I have been hearing a variety of excuses why some organizations and artists are not using audience development. In this blog, I would like to take the time to provide answers for the top three excuses.
1. I am an individual artist so I do not need audience development.
Audience development is for anyone and everyone that needs support. If you need a fan base, volunteers, donors, patrons, board members, people to help spread the word, you need audience development. Audience development is about building relationships with people that will want to support your art. It is about building positive people energy, or a community, that will surround your art to help you build more support.
2. I do not have the money or capacity to implement an audience development plan.
Most people do not realize that audience development helps build funding and capacity to support your art form. The real problem here is that there is a need of shifting from old methods to newer methods. If you were to take a look at what you are spending your time and money on, I am willing to bet that you will find old methods that are not worth funding or spending time on anymore. Then you can shift these resources to an audience development plan that will build more support and start you on a more successful path.
3. I already have marketing, why do I need audience development?
If you are in need of a bigger and better audience, then perhaps marketing alone is not working. Marketing is about hoping to target individuals that will want to take part in your art. Audience development is about learning who these individuals are, reaching out to them, and building relationships with these people that you know will want to take part in your art. I hope you see the difference.
I see there is a need for education, so I am attempting to complete my book by this December. I am also available for workshops, seminars and phone sessions. Please feel free to get in touch with me when you are ready to take the audience development plunge!
Cheers to happy and loyal audiences,
Shoshana
Shoshana Fanizza
Audience Development Specialists
https://www.buildmyaudience.com
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“Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.”
~James Stewart
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