Keep your audience coming back for more by developing audience loyalty.
How do you create a sense of audience loyalty? Here is a lesson from Las Vegas.
After a Las Vegas show the cast stands at the exit and personally thanks every member of the audience as they leave the theatre.
Why do they do this?
“Because they told us to,” quipped Dan O’Connor. Dan and friends performed an improv show at New York New York in Las Vegas and packed them in for 10 months.
Las Vegas knows what it’s doing. Meeting the cast will be part of the story every audience member tells when they get back to the office. That’s marketing you can’t buy.
An audience wants to connect with the performers. Give them the opportunity.
- Reception Line:
Have all the performers go directly to the exit after their bow to shake hands and thank the audience for attending. It’s also a great time to pass out fliers for the next show or special discount coupons. (2 for 1 coupons, for example). - Talk to the Performers:
Offer a “Chat with the Cast” after the performance. At the end of the performance announce that there will be an opportunity to chat with the audience after a brief period to allow the house to clear. This ‘extra’ element can also be used to boost attendance on slower nights.
Set a few chairs on the stage and let the audience ask the cast questions. The more they know about you and what you do the more they will feel connected to your company. It’s also fun to hear what they are curious about. This information can inform you marketing.
Try these two no-cost methods to connect with your audience and you are sure to see your repeat business increase.
Bonus Audience Loyalty Tip:
Send a thank you email to people who attended that show with a few references to the scenes created that night. It’s a ‘Thank you’ Note… just like Mom taught you to write. Resist promoting… just let it be a thank you.
You do collect email address at every performance, don’t you?