Best Practices for Encouraging Donations from Your App Subscribers

If your arts organization is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit, then you know the importance that donations play in funding. Your mobile app can be an incredibly powerful tool to help collect donations, but there are also some restrictions you need to work around.

Apple and Google both have policies against collecting donations within your app. To accommodate this, we actually need to take some special steps when linking to a Donations page. Simply linking to a URL isn't enough, because by default this opens in what we call the "In-App Browser." This browser lets the user view any webpage they are linked to, but it is still technically running in the app. Correspondingly, Apple and Google won't allow the app to collect donations in this manner.

So, lets take a look at a few best practices for linking out to your donation processing system:

Why Should I Download Your App? (and Other Questions to Guide Your App Promotion Strategy)

One of the questions that our partners often ask us is, "How do I get more people to download our app and use it?" Of course, the specific answer to this question varies from partner to partner based on how they promote and utilize their apps.

With a hat tip to the Socratic method, here are three questions you need to answer in order to advance your app promotion strategy.

1. Why should I download your app? 

Every patron expects an answer to this question before they download your app.  It is not enough to simply tell them that you have an app and instruct them to download it.

You need to give them a compelling reason.

Estimating Your App's ROI - Introducing "Tap Event" Tracking in Google Analytics

Over the summer, we enabled a feature in Google Analytics for your mobile app called "Events." This feature gives you the ability to track when a user taps certain buttons.  Tapping these particular buttons does not result in a new screen view within the app.  Instead, they lead to an external action.

Note: To clarify, these are NOT events like concerts, shows, or other performances.  They're user behaviors taking place within your app. To avoid confusion, we will refer to these behavioral instances as "Tap Events."

We track the following Tap Events from your app's event listings:

• Get Tickets: When the user taps on the "Get Tickets Online" button to open an external ticket purchasing site.
    
• Phone: When the "Call Box Office" button is tapped to automatically dial the number.
    
• Map: When the venue address button is tapped to display the location of the venue on a map and get directions.
    
• Program Notes: When the "View Program Notes" button is tapped displaying a PDF of the program (this button only displays if a PDF has been uploaded within the event's details).

Android Download Numbers Are Back!

You have been patiently awaiting the return of Android download numbers to your app's control panel. Wait no more!  Android downloads are back!

How to Access Your Android Download Numbers

1. Login to your InstantEncore account.
2. Go to Mobile >> Preview/Checklist.
3. Scroll below your app preview area.
4. In the Native Apps section, you will find download numbers for both Apple and Android.

At-The-Event Resource Roundup

This is the future of mobile technology in the arts: creating an enhanced event experience for your audience.  At-The-Event gives you the tools for sharing event-specific content, increasing social activity, and encouraging ongoing attendance.

As we approach the start of the 2015-16 season, lets revisit At-The-Event:  what it is, how to set one up, and how to get people's eyes on it. 

Introduction:

• Blog:  Take Your App to the Next Level with "At The Event"
• Slideshow:  At The Event Detailed Walk-through
• Video: Becoming Familiar with At The Event

At-The-Event Setup:

• Video: Adding At The Event Content to a Performance
• Video: Editing At The Event Content for a Performance
• Blog: Enhance Your App's Events with Things To Know
• Blog: Encouraging Your App Subscribers to Get Social
• Blog: Using Your App's Offers Tab to Drive Revenue, Encourage Participation, and More
• Blog: Get URL - A Tool for Enhancing Navigation (useful for adding Custom Actions)

Promotion:

• Blog: Smart App Download URL
• Blog: Tips for Promoting Your Mobile App, Part 1: Encouraging Downloads When Patrons Are Off-Site
• Blog: Tips for Promoting Your Mobile App, Part 2: Encouraging Downloads When Patrons Attend Events

Spotlight from the Field:

• Blog: Partner Spotlight: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Additional Resource:

• Engaging At the Event: Audience Expectations for Live Performance in the Mobile Age - This white paper charts the rise of the mobile audience and their shifting expectations for live performances. It also reveals the results for our At The Event pilot program featuring eight performing arts organizations. The paper concludes with five steps for arts organizations to meet audience expectations head on.