The Question, September 24, 2012

What is the Role of Social Media in Promoting Plays?

[ESTELLE ROSEN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: This is the first in a new Monday feature - The Question - which will replace The Upstage Interview.]

The comments below originated in a panel discussion on Upstage, Thursday, September 20, moderated by Sarah Deshaies. Participants included Andrea Elalouf, Public Relations Coordinator for Segal Theatre and Cassandra Togneri, Communications Director for Quebec Drama Federation.

ELALOUF: 

You need to understand the differences between Facebook and Twitter. Facebook targets community and your followers; more of a personal nature. Twitter targets more people and is less personal than Facebook. Stats indicate one in 10 tweets should be about your product. Develop a dialogue about what is related to your show.

TOGNERI:

The goals of a message should be geared [specifically] to blogging, Facebook or Twitter.  All have different audiences. Over-notificaton puts people off. It's important to send people to your website; therefore website info is crucial. It's necessary to build up followers as early as two years before putting up a play. Use Twitter creatively. (One company had their actors tweet in the voice of their characters.)