HEART: Give Love Back to Your Venue
Move beyond event promotion to build a digital brand that connects more deeply with your audiences.
Digital and brand strategies for film exhibitors
This was the premise of the talk Paul - our Creative Director and CEO - gave at the Film Hub South East Conference. A talk that was many attendees' highlight of the event. But don’t worry if you missed it, this blog covers the key points.
Wonder, joy and magic of the experience: setting independent venues apart
Independent cinemas, theatres and venues offer something a multiplex can’t - personality and passion for the art form. Independent venues like yours craft experiences, champion diversity and build real connections with your audience.
Even more, independent venues:
- Build communities around art, culture and cinema
- Keep money circulating locally
- Provide meaningful jobs
- Spotlight emerging filmmakers and artists
- Keep film history alive and maintain tradition
Going to your venue is the promise of joy and discovering the unexpected - your website deserves that same love.
Introducing the HEART Framework
Hook
Pull users in
Engage
Interaction with your offer
Act
Turn browsers into buyers
Reserve
A seamless purchase journey
Trust
Turn customers into community
For when your customer is thinking, “Are there any comedy films near me soon”
- Structured Data
- Goal-focused IA and navigation
- Rich, SEO ready content
- Brand and event communications
- Lean User journeys
- Homepage shortcuts
For when your customer is thinking “There’s such a wide variety of events”
- Modern events catalogue
- Predictive search and intuitive filtering
- AI-powered voice booking
- Bespoke recommendations
- Flexible landing pages
- Content rich event pages
- Performance accessibility and availability information
- Thorough venue information
For when your customer is thinking “That’s great! The date I want is free”
- Quick book panel
- Clear date and time information
- Member priority booking
- Fluid ticket type selection
- Lean journey to purchase
- Device-tailored experiences
- Lightweight code for reduced load times
For when your customer is thinking, “I wonder if I should get the ticket insurance”
- Branded custom basket
- Focus on information clarity
- Clear order communications
- Seamless integration of up-sales
- Prioritisation of order details
- Priority booking for members and patrons
- Automatic member discount application
For when your customer is thinking, “That was ace, what am I seeing next?”
- Event cross-sales
- Digital display communications
- Embedded donation functionality
- Supporter engagement communications
- Targeted recommendations
- Member renewal communications
- Discount applications
- Personalised calls-to-action
- Tailored account dashboards
- Seamless CRM integration
- Member-only gated content
Brand positioning
Your venue is joyful, creating personal experiences and leaving lasting memories - your website deserves that love too.
Wondering if your website reflects the value of your in person experience? Try this exercise:
- Take a look at this perceptual map (you can download it below), where would you place your physical space and the experience you offer?
- Now take another look, where would you place your website?
- If they aren’t aligned, evaluate your website to see how you can bring them together
What's not working, what's holding you back?
At the Film Hub South East Conference, we asked the audience for their pain points.
We received a range of answers, from GDPR to audience engagement, funding to workload. To help you resolve these pain points, we have created our Customer Journey Map - part of our HEART Resources. Fill this in, considering your customer’s journey through the HEART framework.
Download our HEART Resources
Fill our this form to receive two practical tools:
- Brand Positioning Map - showing you where your brand sits
- Customer Journey Map - showing you how your website performs
Completing these exercises will guide you towards a website that is aligned with your physical space, one that builds a community and drives commercial results.
Plus, if you send back your results, our specialist teams can offer feedback tailored to your organisation.
The 5 key takeaways
- Focus on your audience needs & goals
- Make it easy for customers to become fans
- Build trust and a long term relationship
- Ensure your brand represents your offer
- Don’t be afraid to take some risk and consider what if.
Ready to show your website some love? Get in touch!
