Retention is a common topic. We are concerned due to all the churn, the losing of older audiences, and the changes in how people wish to purchase tickets (less subscribers). There are solutions to these challenges. The solution is to retain through love.

Retaining through love means that you are adding the element of caring for your audience members at each stage of their experience.

• Providing great information and content in ways they would enjoy to learn about the events.
• Making it easy to purchase a ticket and supplying impeccable customer service to answer their questions in a timely fashion.
• Creating meaningful extras for them to get more involved during the event (from program notes, lectures and talk backs to extra workshops).
• Adding extra fun elements for a more enriched experience such as collaborating with other organizations (having an art gallery that fits the performance’s theme is one example).
• Following up with them after the event to thank them, to ask for their feedback, and to continue communication about future offerings.
• Getting to know them as people to attempt to fulfill their needs to the best of your ability.
• Giving them opportunities to become supporters and continuing to care for them when they do!

The more you are able to come from an audience member’s perspective, the more you can implement practices of retaining through love. Caring for them will enable them to become loyal and to care for you too!

Cheers to happy and loyal audiences,
Shoshana

Shoshana Fanizza
Chief Audience Builder, Audience Development Specialists