Case Study
How does a last-minute theater ticketing app acquire and re-engage theater fans?
Key results
15%
higher revenue per install than other platforms
19%
greater share of repeat purchases relative to premium display (32% vs. 27%)
33%
greater share of repeat purchases relative to SEM (32% vs. 24%)
The opportunity
Every night, an estimated 20% of theater tickets worldwide go unsold.
To help sell those theater tickets, the TodayTix (@TodayTix) mobile platform launched in New York City in 2013. It’s now available in cities across the US as well as London. The company partners with theaters to provide instant access to last-minute tickets at the best prices with the goal of engaging a broader, younger audience.
As it launched in new markets like London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., @TodayTix sought to reach 18- to 34-year-old theater fans who were likely to install and buy tickets regularly from the app.
The strategy
Because it’s a multilocal service, @TodayTix targets users in cities most likely to engage regularly with the app. The campaigns used Image App Cards paired with interest, geography, and @username to target the cities’ theater fans.
01
Refine your targeting formula to reach repeat purchasers.
Twitter campaigns provided @TodayTix with the ability to combine geotargeting with broad interest targeting, and then layered in city-specific interest targeting, such as local media and performing arts organizations. “That trifecta allows us to hit an audience that’s targeted but can scale,” says Sarah Bidnick, vice president of marketing at TodayTix.
Layering in @username targeting of local playhouses, theater companies, and Broadway actors also proved to be effective. “One of the reasons we love Twitter is because we can target by handle, which is a really strong measure of interest,” says Bidnick. “We can also target around some of the events that people talk about on Twitter, like the Tony Awards, Broadway Week, or live TV productions like ‘The Wiz,’ to reach theater fanatics who see many shows every year.”
TodayTix found that calling out a celebrity in a show or any connection to pop culture helped increase conversion rates. In London, users saw a photo of actor @AdrianLester in “Red Velvet” promoted by the @TodayTixUK account.
02
Create a sense of urgency.
TodayTix partnered with theaters and shows across the US and London like “Lazarus” and off-Broadway “Hamilton” to run mobile-only lotteries for same-day tickets. The Promoted Tweet copy drove fans to the app to enter their names into the lottery and then to Tweet about the contest for an extra entry. “We’ve had great success using Twitter to drive buzz around show lotteries,” Bidnick says. “People were more than willing to share, and suddenly we had all this buzz for the show, as well as a targeted audience demonstrating their interest in going. We were able to convert them in that moment, which was essential to the success of the campaigns.”
03
Put the product front and center.
The campaigns featured creative that showcased shows running in the user’s city. “Our creative approach is to lead with the product and hook theatergoers by putting the show front and center,” Bidnick says. “By serving the ads natively in the timeline we’re able to catch the eye of theater fans and drive them to install and purchase tickets, and if they already have the app installed, purchase tickets again.”
The success
TodayTix successfully acquired high-value users through its Twitter Ads campaigns, and re-engaged existing users to purchase last-minute show tickets by directing them back into the app. “Looking at revenue per install, Twitter comes in 14% to 15% higher than Facebook and the other mobile networks we’re using,” Bidnick says.
Twitter drives a greater volume of repeat purchasers than other channels and a greater percentage of total purchases are repeat purchases.
- 19% greater share of repeat purchasers relative to premium display (32% vs. 27%)
- 33% greater share of repeat purchasers relative to SEM (32% vs. 24%)
Twitter is not only a great place for us to acquire customers, but because we’re then using the platform to re-engage the same customers, it’s also been a driver of more valuable installs and increased repeat purchasing behavior in the app.
Solutions used
Mobile app growth
Grow your mobile app by reaching a receptive audience that’s always looking to discover new things.
Audience targeting
You want your message to be heard by the right person. Let X’s targeting capabilities help.