A look at the social media practices of large and small theatres in UK, Australia, and US as of Sept/Oct 2014. The key message: just because you're big doesn't mean you're good! Although we love what The Australian Ballet and The Met Opera are doing.

1. Social Media +
Theatres: International
Review
8 October 2014

2. “Wrong is wrong even if everyone is
doing it.
Right is right even if no one is doing
it…”

3. National Theatre Wales
5,550 fans
11.1 k followers 246 followers
207 subscribers 3522 photos

4. https://www.facebook.com/nationaltheatrewales
Likes 5,550
PTAT 23
PTAT/likes 4.1%
New likes per week ?
Apps Timeline | About | Photos | Likes | Reviews |
Events|YouTube

5. Mainly Promotional Posts
• Average: 1 post every 2-3
days
• Not a lot of engagement –
average 5 likes/post

6. Noteworthy:
Silly Kings
Facebook Competition
• Well promoted with
images and video
• Great engagement
• Prize of tickets

7. Noteworthy:
• Live video streams of
current productions
• Fair use of YT with
interviews, behind the
scenes, etc
• Plus video links to debates

8. Crowd Source Ideas
For The Assembly
• Looking for content
ideas from fans
• People can vote for
finalists

9. It’s Not All Good…
• No image. No punctuation. Spelling mistake.
• Little engagement

10. National Theatre Of Wales:
Twitter

12. Twitter Activity
• Average 4 tweets
per day
• Promotional content
activity
• Interact with
industry people

13. Note Worthy: Use of Lists

14. Followers vs. Following

15. Followers vs. Tweets

16. Engagement
• Often get 2-8
retweets from
industry people or
drama students

17. Use of hashtags:

18. National Theatre Of Wales:
Pinterest

20. • Mix of
promotional
and non-
production
boards
• Pinning
from other
boards too

21. Most
Popular
Pin:
Added by
NTW, to
board Silly
Kings
(production)

22. Storify
• Curates social
media posts to
tell a story
• 1 per
production
since August
2013
• 64 followers,
low views

23. Flickr:
Large amount of
behind the scenes
pictures

24. NTW is making an effort
But relies too heavily on promotional posts
in Facebook and Twitter
Activity on Pinterest and Storify is much
more focused, but with tiny audience
National Theatre Of Wales Summary

25. National Theatre of Scotland
1 10,005 fans
19.3k followers 1,128 followers
572 subscribers

26. PTAT 249
PTAT/likes 2.4%
Apps Timeline | About | Photos
| Likes | Events |
Instagram

27. Erratic Posting
Activity
• Before September, 1 post
every 2-3 days
• Sept: more frequent,
almost 1 per day
• Image posts perform
better (40 likes) than
videos/links (max 25)

28. Noteworthy:
Spotify/ Soundcloud
playlists of the set list of
finished productions

29. Noteworthy: Dear
Scotland
• Link to micro site
community page
• Users post messages to
Scotland
• Huge engagement

30. Noteworthy:
Live streaming to
provide free or more
accessible theatre

31. National Theatre Of Scotland:
Twitter

33. Doing a good enough job. Talking
to people. RT’ing and using pictures
not text.
TIP: Set up searches using our
names and those of
competitors. Daily responding
to conversations happening.

34. Followers vs. Following

35. Followers vs. Tweets

36. National Theatre Of Scotland:
Instagram

38. Increasing Popularity
• 4-6 pics per month
• Average 30 likes per
image post (numbers
seem to be increasing
recently)
• Video posts get
significantly less likes

39. Mainly Promotional
• Always promoting a show
- hyping up rehearsals or
interviews
• Never starting
conversation or
promoting community,
trivia, etc.

40. The Australian Ballet
1 107,982 fans 1,417 followers
24.8k followers 19,770 followers
15,383 subscribers

41. PTAT/like
s
9.5%

42. Frequency of Posts
• Erratic – some days
(mainly leading up to
WBD) 4-5 posts
• At other times only
posting once every 2-
3 days

43. Engagement
• Posts seem to either get very
high responses (1,000+ likes and
multiple comments/shares)
• Or they hit 20 likes and 1-2
comments
• Promotional posts usually do
better than others

44. World Ballet Day
• Campaign across FB,
Twitter, Instagram and
YT
• Inviting fans to see
behind the scenes, join
discussions and more

45. #Whatisbeauty
• Encouraging fan
submission and
conversation
• Gets recognition
across all Australian
Ballet social media
platforms

46. Australian Ballet: Twitter

48. • Mix of promotional and
conversational posts
• 3-4 per day
• Increased amount in
build up to World Ballet
Day
• Encouraging
conversation whilst
promoting what’s on

49. Respond to mentions and retweet a lot of industry
people

50. Frequent Use of Hashtags

51. Followers vs. Following Ratio

52. Tweets vs. Followers Ratio

53. Australian Ballet: Instagram

54. Instagram
Repost images from FB,
often with same text

55. • Mostly promotional images
• Encourage conversation with
similar Twitter questions
• Use of themes –
Tutu Tuesday,
etc.
• Huge
engagement,
many posts hit
the 1,000 mark

56. Australian Ballet: Pinterest

58. Mix of
promotional pins
directly from site
and inspiration
for different
shows from other
sources

59. Sydney Theatre Company
29,082 fans
20.4 k followers
54 subscribers

60. PTAT/likes 2.7%
New likes per week 0.8%
Apps Timeline | About | Reviews | Photos | Likes

61. Erratic posting activity
• 5 posts in August
• Sept: Mon-Fri only
• 1 – 3 per day
• Not a lot of engagement
• No promotions
• No ad spend

62. Most Popular:
• Picture of a seal!
• Launch party pics
• Beckett to UK

63. Noteworthy:
• Free tickets to
rehearsals
• Weekly archive

64. Content Posting Formula:
• Production pics 2 nights
before opening
• Opening night pic
• Reviews after

65. Sydney Theatre Company:
Twitter

66. Following: Follower Ratio

67. Tweets: Followers

68. Formula:
• Proliferation of tweets
on Mondays!
• No images
• Love # #
• They don’t talk to
anyone

69. Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney
15,497 fans 233 followers
12.7 k followers 2185 followers
233 subscribers

70. PTAT/likes 2.3%

71. Content Strategy:
1-2 posts daily
Reviews + pic
Not much
Engagement
1 promotion!

72. Closure
Closing forum on last
night’s performance

73. Belvoir Street Theatre: Twitter

74. Following: Follower Ratio

75. Tweets: Followers

76. Company B at Belvoir St Theatre makes a point
of replying to everyone who asks a question
on Twitter and it re-tweets any positive
mentions of its productions. All tweets are
printed out and stuck on a bulletin board for
cast and crew to read each day.
Twitter Policy

78. Berkeley Repertoire Theatre
15,220 fans
7,113 followers 340 followers
275 subscribers

80. Posts
• Average 1 post
every 2-3 days
• Average post gets
around 40 likes
• Some posts jump to
150

81. Mixture of promotional
posts, sharing others
posts and water cooler

82. Contd.

83. • r
Conversation made,
but no follow up as
promised!

84. • Prefer to post a mix
of styles rather than
favouring one
• Appreciated by fans,
resulting in steady, good
engagement
• Strong use of images –
could use more behind-
the-scenes, natural
images

85. Berkeley Rep: Twitter

87. • They talk to people!
• Retweet and favourite
many fan tweets &
mentions
• Good use of images
• Often industry
people, community
councils, etc

88. • Images are different
from Facebook
images
• Mainly promotional

89. Followers vs. Following Ratio

90. Tweets vs. Following Ratio

91. Berkeley Rep: Instagram

93. • Poor quality photos
• Hasn’t been updated since April
• When started 3-4 posts per month (Nov & Dec)
• Then went to 1 post per 2/3 weeks
• Very low engagement
• Not promoted on website

94. The Metropolitan Opera
307,416 fans
22.4k followers
7,822 followers

96. Frequency of Posts
• 1 post every 1-2 days
• With exceptions:
• September 10 – 15 there were no posts
• Sometimes 2 promotional posts in 1 day
• Most posts get good engagement, with minimum 300
likes, up to as much as 3,500 likes at times
• Some of this can be attributed to the reputation of the
institution

97. Post Types:
• Promotional
• Links to its other
sites
• Throwbacks, facts
about the Met
• Links to
livestream/listen to
links
• Topical posts linked to

99. Noteworthy: Apps
• Use apps for
promotions and tie
ins with current
show

100. Top Fans App:
• Ranks top fans
through likes,
comments,
engagement
• Unclear what
benefits of this
system are

101. The Met Opera: Twitter

103. • Mainly
retweets and
promotional
• Before the
summer, more
engaging
posts, but few
images

104. • Throwback posts
• Link to current
shows
• Good engagement

105. • Links to ‘Last
night @ the
Met’
• Tumblr
documents
audience
fashion

106. Followers vs. Following

107. Tweets vs. Followers

108. The Met Opera: Instagram

109. Instagram
• Constantly linked by Twitter
and FB
• Minimum 150 likes per post
• Posts erratically - five posts on
one day, then none for a week

110. Best Performing Instagram Posts

111. Best Performing Posts

112. Sleep No More
34,402 fans
1,127 followers
2,194 followers

113. Likes 34,402
PTAT 817
PTAT/likes 2.3%

114. • Posts in bursts every
few days
• Engagement is good -
average 45 likes per
post
• Uses tweets to promote
shows
• Unusual design
• Ties in with
themes of show

115. • Share links to
Instagram
• Sometimes their own
• Often others
• Part of
#mysleepnomore
campaign

116. Noteworthy:
#mysleepnomore
• Tracks audience mentions
of the
show
• Incorporated into a
Facebook app

117. Promotional Posts
• Often tie in with show
• Not overtly
commercial
• Sometimes present
character pics with no
caption
• Mysterious vibe

118. Sleep No More: Twitter

120. Twitter
• Predominantly RTpraise
• Sometimes linking to
Instagram pictures w/o
captions
• Post/retweet most days

121. Following vs. Followers

122. Tweets vs. Followers

123. Sleep No More: Instagram

124. Instagram
• Post erratically
• Nothing
since July
• 5 times in May
• Best performing
post:

125. Conclusions

126. • Most are doing Facebook wrong!
Erratic, promotional posts, no ad spend, few
competitions.
• Best: Berkeley Rep and The Met (only one using
apps)
• Engaging content is topical, retro, feedback +
promotional
• Campaigns fare well (Scotland, ballet)
Facebook

127. • Most are doing better with Twitter, but largely
talking to industry audiences
• Best: Aussie Ballet, Belvoir
• Images for own posts, RT’ing others.
• Wales use of lists
Twitter

128. • Most are there but not using it. Toe in the water.
• Huge engagement for Aussie Ballet and The Met
• Different types of content – after party pics, view
from the pit, etc.
Instagram

129. • Hasn’t really taken off for this audience
• Tumblr for fashion
• Flickr for pics
• Storify
Pinterest & Other

130. • Spotify / Soundcloud for playlists
• Live streaming video
• Post show audience forums
• Free tickets to rehearsals
Noteworthy