Word-of-mouth is the biggest part of fan discovery, but it isn’t always online
The Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia’s recently restored Live Nation venue, reopened its doors after a massive transformation at the end of 2018 as a state-of-the-art venue, kicking off the season with a grand opening that had Bob Dylan on the marquee.
The venue, a historic landmark in North Philadelphia, was originally built 110 years ago. After operating as everything from the site of radio broadcasts to a church, it eventually closed its doors in the late 1990s. Two decades later, the Met was in need of a new owner with a big vision and some TLC.
In December 2018, after undergoing a $56 million renovation, The Met emerged with a killer lineup — Bob Dylan, John Legend, Mariah Carey and more — but like many new venues they needed help spreading their name in order to be rediscovered.
Starting from scratch, the Met took a grassroots approach to promotion over the summer of 2018 to drive buzz around their opening and generate excitement in the region. In order to do this, the Met worked with SocialLadder to build promotions from the ground up. Street teams and grassroots marketing groups were deployed in the Met’s nearby areas, putting boots on the ground in the pulse of their neighborhood.
With SocialLadder’s help, they were able to recruit and mobilize these teams, create accountability in the field, and track all activity from one system. This resulted in the creation of an actionable network of ambassadors that could be leveraged year round, and a full room opening night and beyond.
The #1 reason people don’t attend events is because they don’t know they exist. Here are our 3 tips for having a successful street team to cut through the surrounding noise and get your events on your neighborhood’s radar:
- Make reporting easy
- Team reporting is important data, but its collection shouldn’t be a tedious task; make this simple for both your team and yourself.
- Keep your goals attainable
- Assigning tasks that are both fun and realistic will keep your team engaged and motivated
- Fans of your venue are your strongest advocates
- Identify your top fans – the people who know your venue best – and activate them into promotional voices
