A couple of you asked about the effectiveness of the advertising and choir promotion programs that we have done and I wanted to take a chance to respond.

 

But before I do, let me explain the picture that is above the article and chase a rabbit about spontaneous “traditions.”  This year, one of the students, Kirby, (holding the selfie stick) decided that he wanted to document every time the choir sings for the whole year.  His idea was to post a concert “selfie” with everyone who sung that day.  

 

This idea really works well this year as the choir is smaller in number than usual.  (But where I am NOT blessed with numbers this year, the Lord has blessed with great, amazing, quality singing-we will have more next year— I am hoping that a big 8th grade class will be coming in!)

 

The kids get to see the picture each time on Facebook and get to read all of the glowing comments from our congregation about their leadership—a new tradition (for us) has been born— the concert selfie.

 

But now back to the subject at hand.  After I wrote the article from September 22 entitled “Ready. .  Set. . . Text” a few people asked me how did it work?  Did we get any new members or visitors to choir?  But since I was writing the blog article BEFORE we tried it, I said that I would let you know.

 

This is the part about Marketing in the Short Run.  So, did the idea work? We only got ONE visitor from the more than 30 people that we texted.  (it might be helpful to read that blog post to fully understand how it worked)  That is NOT a good response to that particular marketing idea.  Right?

 

Some might say, well scrap that idea and try to find another, better one.  I can see how someone might see it that way, and, at the time, I put the idea in the “scrap it” folder or, at the very least, “re-vamp this” folder.

 

This is where we transition to advertising for the long haul.

 

Let’s chase a marketing rabbit here.  You know that you are a marketing addict (like me) if you RECORD the Super Bowl every year, as I do, but I fast forward through the game and, instead, watch the COMMERCIALS!  I watch every one and rate them—my favorite, least favorite and “I can’t believe they spent 3-4 million dollars on THAT!

 

My favorite this year was by a. . . well. . let’s just say. . .  “a beverage company”, but there was not ONE shot of the beverage in question in the entire commercial.  Instead, they had puppies, horses and an actor from Houston.  That’s it.  So, why does it work?  Several reasons.  Everyone loves puppies and horses for one thing.  And life, like those commercials, is based on relationships.  In fact, the final shot on that commercial says “Best Buds” with the double meaning of relationships and the beverage.

 

So how does that relate to marketing in the long haul for youth choirs?  At nearly every YouthCUE Roundtable throughout the 25 year history of YouthCUE, someone at the table would mention the old adage, “for the most part, the kids are not at choir for the MUSIC!”  It is usually something else.  I know that seems counterintuitive, but it is TRUE!

 

Most of the time it is about relationships, right?

 

Relationships with God, friends, director, adult sponsors and on and on.

 

So where is this going with marketing your choir?

 

The first rehearsal of 2015 a (soon to be) graduating senior came to rehearsal and joined the choir.  I had never seen her before.  Since that day she hasn’t missed a rehearsal.  At the end of that first day I was talking to her and she said, “I have been hearing about this choir since I was in junior high, so I decided to give it a try” 

 

She loves it—you can see it in her countenance when she sings.

 

This is one of the best reasons to look at marketing in the long haul, rather than the short term.  Sometimes the message is getting through immediately, but other times the resulting action takes a while to come to fruition.   Obviously, this new senior, had been receiving our marketing efforts, and those messages culminated in her joining. 

 

Eventually. 

 

So, as you evaluate the effectiveness of your youth choir marketing, take a long view—along with that short view.

 

Randy Kilpatrick

CueWEB publish date: March 4, 2015