Tech Tuesday: Google Instant Search Conference Reveals Cool New Tools

I postponed today's blog post last night in anticipation of the Google Instant Search press conference which was streamed live from San Francisco this morning.  I'm glad I did, because they revealed three seriously cool new tools.

1. Instant Search Using Voice : 

How Voice Search will appear.
Click to enlarge.

Now you don't even have to type your search queries.  Just clicking on the microphone button in the search bar will enable you to speak your search request.  This is helpful when you don't know how to spell the words or more likely, the names of who/what you wish to search for.

It should be noted that this feature was already available and popular for mobile devices, but now is coming to your desktop on the Chrome browser.  Google's voice search traffic has risen six-fold in the past year, an increase that speaks to the popularity of speech recognition on mobile devices. It will be interesting to see if desktop and laptop PC users show the same enthusiasm for voice input.


2. Instant Search Using Images enables users to drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste image URL, or upload the image from the desktop into the search box. They can also use a Chrome or FireFox software extension to add images to the search. 


Google said the search-by-image feature will be available in most countries and regions over the next few days to Chrome users, noting that it will not collect and store any images that users use.

3. Instant Pages pre-renders Websites when it's confident you'll click on the top result of a query. In a demonstration today, pages loaded immediately when using Instant Pages, while an old version of Google search took an extra three or four seconds. Even when pages don't load immediately, they load a few seconds faster using Google Instant Pages.

The feature will be available today in the developer version of Google's Chrome browser, and this week in Chrome's beta version. Instant Pages will come to the stable version of Chrome and mobile browsers in the coming weeks. Because the code is open source, developers can build Instant Pages extensions for other browsers as well.  

"Uh... that's cool, but what does this have to do with theater ideas?"  

Good point.  Let's imagine.

Image Search-

You're a costume designer and have finished the latest round of sketches for the cast of A Streetcar Named Desire.  After scanning them into your computer (unless you work primarily on a drawing tablet already) you drag the sketch into the search bar.  Immediately, shopping results for vintage clothing that look exactly like what you sketched Blanche in pop up, and you're able to find the best deal.

OR

You're a theater director in Oregon planning on touring a production of Shakespeare's a Midsummer Night's Dream in an outdoor setting in Virginia.  You want to scout a location that has the same curving trees and ground cover as your neighborhood park.  You take a photo of the Oregon location, drag it into the search bar, and find a great match at a Virginia country club complete with booking information.

OR

You're a location scout for a film project and you need to find a building in town that looks enough like the high school the script is based on 100 miles away...  

You see where I'm getting at.

Voice Search and Instant Pages provide more general conveniences.  Instant Pages save seconds of time, but they add up.  Perhaps that time saved only allows a person to make one extra search each day, but that search might be for you.

Voice Search is mostly useful when you don't know how to spell something, like the name of the Russian actor you're supposed to locate for your theater's next production of Uncle Vanya.  To be honest, when Voice Search allows me to go completely hands free and talk to my computer like a Star Trek character while I'm hand stitching a costume, I'm going to get far more excited.  

-Danielle Loebs

PS.  All information in this article was obtained from the notes I took while watching the Google Instant Search conference.  The images are courtesy of Google Instant.

Google Social Search or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love SEO

He's excited about SEO.
Image courtesy of makefive.com

This week, in my efforts to collect web marketing tips for theater companies, I realized that one of the most important items was one I knew very little about.  Boy was I intimidated.  Knowing virtually nothing of algorithms and hearing phrases I didn't understand (FYI, "living in a post-Panda world" has nothing to do with the availability of delicious orange chicken) left me determined to figure out this all-important acronym.


What is it, you ask?  Why, SEO of course!


SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.  Basically, SEO is the method you use to get your website to appear at or near the top of the page when people search for you (or when they search for things that describe you, like "entertainment near <your city>").  While you can certainly hire an SEO expert to help you with boosting your website to the top of the search rankings, here are a few basic tips I've picked up to help get you started.


7 SEO Tips for Your Theater Website:

1. First and foremost: decide the content of your site based on what is best and most relevant for your audience.  Ultimately, you're going to be found by the right people if you are providing the content they're looking for.  A theater company's website may not be found very easily by potential audience members if they only refer to themselves as a "performance collective," for example.
   
   
2. Do try to include words and phrases in the content of your website that you think potential audience members will use to describe you in a search.  Make a short list of phrases you would use to find a theater like yours and then ask your coworkers, friends and family to do the same.  If you see big similarities in these lists, you'll have found some great key words and phrases to include on your website.
   
   
3. Just make sure you try to get 2 or 3 of those key words on the home page of your site.  This will help the search engine direct users to the correct starting page.  To gauge success of these keywords, keep an eye on your site ranking in search results and see if there is movement.
   
   
4. Write a page or blog post on your site that’s dedicated to each of your top keywords.  This is also a good way to show your customers you know all about the specific product or service in which they are interested. Picture yourself explaining to a friend or relative in five minutes what you do in that specific area.  The write up need not be more than 200–300 words and should list the target keywords no more than two or three times. Remember this should be as natural and easy to read as possible, but have the keywords mentioned in a way that makes sense.
   
   
5. Post links to your site (or relevant updated pages) on your social networks.  Link it to your theater's twitter feed and facebook page.  Some of what helps a site earn a high search ranking has to do with the amount of traffic the site is generating.  At the very least, it will be easier for friends to share with one another.
   
   
6. Ask your friends and colleagues to post something about your theater company on their website, and return the favor.  Ideally, when they mention your theater's name, they can highlight it as a link back to your main website.  When done in a relevant way that provides value to the reader, this sort of link exchange makes good business partnerships and helps boost both sites.  Consider yourself an amateur concierge helping fans of your work reach something else they might like (much like Amazon.com does with purchases).
   
   
7. Also, search engines tend to favor sites with more external links pointing to them from a variety of sources over websites with few back links (if any).  In other words: search engines view relevant links to a website as a vote of confidence.

Google Social Search: Social Networks to the Rescue! 

Maybe you just can't seem to crack the right keywords to get your site out front and center.  After all, nearly every theater company's website has the words "theater," "theatre" (which is the British spelling that Americans still seem to love), or "play."  If you get TOO specific, your audience won't know how to find you.  

Don't worry, your friends and colleagues will now be able to help in an even bigger way.  A darling video from Google explains how:

Though Social Search was launched in 2009, the new updates have an effect on webpage rankings.  Like the video explains, if a friend of yours has linked to your page, Social Search will move that page up in rankings since the search engine will deem the page more relevant to you.  The more people in your local network who recommend or link to your page, the more likely potential audience members for your theater (aka locals) will find you when they search.

So as all these tips seem to sum up, know your fans and treat them well.  Good deeds on the internet are usually rewarded.

Fun and Games with Mobile Marketing (for your Theater)

Photo courtesy of digitaltrends.com

I know my posts have been a little more businesslike than artistic as of late, so I'm going to explain a little bit about why my marketing-themed blogging is important.

• First, when the Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts says that the problem with theater non-profits in America is that there is an over-supply of theaters and not enough audience demand while data shows that the majority (51%) of the NEA's support in the form of grant money goes to only three out of fifty states (and nearly 35% of all NEA grant money is going exclusively to New York, Chicago and LA), there are some problems with representation in the theater funding world.  We need all the advantages we can get.

• Second, theaters are having trouble adapting to the culture change brought on by newer generations who are exposed to less arts education and generally are not suited to the traditionally passive activity of attending live theater.  While many theaters ARE adapting to cultural shifts and are managing to do it outside of NY, Chicago and LA, they're not marketing themselves well enough to get the word out about their fabulous innovations.

• Finally, much of this marketing information (with respect to social networks and mobile ads) is so new that NO ONE is an expert.  This makes learning and writing about these marketing strategies fresh and fun!

The Growing Importance of Mobile Ads

This data was released by Google at the end of a colorful video only a few weeks ago:

“71% of us search because we saw an ad both on traditional media (43% search after seeing a TV ad) and on our phones (17% search after seeing an ad on a mobile device).  And we’re acting: 9 out of 10 mobile users have taken action all thanks to a smart phone search.  The simple fact is: Mobile Ads work.

Recall seeing a mobile ad?  You’re not alone: 82% of users notice mobile ads yet 79% of top advertisers don’t have a mobile optimized website.  It’s important to build a good mobile user experience because if we see a mobile ad we tend to click on the ad (42%), visit the advertiser’s site (35%), make a purchase (49%), or call the business (27%).  Don’t miss the mobile movement; mobilize your marketing to reach the new Smartphone consumer.”  

Is this relevant to your theater?  Certainly, because Google also released that a huge percentage of users (95%) are searching for local businesses to meet their needs and 49% of local searches done by users are looking for entertainment.  They could be searching for you; are you putting yourself out there?  If so, is your website's  mobile experience pleasant for the user (meaning, do you have a mobile optimized website)?

In the same report, Google discusses how inseparable Smartphone users are from their mobile devices, including the fact that

• 93% use their phones at home (where their laptops and desktops are accessible).
• 72% use their phones while "consuming other media." A third of that use is while watching TV.
• 39% use their phones while they're in the bathroom .
• 20% would rather give up their cable TV before giving up their phones.

With this in mind, it may be more of a sacrifice for audiences than you think when you ask patrons to turn off their cell phones before a performance. What I propose is that theaters begin to embrace the mobile habits of their audience.  

Fun and Games for the Smartphone Crowd

Louis Vitton QR Code created by Takashi Murakami for SET.
Courtesy Engadget.com

Pimp Your QR Codes

• I love QR Codes, those magical barcodes that can be scanned by a smartphone to launch an offline-to-online experience.  Now there is technology to personalize QR codes to include colors, pictures, even your logo.  Use it.  Be artsy with it.  More people will scan your codes and reach your website.

Wait, how am I using QR Codes?

• I'm glad you asked, because the possibilities are numerous.  I've been using them for years to create scavenger hunts for my friends and family (looks like others have finally started following suit).  If anyone wants the birthday present I got them, they have to scan the QR codes I've placed around the house, neighborhood or city and crack the riddles that appear when scanned.  Each riddle leads to the next QR Code location which ultimately leads the player to their birthday gift.  Obviously too many codes can make the game tiresome, so you should balance having enough clues to make the game worth playing, but not so many that they want to quit.  I stick with 9-12.
• Maybe it's because I watched Legends of the Hidden Temple too much as a kid, but I also set up obstacle courses and games which ultimately reward the user with a QR Code.  Also, users can earn special items (like my old baseball bat) to help them with the next challenge (breaking the piñata to find the QR Code hidden within).
• To get back to the point, QR Codes can link users from everything to text, pictures, music, youtube videos, your website... whatever you can think of.  You could put codes on the part of the theater ticket that the audience member will keep, in your programs, on refreshments (McDonald's monopoly taken to the next level?) or set up your own pre-show events with QR Code style fun and games that are on theme with your performance.  This would be great for murder mysteries, for example.
• Just remember: a QR is kind of like a scratcher card, it takes a bit of effort to uncover, so there should be a payoff!

By the way, there are Smartphone applications in existence to help you design and customize your own QR Codes, but I haven't tested them.  Other people have written how-to blogs for a DIY technique using a Photoshop-styled picture editor and trial and error.  The possibilities are Googlable!

Theater Marketing Using 3 Social Networks: Proudly Presented in Bullet Points!

Hey there!  Dramatic Dissemination is back with more big Idea Blogs.  Today's topic covers ways to use three social networking sites to market your theater.  Off we go!

Facebook

•          You have to create a page for your theater on facebook.  With over 500 million users, the website’s population is larger than every country except for India and China.  If you want to be seen, you have to be there.
•          However, when you make your page, keep in mind that the number one reason (at 40%)  facebook users “like” pages is for the purpose of obtaining exclusive promotions and discounts.  You have to give away a little on your facebook page to earn loyalty from your fans.  See the graph below for more reasons people will “like” you.

•          Work to create true fans.  This means building a relationship with your fan base that allows them to identify with your brand.  Do not use your page for the sole purpose of impersonal updates like “come to our next show!”  or “great job everybody!”  Use your status updates to engage in a conversation with your fans, respectfully discuss their feedback and build a sense of identity between your fans and the culture of your theater.
•         Set up a store on your facebook page. True fans want every chance they can get to show that they are a part of your theater.  Use that loyalty to promote your brand and bring more like minds into the fold.  Facebook stores typically secure 1-10% of a business’ fan base.  For a little perspective: in the 4th quarter of 2010, online sales were a record breaking $43.4 billion, +11% versus one year ago, according to comScore.

Twitter

•          Over 40% of the time that people are on Twitter, they are learning about products and services or providing opinions about brands.  If you aren’t on Twitter, they won’t be tweeting about you.
•          Shocker: People actually spend a little over 20% of their time on Twitter BUYING products or services.  Again, if you aren’t on Twitter, the tweeters aren’t spending that purchasing power on you.  You’re missing out on ticket sales.  For other interesting ways that people are spending their time on Twitter, check the graph below.

YouTube

•        YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world.  Do you have a product or service that can be featured in front of a camera?  If you’re a theater, I have a feeling you do.  Get a YouTube channel for your theater, but read the Terms of Service agreement so that you understand what can happen to your content. 
•          Content ownership technically belongs to the users, but YouTube's Terms of Service allows YouTube the licensing rights to use your content as they please until you delete it from the site.  So rather than uploading complete performance recordings that you are trying to sell, give samples and trailers.  Use Youtube for informational webcasts, behind-the-scenes bonuses, interviews with the artists and teasers for upcoming events.  Feature highlights from VIP parties for those valuable loyal fans and allow fans to upload their own footage from these events. 
•          Always link these videos back to your main website, where you can feature/sell/rent your exclusive content.
•          BONUS: A great idea that has yet to be used by a theater (at least to my knowledge) is a play, scene or passage done in the style of Virtual Choir.  I’ve certainly toyed with the idea of using this technique to produce an online version of Hamlet… or use it for an original play!

There are certainly more social networks to cover, but I’ve decided to keep my posts briefer in order to get them posted more frequently.  Speaking of social networks, why not connect with me on LinkedIn if you’d like to continue the conversation?  http://www.linkedin.com/in/danielleloebs

(Graph of “What has motivated you to “like” a company, brand or association on facebook?” courtesy of ExactTarget.  Chart of “Percent of Monthly Twitter Users Using Twitter To…” courtesy of Silicon Alley Insider from data collected by Edison Research.)