The Eugene Opera has the best grasp of social media out of local performing arts organizations, but its social media efforts are lacking nationally. Compared to other major opera companies, the Eugene Opera has far fewer Twitter followers, around 176 compared to thousands for companies like the Metropolitan Opera. While the Eugene Opera focuses on ticket sales, social media is best used for long-term relationship building and audience engagement. The document provides examples of how other opera companies effectively use social media and recommends the tools and strategies the Eugene Opera could adopt to improve its social media presence.
5. How do other operas’ Twitter
presences compare?
27 regional operas
nationwide have more
than 500 followers
The Portland Opera,
which has never posted
a tweet, has twice as
many followers than
the Eugene Opera
6. How do the numbers stack up?
6,000
5,107
4,500
Twitter Followers
3,000
2,547
1,987
1,879 1,874
1,762
1,500
0 176
Met Opera Austin Houston Seattle Cincinatti Vancouver Eugene
Operas
*All figures as of Dec. 8, 2009
7.
8. Not being searchable on
Twitter causes the Eugene
Opera to miss out on
potential followers.
11. The Eugene Opera’s focus is
on increased ticket sales;
However, social media is
most effective as a tool
for networking and long-
term relationship building
with the audience.
12. Getting to know you...
“It’s really about access and
opening up this place, which has
so many stories and so much
behind-the-scenes drama.”
– Elena Park, Met Opera
14. Tools for connecting via social media:
Ticket promotions
Contests
Two-way communication
Maintain activity
Link to Twitter and Facebook
pages whenever possible
15. Eugene Opera
will soon be earning
standing ovations for
its social media
engagement.
Editor's Notes
Based on the social media understanding of other performing arts organizations, “the fact that the Opera even has a Twitter feed feels like a big step.” - S.S.
Alongside other opera companies nationwide, doesn’t stand up to the competition
So, if it’s looking to mirror the successes other opera companies have enjoyed, it needs to make some changes.
Set: Hansel & Gretel
Portland - 323 followers - might not even be the real opera, but it has been included on reputable arts lists and is the primary search result
Set: Pirates of Penzance
Obviously, the winner is the New York Metropolitan Opera, which has an international fan following, but even other mid-major cities such as Houston and Vancouver, BC see impressive follow numbers on Twitter.
My own Twitter feed = 264
This is a problem!
Right now: Mark Beudert
Screenshot of the Eugene Opera’s Twitter page
Another place where the Eugene Opera has, perhaps, been a little misguided is results, expressed to current Internet marketing team that it’s TICKETS
Audience networking - according to Beth Kanter and Rebecca Krause-Hardie
Elena Park = Assistant Manager for Editorial and Creative Content at the Metropolitan Opera
Seattle: “Confessions of a First-Time Operagoer” with Cassidy Brettler
Vancouver: “Blogger Night at the Opera,” where CARMEN was live-blogged by 4 area Internet writers
Contests - Love the Seattle idea, or promote contestant-created media about a production
Two-way communication - on Twitter, using retweets, hashtags more often, linking into other companies’ conversations, dialogue with audience members
Maintain - otherwise, no better than a Web site
Link - a good way to grab people who wouldn’t otherwise be on social networks
