Does any of the stuff we do all day actually work? Surely much of it does. And some of it surely doesn’t. So, how do we figure out which is which, and do more of what works?

As Director of Marketing and Communications for a small-but-growing Chicago theater company, these were the questions at the top of my mind nearly two years ago when an opportunity arose to attend an education series on the subject of return-on-investment, co-sponsored by Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and the Wallace Foundation. What I learned in that workshop put me on a path to revolutionize several aspects of TimeLine Theatre’s marketing with the goal of measurement. Now I understand in much greater detail what works (and what doesn’t so much). And I am thrilled that I’ll get the chance to share some results and tools as a first-time presenter at this year’s National Arts Marketing Project Conference.

TimeLine Theatre is an Equity theater located on the north side of Chicago (just a few blocks from Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs), dedicated to presenting stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues. With a budget of about $750,000 and just four full-time staff members, we are — like I’m sure all of you — required to make the most of limited resources. The more I learn about ROI, the more I understand that implementing techniques to measure the actual results of marketing tactics is not a “should do” toward this goal. It is a “must do.”

As an arts marketing blogger I have covered a lot of stuff. But one thing I haven't covered enough is how to bring in groups to see your work.

Having a group sales strategy is key for arts organizations, particularly ones that perform in smaller venues. Not only do groups feel up those seats, they also bring in a very nice energy to the event. So let's talk about how to get them in:

1. Start early. Most organizations that bring groups to events starting planning those group outings months in advance. For example, the show my day job is running now starting contacting groups in late May.So if you want to start bringing in groups for your late winter, early spring events, the time to get moving on that is now.