Gene Carr from Patron Mail is right. Gene is right a lot.
Gene is founder and president of Patron Mail, an online marketing software and consulting company that serves more than 1,000 arts and not-for-profit organizations with e-marketing technology and expertise. I use his service for one of my clients, and could not be happier. It's easy to use, the ongoing support from Patron Mail is outstanding. But I digress.
I've heard Gene talk about how a patron's association with an arts organization is really an extension of their lifestyle, and they treat e-mail from that organization accordingly. He's also cited the stat that 73% of patrons know that e-mail saves an organization considerable money when compared to direct mail. By opting-in for email communication, patrons feel they are helping the organization cut costs. (And they are.) Gene also talks about how patrons over 50 years of age are a fast-growing segment of ticket buyers/supporters who rely on e-mail.
Let's bear out Gene's theses with a conversation I overheard in the ladies locker room at my gym. These two gym buddies of mine were were discussing their support of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as they wriggled from their swimsuits after a water aerobics class. (It's a sight. Trust me on that.) Both were season ticket holders.
Swim Lady #1--"I've been a long time BSO supporter, but I'm afraid to give them more money."
Swim Lady #2--"Why?"
Swim Lady #1--"I'm afraid they're going to flood my mail box with more paper. They send me too much stuff as it is. It wastes money, and trees, and I just throw it away."
Swim Lady #2--"I don't mind the email though, do you?"
Swim Lady #1--"Oh not at all! That's fine. To me, that's a service. I can just sit at the computer, see what's coming up, buy extra tickets if I want, then delete it. The email is fine. I don't want that to stop."
Swim Lady #2--"I feel the same way."
As I said, these are two gym buddies of mine that I talk to all the time. Just want to point out that Swim Lady #1 is 72. Swim Lady #2 is 75. Yup, Gene's right again.
Here's a link to one of Gene's posts that presents the stats on the huge percentage of US marketers using email strategies. While you're looking it over, subscribe to his blog for a lot of good advice.
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