5 Things I Learned Marketing During The Pandemic

5 Things I Learned Marketing During The Pandemic: 

With Broadway shows opening almost daily, if feels like theater has come back to life. The Broadway League is back to reporting grosses, Off Broadway shows are extending, and it’s almost impossible to buy ad space! So, what have I learned while marketing during the pandemic?  

1. People are buying last minute. During the height of Omicron, ticket buyers were understandably weary. They wanted to get back to normal and see a show, but couldn’t plan too far in advance because you never know when you might catch the bug. So, we saw a lot of week-of sales and very small advances, which meant that our direct response advertising (like e-blasts) and other paid media started later in the timeline than we normally plan. Things are starting to shift again and advance sales are increasing, which means “awareness” as buys are becoming more important again.
     
2. Advertising rates are all about supply and demand. At the start of the pandemic it was easy for me to secure and email blast with two advertisers for super cheap. Why? No one was advertising! I’m sure I could have bought a ton of ad space at the time and made a deal to use it later, which now I regret not doing. But hey, you live and learn. Now it’s back to premium prices and no inventory for the little guys.
     
3. Out of home only works if the city is thriving (or at least reviving). Subway ads and billboards in Times Square are great…but only if people are there to see them. Even at discounted rates, buyers beware of out of home advertising until the city starts bustling (we’re getting there now)!
     
4. Owned assets are key. You know what doesn’t fluctuate in price? Your own email list. Your own social following. Your own website traffic. If you’re not building your email list then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
     
5. Use downtime to build relationships. During the pandemic I’ve focused on building relationships with colleagues, and it’s paid off big time. My business has grown significantly because of referrals from those colleagues and that will pay off for years to come.
     
6. Bonus tip! I learned that our industry is more vulnerable to instability than I thought. It’s been an unpredictable past few years with sudden and unexpected losses, changes and shutdowns. And that means our income is also susceptible to those fluctuations. So, having a source of reliable (and ideally passive) income is more important than ever. Click here to learn more about my “Entertainment Entrepreneur Accelerator” course that I launched in March to help entertainment pros build a sustainable course-based business. Turn your expertise in talents into income today. 

The pandemic has taught us all a lot. Leave a comment and let me know what you learned.