Be an Organized Creative
The reality of working with a community theater is that the budget is small, very small. So an organized marketing plan will be crucial to getting the most out of your budget. The first thing that I did when I started working on this production was to talk to the director about his vision for the show, the next thing I did was write out a list of tasks I wanted to complete. I figured out the help I needed to complete those tasks and what I would need to finish them, including all the contacts and setup info Laurie Hupman had collected over the years, and the dates I expected to finish everything. As the rehearsals moved along, I would frequently go back to this list to make sure everything was on track. Being organized is vital to achieving what you set out to do—don’t underestimate the value of a good spreadsheet!

Build new Relationships with Old Vendors
Lyric Theatre has been a vibrant part of the community for over 40 years. So there have been many staff members who have worked with local newspaper and radio groups to advertise previous shows. Thanks to the pre-existing relationships with these vendors it was relatively easy for me to set up our ads on KDFC and with San Jose Mercury News. However, this was the first time that these vendors had worked with me. The great thing about this situation was that they knew what we wanted, but they were eager to make a new relationship with me. Don’t be scared to tell your vendors what your real budget is, and it is always worth a try to ask for a lower cost. You might not get exactly what you were looking for, but what you get might be better than you expected. You never know when a vendor will upgrade your ad to free color, or give you 15 free mentions on their radio station. Remember to say thank you, and hope that this will happen again! Always be grateful. You are building another block on a healthy relationship with another part of your community.
Don’t give up on these older types of marketing. Just because I don’t read the newspaper doesn’t mean that there aren’t many potential ticket purchasers who might not hear about our show otherwise. Plus, having a presence in a large local newspaper reminds your community that you are around, and you want them to be a part of your production.
Be Social and Be Consistent

It takes a Village
Word of mouth is an invaluable marketing tool and every single person involved in this show will need to promote the production within their own networks. We've asked every single board member, every cast member, and production staff member to spread the word by sharing photos and fliers, and emailing out information on the production. Hopefully those of you reading this have seen our fliers in your community and maybe an email got forwarded to you!
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Our directors being interviewed for KDFC's State of the Arts |
We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing how we put together The Mikado, and we hope you come to see what our talented cast, production staff, orchestra and volunteers have been working on! Come see The Mikado at the Montgomery Theatre from June 21-29th! www.lyrictheatre.org/tickets
Ewa Nowicka is a performer, arts advocate, new Board Member at Lyric Theatre, and social media lover residing in the Bay Area. She will be performing a staged concert in San Jose on November 14th and 16th, and hopes to see you there! Learn more at www.EwaNow.com and on twitter @Ewa_Now
As always you can keep in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, and our website