copyright © 1998-2008
Durham Arts Council, Inc.
120 Morris Street
Durham, NC 27701
919.560.ARTS

FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES

6. Lift up the loyal.

Maintaining loyal audience members is always less expensive than identifying and building new audiences, and retaining the loyal also helps generate the necessary resources to grow in new directions. Making sure that the steady supporters are applauded while also developing a program to recognize newcomers is critical. First-time attendees might receive a letter saying "thanks for coming" along with a second offer that ups the ante for continuing participation such as "bring a friend for free." As Louise Stevens of ArtsMarket puts it: "The best loyalty program is your box of stationery." Making personal, individualized contact with audience members is more effective than most any other means of communication.

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