We’ve all been there – you’ve got a great production or event, the marketing was skillfully planned, but tickets just aren’t selling. There are many reasons why a certain production or event isn’t selling; outside events that conflict with your dates/times, over-estimating your audience’s interest, sales goals set too high. So, before you start panicking and fire-selling the show or event, there are a few tactics you can put into place.
1. Why Do Ticket Discounts?
Ticket discounts are great for growing your audience, providing an incentive for repeat buyers, or thanking specific groups like major donors or students in your programs. This kind of outreach can help build and strengthen relationships. DO NOT use last-minute ticket discounting to fill the house. In the end it will negatively affect sales, and not help with audience growth. As you plan your season, also plan who are the types of patrons you want to reach and bring to your shows or events.
2. When Should Discounts Happen?
Ticket discounting should happen early, preferably when you announce that individual tickets are on sale. With the right messaging, this can help jumpstart your single ticket campaign. This should also be the deepest discount that your organization offers all season, which will help train your audience to “buy early and save.” At Confluence Art Solutions we recommend starting your paid advertising for each production at least eight weeks prior to opening night. You can start your advertising campaign with a discount, but as you get closer to opening night those discounts get smaller, along with who gets offered a discount, and by four weeks to open all discounting should stop.
3. How To Implement Ticket Discounts?
Ticket discounting should be planned out ahead of time, just like any other marketing tactic. Well before your performance season or event goes on sale, put together a plan for:
- The various discounts you want to offer.
- The groups you want to target with those discounts.
- The type of communication method you want to use to advertise the discounts.
Not all ticket discounts should be advertised publicly on social media, some are better served with an email message to a targeted list. It is also a good idea to let data be your guide to the type of discounts you offer, and when you pull the trigger on advertising the discounts. (More to come in future blogs about data. 😊)
Keep your audiences and budget happy!
With good planning in place, ticket discounts can be an excellent tool to marketing performances or events, and increase your revenue. Check out more info about ticket discounts by watching this month’s installment of This Month in Arts Marketing. We break down everything about ticket discounts and why, when, and how to use them.
If you want to know more about how to handle ticket discounts, Confluence Arts Solutions is here to help! Contact us today to schedule a consultation.