I've been consulting various gurus about the different approaches to marketing concerts on Facebook. Short of using Facebook Ads which require money and so would not fit in to my new crusade:
Marketing Concerts Online FOR FREE! (All in the spirit of the free lunchtime concerts you know.)
My first queries have been around the difference between Groups and Pages. I think I'm correct in saying that pages are a more recent phenomenon and presumably therefore, grew out of necessity. Groups were found wanting. We (as I hope you're aware) have a nice Music at St Martin's Group which allows us to message some of our closest affiliates, give them special offers, release tickets to them before others and so on. However, the Facebook Group is by nature exclusive and the Facebook Page has a much more open and inclusive approach. While members only can write on the Group's wall (the main arena for the sharing of ideas, opinions, comments etc.), absolutely anyone can contribute to the page's wall. I've decided to make life difficult and have both. It seems to me that there are bound to be those people who prefer the privacy of the Group and others who wish the relationship to remain an uncomplicated casual and prefer therefore to 'like' or page.
Having reached this terribly unscientific conclusion, our intrepid intern has set up the new Music at St Martin's page. What I didn't realise (and what is the most difficult thing about any social media) is that setting the thing up is easy - what is tricky is to keep it going. We all of us have to strive our entire lives to be witty, charming, cheerful, helpful, empathetic and smart and here all of a sudden we have to do so in writing in the public domain where everyone everywhere can see it. It is not unlike that dream where you show up to work only to realise you've forgotten to put any clothes on. You feel - exposed!
I suppose, like the emperor and his new clothes or even like Adam and Eve, a certain level of embarrassment demonstrates a healthy level of modesty and self-awareness (interesting that the social media phenomenon now requires the use of such terms when referring to a business or organisation). It would seem to say "Bear with us, we're only human and we doing our best which means we'll sometimes do something really naff. Hopefully it will be naff and amusing and go down in the category of lovable faults."
So, at the risk of exposing myself further - here is the new 'Info' section from the Music at St Martin's page on Facebook:
When you stand on Trafalgar Square with your back to Nelson and look up at the grand frontage of the National Gallery, you may notice the Church just to the gallery's right. Nothing too ostentatious, just the Royal Parish Church, founding place of the world-famous Academy of St Martin in the Fields and one of the country's most prolific concert venues.
With over 380 evening, lunchtime, afternoon, children's, jazz and late-night events we keep busy. In the concerts department working alongside the Cafe in the Crypt, the Gallery at St Martin's, Shop at St Martin's, Brass Rubbing Centre and of course the church itself, we are dead proud of making the most of an extraordinary acoustic and exceptional location.
We are entirely self-sufficient with no government or private funding of any kind for our concert series. All our profits go toward the work of the church which naturally includes contributing to our community through supporting young and emerging talent in our Lunchtime Concert Series and the renowned St Martin's Chamber Music Competition.
Everyday is an adventure at St Martin's, you wouldn't believe the half of it and working in the Concert Department is a challenge and a pleasure from trying to get your head around auditioning and programming 150 lunchtime concerts to moving harpsichords and our beautiful Steinway concert grand to chatting with visitors and welcoming guests from around the world through the ever-open door.
We share this adventure through this page where you can see updates, latest news and offers, performers can post about their concerts and other can post their reviews. We welcome all contributions and feedback. We also share the adventure via our blog 'Ear to the Flagstone' our website and our Twitter account @stmartinsmusic.
Would you like to be part of our story?
Marketing Concerts Online FOR FREE! (All in the spirit of the free lunchtime concerts you know.)
My first queries have been around the difference between Groups and Pages. I think I'm correct in saying that pages are a more recent phenomenon and presumably therefore, grew out of necessity. Groups were found wanting. We (as I hope you're aware) have a nice Music at St Martin's Group which allows us to message some of our closest affiliates, give them special offers, release tickets to them before others and so on. However, the Facebook Group is by nature exclusive and the Facebook Page has a much more open and inclusive approach. While members only can write on the Group's wall (the main arena for the sharing of ideas, opinions, comments etc.), absolutely anyone can contribute to the page's wall. I've decided to make life difficult and have both. It seems to me that there are bound to be those people who prefer the privacy of the Group and others who wish the relationship to remain an uncomplicated casual and prefer therefore to 'like' or page.
Having reached this terribly unscientific conclusion, our intrepid intern has set up the new Music at St Martin's page. What I didn't realise (and what is the most difficult thing about any social media) is that setting the thing up is easy - what is tricky is to keep it going. We all of us have to strive our entire lives to be witty, charming, cheerful, helpful, empathetic and smart and here all of a sudden we have to do so in writing in the public domain where everyone everywhere can see it. It is not unlike that dream where you show up to work only to realise you've forgotten to put any clothes on. You feel - exposed!
I suppose, like the emperor and his new clothes or even like Adam and Eve, a certain level of embarrassment demonstrates a healthy level of modesty and self-awareness (interesting that the social media phenomenon now requires the use of such terms when referring to a business or organisation). It would seem to say "Bear with us, we're only human and we doing our best which means we'll sometimes do something really naff. Hopefully it will be naff and amusing and go down in the category of lovable faults."
So, at the risk of exposing myself further - here is the new 'Info' section from the Music at St Martin's page on Facebook:
When you stand on Trafalgar Square with your back to Nelson and look up at the grand frontage of the National Gallery, you may notice the Church just to the gallery's right. Nothing too ostentatious, just the Royal Parish Church, founding place of the world-famous Academy of St Martin in the Fields and one of the country's most prolific concert venues.
With over 380 evening, lunchtime, afternoon, children's, jazz and late-night events we keep busy. In the concerts department working alongside the Cafe in the Crypt, the Gallery at St Martin's, Shop at St Martin's, Brass Rubbing Centre and of course the church itself, we are dead proud of making the most of an extraordinary acoustic and exceptional location.
We are entirely self-sufficient with no government or private funding of any kind for our concert series. All our profits go toward the work of the church which naturally includes contributing to our community through supporting young and emerging talent in our Lunchtime Concert Series and the renowned St Martin's Chamber Music Competition.
Everyday is an adventure at St Martin's, you wouldn't believe the half of it and working in the Concert Department is a challenge and a pleasure from trying to get your head around auditioning and programming 150 lunchtime concerts to moving harpsichords and our beautiful Steinway concert grand to chatting with visitors and welcoming guests from around the world through the ever-open door.
We share this adventure through this page where you can see updates, latest news and offers, performers can post about their concerts and other can post their reviews. We welcome all contributions and feedback. We also share the adventure via our blog 'Ear to the Flagstone' our website and our Twitter account @stmartinsmusic.
Would you like to be part of our story?
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