The continued support of Trey McIntyre Project fans, partners, sponsors and donors makes it possible for us to do what we do. Social media helps us stay in touch with these people who mean so much to us.
We have more than 7,000 friends on our social media sites, and we decided to profile one we interact with regularly to get a glimpse of what TMP followers look like, how and why they use social media, and how we can continue to strengthen our relationship with them.
Meet Vic Roberts.
Trey McIntyre Project: Where are you from and what do you do?
Vic Roberts: I am from London, and I do, well … I started life as an engineer for London Buses to supplement my "income" as an artist working oil on canvas with nudes. After that I founded and ran an ad agency with my partner, which I only meant to do for one year. 10 years later …
Then I took a left-field job offer from a former client and worked in telecoms technology…until I could stand the boredom no more. Most recently I've been living in San Francisco restructuring a fabulous child welfare charity that I had been on the board of. Next… we shall see. Life’s full of surprises.
Okay, so what do I do? Hmmm, I think I create things or fix them.
How did you first become acquainted with Trey and/or TMP?
Through Blair Kutrow, who's on your board. To be honest, I had little time for dance up to that point, possibly having been drenched with modern European interpretations, which seemed always to involve hairy armpits and a routine around a chair. So you can see, I came to see TMP for the first time with quite some degree of personal skepticism that I'd enjoy it. Little did I know how dramatically my view of dance would change.
I first saw TMP at the Joyce in New York and was blown away. By "blown away" I mean that I sat in the audience with my mouth open for the whole show—in a permanent state of “wow.” I was hooked, right there. Blair introduced me to the dancers and Trey after the show, but I was still so moved that I really couldn't speak. What I wanted to say was, "Bloodyhell, you folks are brilliant!" Thank god I had my camera with me, as I hid behind it the whole evening. It's been love ever since, I and try to see TMP at every possible opportunity, which so far has been New York, New Orleans, Davis, Berkeley, DC, and Boise (repeatedly).
What social-media platforms do you actively use? What kind of information do you post?
Facebook, Twitter for my personal use.
Facebook: most of my very large family are on FB, so I often post pictures of what I am up to and interact with their posts. Everyone I am friends with on FB are people I know. Aside from personal content, I frequently share the work of friends, most of whom are artists of one form or another. I stick to art, sex, and showcasing the work of mates—and avoid politics. I try to make sure I am active on the pages I support as I know that helps exposure, and it doesn't matter how fabulous your "content" is if you can't reach an audience.
Twitter: Much as FB, I share the work of friends. I follow and am followed by many people I don't know personally. As an example, dotted among a few chats I was having one morning, I also tweeted about a friend’s work with the English National Ballet, a friend's new book on how to stay sane, and a friend’s upcoming art salon. I try to time my posts so the right people see them, especially since I have close friends across 24 hours of time zones.
I use both daily.
Why do you use social media? What do you want the result of your online interactions to be?
a. To keep up to date with family and friends across the planet
b. To help friends gain exposure for the fab things they do
c. To keep up-to-date with the fab work friends are creating
d. To randomly connect with the unexpected
What kind of posts do you most like to see from TMP?
On Twitter, I enjoy seeing the tweets from dancers, how they are feeling, what they are doing to relax, how hot it is … anything, no matter how lightweight. Recently, Ash (Werhun) posted: "It's a Friday Thursday. The best kind of Thursday." I smiled all morning, after reading that.
On Facebook I enjoy photos/videos of what TMP are up to. I also visit Tumblr, but that's less convenient for me, as what little spare time I have I tend to use on FB and Twit. I always look at videos, regardless of where they are hosted.
What could TMP be doing better to engage followers/fans/friends online? What kind of information isn't TMP posting but should be?
I think your social media presence is excellent. It's difficult to find fault with TMP marketing and outreach initiatives. You really set the benchmark extremely high!
