Older, Wiser and Engaged in the Arts

During our conference we discussed segmentation and social media. Here are excerpts from those discussions.

In particular delegates acknowledged that the demographics of their audience are evolving, whilst attendance had generally held well throughout the economic downturn (to date). Social Media / Networking obviously offers great tools to develop your audience. However, there are a few crucial questions to ask before committing vast investments in the latest technical tools to deliver Social Media:

What is your reach through Social Media?

What do the clients you reach through Social Media look like?

Can you segment these clients? Can you include them in your segmentation analysis? 

There are obviously clients that you cannot reach through Social Media. Some organisations are doing great work to address those segments of their client base. The guideline principal ought to be that whilst clients continue to maintain their relationship with you 'Offline' that your communications with them need to work to ensure that those clients are equally as 'satisfied' as the clients you engage with via Social Media.

The two common segments to consider are:

1) Long Shore Drift

While you are investing in new channels, tools and social networking - what about those clients who get left behind?  

There will inevitably be a number of people, for whom the latest gizmo will be the last innovation they 'care' about. It may be that they grew up with Myspace, but were reluctant to learn Facebook. Or that they grew up with Facebook, but will be reluctant to try Wave. They may well be web literate, but are not be as web literate as they could be.

This group of people is itself evolving - maybe reducing in number. Web 2.0 offers platforms, that are by definition user friendly, intuitive almost second nature to the web literate generations. As a result Web 2.0 increases the number of people that you can reach through Social Media and arguably reduces Long Shore Drift.

Can you calculate the value that Social Media offers your organisation, whilst you maintain your relationships to the Long Shore Drift segment?

Have you considered what percentage of your client base would prefer to continue to receive a mail, not an email?

What percentage of your client base would respond to a phonecall from your organisation?

How fast will your organisation move, as Technology develops?

How fast will your client base move, as Technology develops and as your organisation moves with it?

2) Coffee Table Culture 

While you are investing in new channels, tools and social networking - what about those clients who perceive a value attached to more traditional forms of communications?

What do you consider traditional communication? What are the advantages of quality communications E.g. Designer Membership Welcome Packs?

There will typically be a number of people, who are emotionally attached to the traditional methods in which you communicate. Unlike Longshore Drift, they may well be absolutely web literate, but simply prefer a more traditional approach to their relationship with you.

This segment are likely to be those clients who identify the value in your cultural product, their response to your communications is not limited to the product, or the message - but the value that they associate with your organisation or your art form. This segment of your client base will want to be communicated with in a way that reflects the status and value of your cultural product.

Your client base will not all simply accept the channels through which you choose to communicate with them.