If you’re in the arts world, chances are your to-do list is a little… overwhelming. But whether your season is winding down or you’re gearing up for what’s next, there are a few things you can do right now that will make life easier later.
We jumped on a Zoom call (check out the recording here) and asked our team: What are the top three things arts marketers can do today that their future selves will thank them for? Here’s what they came up with.
1. Set Yourself Up for Success with Smarter Advertising
(From Megan: Campaign Planning + Content Creation)
Think beyond the next ad. Future you will be grateful for a fully mapped-out advertising strategy:
- Break down your budget: Don’t just know your total—know what you’re spending and when, across each show or initiative.
- Plan around the calendar: Align your ad launches with holidays, openings, and key moments throughout the year.
- Diversify your platforms: If you’ve relied heavily on Meta, start experimenting with Google, Spotify, and others.
And if you can? Pre-plan your content. One of our clients is scheduling an all-in-one photo/video shoot before the season begins, giving them a content library to pull from all year long. It’s a goal worth shooting for.
2. Let the Data Guide You
(From Melanie: Revenue Review + Offseason Organization)
Numbers don’t lie—and they can save you time later. Future you will appreciate having these ducks in a row:
- Wrap up this season’s revenue data: Collect it, label it, and file it somewhere everyone can find it.
- Review the trends: Don’t just react to what happened last weekend. Zoom out and see what worked (and didn’t) all year.
- Decide what to track next: Want to run a stronger subscriber acquisition campaign next year? Want to know whether spending printing dollars on postcards effectively brings in audiences? No matter what changes and growth you’ll want to achieve in the future, you’ll need the right data to back it up. Start collecting it now.
Bonus: Use the offseason to knock out projects that always get sidelined – like creating materials for education or outreach programs.
3. Take a Strategic (and Actual) Pause
(From Lynette: Long-Term Vision + Real Self-Care)
Sometimes what you need most isn’t another to-do—it’s a bigger-picture view.
- Revisit your strategic plan: Don’t have one? Take 10 minutes to sketch out where you want to be in 5 years – and how marketing can support that.
- Actually take a break: Not the kind where you check emails on a beach. A real break. Step away. Let someone else be in charge for a few days.
- And yes, snacks help: Keep something small and joyful (like jellybeans) at your desk. Future you might just need a sugar boost between emails.
One Last Thing
You don’t have to do all the things. Pick a few. Get ahead. Breathe a little easier.
And if you need help mapping out your advertising calendar, reviewing your audience data, or just figuring out what goes where—that’s exactly what we’re here for! Contact the team at Confluence Arts Solutions today to get the ball rolling.