Why I Resisted Creating a Facebook Page and Why the Wait Is Over

Even though I am quite familiar with Facebook and have seen first hand what a powerful marketing tool it can be, I resisted creating a Facebook page for Sold Out Run for the last several years. But not anymore. Now you can follow Sold Out Run activity on Facebook and interact. The reason I’ve finally made the commitment to create and nurture a presence there is because I have a vision for the what the page will be about and how it can help you, my audience.

Very few days go by that I don’t drop in to Facebook, and it’s not just to connect with friends and family. I’ve made no secret that I believe this social network – particularly event pages – are highly effective at promoting shows, so I’m often in Facebook working for clients.

Is it strange that my prescription for promoting a show was to invest time on Facebook, when I wasn’t doing it for my own brand? Well, it might have looked strange to some people, but there was sound logic behind the decision. Unlike the shows I’m promoting, I didn’t have a plan for using Facebook with Sold Out Run.

Just creating a page or an event doesn’t automatically mean you’ll see tickets to your show. In fact it doesn’t even mean people will click the famous like button. Facebook is a very powerful tool, but it is just a tool. You still have to work hard at building the content and community around your page.

I didn’t have that type of plan, and I wasn’t willing to create a page that was going to sit empty. Well, now I do have plan that I’m going to share with you. Here’s exactly why I’ve launched a Facebook page, and what you can expect to find there.

1.) Inspiration

From time to time I stumble across promotions that grab my attention. They aren’t always the flashiest, and they don’t always have a broad reach, but something about them makes me stop and take notice. These people are doing something right, and I want to point that out to my audience.

I could put it here on the blog, but often these examples don’t need much editorializing from me. I would only be writing a few sentences and a link to the promotion. That doesn’t fit my personal style of blogging, but it’s perfectly suited to Facebook.

2.) Place To Give Feedback

Even just hitting the like button lets me know what you want to see more of

Social media is a two-way street. I’m not the only one who might see something I like and not have several paragraphs to say about it. With an active Sold Out Run page on Facebook, it’s easier for you guys to let me know what you think. Sharing a post from my page on your timeline, leaving a quick comment, or even just hitting the like button lets me know what you want or need to see more of.

You can be proactive with the page, as well. If you find someone has created a great video trailer, interview series, imagery, or any other type of promotion that inspires you, I would love to have you share it on the Sold Out Run page.

I get really excited thinking of people sharing examples of great promotions that we can all use as inspiration for our own marketing. I know that sort of thing doesn’t happen overnight, but the first step in that direction is to create a place where those stories are welcome. Sold Out Run’s presence on Facebook is such a place.

3.) Accessibility

Also I want to be more accessible. It stimulates my creativity when other marketers come to me with the challenges they’re facing in their own work. Hearing about your obstacles and helping you figure out ways to move past them is what Sold Out Run is about.

Most importantly if you are having a marketing problem, there’s a good chance that a lot of other theatres are in a similar situation. When you share your challenges and we can come up with a few ideas to tackle them, it isn’t just helping you. It helps all the people who follow Sold Out Run and see new ways they can improve their marketing.

Reader Action: Head over to the Sold Out Run Facebook page. Leave a one-sentence comment on something you like about what I’m doing or something you don’t like. Both are extremely helpful, so thank you.