studies
• Distribution and Measurement
• Questions and Mentoring Sessions
What is Content Marketing? … an umbrella term encompassing all
marketing formats that involve the creation
and sharing of content in order to engage
current and potential consumer bases*.
*Accessed on January 23, 2012. http://www.Wikipedia:.org Content Marketing:
What are the Formats?
Why Bother? • Digital requires a multifaceted approach
• Facilitate dialogue between artists and audiences
• Enhance audience experience by providing context
• Provide the why, not just the what and when
• Engagement Imperative!
- Allow users to participate and have input
Why Bother? • 15% of adults in the US participate in the arts
through electronic media only.
• 26% of those who participate in musical activities
do so through recordings or broadcasts only.
• If you’re not there, you need to be!
* Novak-Leonard, Jennifer L. and Brown, Alan WolfBrown, 2011. Beyond attendance: A multi-modal understanding of arts participation. National Endowment for The Arts Report. http://www.nea.gov
Creating Content • Who is the audience?
• What story are you telling? What are you trying to
achieve?
• Where is the audience?
• How can it support your mission/yearly priorities?
• When do you want this to happen?
What should it achieve?
“People will forget what you tell them, but will never forget how you make them feel.”
—Maya Angelou
Creating Content • What content do you already have?
- Archives, written material, images, audio, etc.
• Budget?
• Low-cost production is great, but high-quality content is better!
• How fast can you produce it?
• What will audiences want to share/comment on?
Creating Content Unexpected+
Emotional+
Compelling+
= Viral!
(37M Views)
Case Study: Blog Series • Schedule and
calendar your posts
• Mix post-type within series
• Give artists a platform
• Create dialogue
Case Study: Blog Series • Formulaic
consumption
• Editorial features
• Repurpose
• Utilize staff
• Clear SM Links
Case Study: Artist Interviews
• We all do them!
• Important for providing context
• We can diversify and experiment
• Have you involved the audience directly?
• Have you asked artists to choose their format?
Case Study: Artist Interviews
Case Study: Artist Interviews
Case Study: Microsite
• 120th Anniversary Celebration
– Microsite, fully produced in-house
– Tell the story of the season
– Created using both program and archival content
– Utilized multiple media formats
– Destination for all outbound marketing and press
Case Study: Microsite
Case Study: Microsite
• Point to microsite in blog and in SM
• Use optimized keywords in title
• Collect video series
• Interviews and performance footage
Case Study: Mobile App • Content app: celebrates 120th Anniversary Season and provides context
and information to support programming
• Engage users who might never come to Carnegie Hall in person
Case Study: Mobile App • Original content leverages mobile while expanding on season themes
• Uses locations and quotes from Tchaikovsky's diaries and visit to NYC
Case Study: Carnegie Hall Live • 13 broadcasts on-air and online
• Live streaming on wqxr.org/ch.org/nprmusic.org
• WQXR Mobile app carries CH content/Audio
• <500 users participating in chat during the concert.
• #CHLive used to organize conversation on Twitter
Case Study: Carnegie Hall Live
Measuring Engagement • Blog: Page views, SM referrals, shared posts,
subscribers • Microsite and App: U.V., page depth, T.O.S.,
downloads, entrance & exit paths, referring, B.R.
• Video: YT Analytics, ‘Discovery’ tab, demographics, audience retention.
• CH Live: U.V., chat U.V., on-air, online, retention
Distribution
• Now that you’ve made it, get it out there.
• What platforms should you start with?
Distribution Considerations
• Be careful not to fragment your audience
• What does the data tell you?
• Consumption patterns!
• Referring traffic
• Big fish first
• Don’t ignore niche sites
Distribution: Owned Media
Distribution: Paid & Partner
Questions? • What are some of your own experiences?
• Are you distributing content?
• What’s worked? What hasn’t?
• Platform preference?
• Challenges?
Thank you/Merci/Gracie/Danke!
Christopher Gruits
[email protected] @MusicYankee
Mentoring Sessions Next
