Marketing and the Monarchy

EXPERIENCE! An ambitious young man on a chariot of leopards! WITNESS! The mysterious inner sanctum of an egg-loving prophetess.

We're at the stage where we've got the show blocked (mostly), the actors know their lines (sort of) and we're starting to feel the nervous energy that comes with knowing it's close. The ticket link is live, and while they're not flying out the door, we're seeing some movement. We're probably 25% of where we need to be to "break even." Not a bad place to be with a little less than a month to go 'til curtain. 

But I would like a little bit more "buzz." 

I was having a bit of an SEO problem. The ticket company we're using doesn't really "rank" in the algorithm, so if a random person had seen one of our stickers and was curious enough to google the play, they wouldn't really find anything. Getting the play into a local social calendar turned that around, though. Our marketing copy and lots of links surface now. 

But, once this straw person finds the links, will they like what they see?

I have some personal concern that I get too "glib" or "insidery" with the copy. Most of our sales come from friends and folks who are already following us on social media, and I play a little fast and loose with the way I write about the shows. I need a little fresh perspective on how its received by "strangers." 

And new people are what put you over the top profit-wise. It's a little rough getting folks to take a chance on a play. Theater's not like a band or a movie where you can just walk out if you don't like it. And people have been burned many times by bad plays. It's the art to be most wary of! Our play is good, but we have to get folks in the door to figure it out. 

A reporter for a local paper saw the copy and asked for more information. On the fence about how to respond. The pro would be he comes to the dress rehearsal, loves it, people read the review and buy tickets. The con would be he's dismissive or snarky and whether it affects sales or not, our names will live forever in search-result hell. Which would have a ripple effect on the next play. 

These are the types of decisions you have to make and have little control over. Should I spend money on digital advertising? Should I spend money on posters, people to hang those posters, postcards, people to distribute those postcards. The famous quote: "half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but it's impossible to know which half," seems to apply. 

The best thing to do would be to have the confidence the product is good, the people involved are good, trust that we would get a good review and trust that the cool posters and postcards will draw people in. Those things are true, there's just a sort of... ego paralysis around pulling the trigger on them. 

Rehearsals were minimal but strong. One of the actors is deeply involved in several other productions and often has to reschedule. Starting to have small concerns about his ability to integrate with the rest of the cast, but it will work out. We've had other people flying off to Japan and a few who are headed to Hawaii soon. I'd hate to think the dress rehearsal is the first opportunity to everyone on stage at the same time, but it wouldn't be the first time. The fringed nature of the fringed beast. 

We did the fights on Saturday, and my life-long dream of having a character fight with two daggers has come to fruition. A dancer plays this twin-blade-wielding character, and she leaps and spins most menacingly with the two broken yardstick pieces we've given her. Her noble opponent waves his stubby yardstick club and takes his nicks with great valiance. 

As well, the dance is coming along nicely. Cute hand signals to match up with the lyrics. Scouts honor flashes, loose-necked nods, and choral exhortations. I predict a charmed audience. We made little videos of everything so people can practice at home. That's sure become much easier over the years. 

It will be good. It's already good. I just need to get a few more channels through which to prove it to others. 

In a year, hit or miss, my memories will be of the process and how much fun everything has been. But right now my mental focus is on how to get a few more bodies through the turnstile.