Social media goes to the theatre

Theatre companies are used to taking words off a page and putting them on stage. Marketing often involves the reverse - putting the stage experience into words. Anna Connell at the Auckland Theatre Company has found social media a powerful way to reach theatregoers - in their own words.

In this video interview by Simon Young, Anna takes us behind the curtain of ATC's social media marketing.

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Marketing is a a tricky job for theatre companies. While product- and service-based companies have an ongoing relationship with customers, theatre has just two main points of contact: buying the ticket, and going to the show.

How, then, does Auckland Theatre Company build rapport and connection with existing and potential theatregoers? Anna Connell is partnerships manager at the ATC, but she's also an avid user of social media, and as such, she's voice of ATC in the blogosphere, twittersphere, and Facebookosphere (okay, now we're starting to sound silly!).

After enjoying opening night of Horseplay (it's excellent; if you enjoy words at all, go see it), I interviewed Anna (on stage!) about her experience.