The Mobile Chorus:Engaging Audiences on the Go

Chorus America2014 Conference

David DombroskyChief Marketing OfficerInstantEncore.com

Presentation available on SlideShare

Mobile technology is NOT the future.It’s the PRESENT.

There are 4.5 billion mobile users worldwide…

…with nearly 7 billion mobile subscriptions.SOURCE: International Telecommunications Union

SOURCE: ComScore

•Nearly 40% of all Internet traffic comes from mobile devices. (source: ComScore)

•25% of US mobile internet users never or infrequently open websites on desktop or laptop computers. (source: Mobithinking)

•2013 reports from mass email service providers show that 50-61% of emails are opened on smartphones or tablets.(sources: Movable Ink and Experian)

SOURCE: Pew Research Center

• 90% of American adults have cell phones

• 58% of American adults have a smartphone

• 42% of American adults own a tablet computer

As of January 2014…

SOURCE: Pew Research Center

In May 2013, Musical America published a special report on mobile marketing in the performing arts.

Download it for free at:http://bit.ly/14blFUX

Group of Minds – Longitudinal Study of Arts Patrons & Mobile Usage

• First survey in 2009

• Second survey in 2012

• Distributed to 45,000 arts patrons

• 4.3% response rate

We can’t afford to engage with mobile.

You most likely already participate in “mobilized” environments.

NOT TRUE.

Social Media Tools are “Mobilized”

Other “Mobilized” Online Tools

QR Codes•QR = “quick

response”•Bar codes can

be linked to content

•QR Code readers are free

•Generators are also free. Ex: Scan.me

Directing QR Codes to Your Standard WebsiteFAIL

Best Practices for QR Codes•Give the end

user a mobile-friendly experience

•Have a clear call to action

•Use a code generator with analytics

Three Questions:

1. How many visitors are coming to your website each month via mobile devices?

2. Is your website mobile-optimized?3. How many monthly visitors need

to be coming to your website via mobile devices before you actively pursue providing them with an optimized experience?

Source: wwww.ourmobileplanet.com

• 71% of US smartphone users EXPECT a website to be as easy to use on their phones as it is on their desktop or laptop computers.

• When visiting a website that is not optimized for mobile use, 81% of smartphone users will bounce away from the site without engaging.

• 80% of those who leave will NOT come back.

Mobile Websites

Websites intended to be opened on a mobile device within an Internet browser

Accessible from all types of mobile devices

Designed for touch screen navigation

Require access to the Internet (3G, WiFi, etc.)

http://www.mobiready.com/

Tips for Making Your Website Mobile Friendly or Mobile Optimized

• Keep the layout simple and easy to navigate• Keep images to a minimum• Use .png or .gif images – faster to load• Test your site on a number of mobile devices• Optimization plug-ins for current content

management systems (e.g. WordPress, Drupal, etc.)• Create a separate mobile site

▫For example: m.yoursymphony.org instead of www.yoursymphony.org

▫Consider using free and low-cost services like YoMobi▫Redirect mobile users to your mobile site

Responsive Design

Mobile Apps• Software designed

for a mobile device

Mobile Apps

• Software designed for a mobile device

• Platform-specific

Mobile Apps

• Software designed for a mobile device

• Platform-specific

• What can apps do that mobile websites cannot?

• Apps are faster than mobile websites.

• Apps allow you to access native features of the mobile device – like the camera or GPS

• Many apps have a feature called “push notifications” that allow you to send short text messages to your subscribers.

• Many apps have an offline feature which allows you to use the app without an Internet connection.

Mobile Apps

• Software designed for a mobile device

• Platform-specific

• What can apps do that mobile websites cannot?

• Psychology of the end user

Mobile users open the internet browser on their phones when they are searching for something.

When mobile users want to engage with content repeatedly over time, they want an app for that.

Um…Okay. But how can a chorus use a mobile app to connect with audiences?

The Case of Bach Collegium San Diego:• Launched in Jan. 2012• Mobile app for Apple -

over 1,950 subscribers• Mobile app for Android

–over 300 subscribers • (Mobile website

version of the app)

In April 2014, Bach Collegium began providing time-specific content within their mobile app related to specific concerts.

On the day of the concert, app users now have access to content all about the performance.

Investigate Multi-Platform Services

• InstantEncore• Mobile Roadie• Apps for Venues• Crowdtorch

Online-based services that use a central control panel to deliver content to multiple mobile platforms – Android, Apple, mobile web, etc.

Hire an App Developer

• Be sure that your app has needs beyond a template service

• Look for local developers or relationships to leverage

• Make sure that the developer creates apps for Apple AND Android

• GET REFERENCES

Things to Think About

• What does your audience want from their mobile experience with you?

• What types of content do you already have to use?

• What budget level do you have to devote to mobile engagement?

• Can you leverage other resources or relationships?

David Dombroskydavid@instantencore.com

Presentation available on SlideShare