The Arts Your Way: Turning Personalized Content into Arts Engagement

Across the country, arts organizations grapple with familiar challenges: Public funding is shrinking. Traditional donor models are becoming less reliable. Audience habits are changing. In response, one solution is emerging with real potential: mobile platforms that deliver meaningful content and engagement directly to users.

In Cincinnati, ArtsWave developed a mobile app that goes beyond donor perks or event listings. The ArtsWave App functions as an all-in-one guide to local arts and entertainment, using content strategy to drive attendance, giving and discovery. The approach is simple: treat content as the product.

How it Works

Rather than pushing general updates or promotional blurbs, the app curates experiences. Users build entertainment profiles that inform personalized recommendations. Exclusive content, free ticket drops and festival guides help users plan their time while deepening their connection to the arts.

Let’s say you open the app and build a profile, then immediately see a concert or exhibition you didn’t know existed. Already, there’s value for both you and the arts organization. The event aligns with your interests, which means you’re more likely to attend. What happens when you’re an ArtsWave Pass member and there happens to be a 50% discount offer on tickets? It’s probably safe to assume that spending a bit less will probably help as well.

The Results

In its first year, the ArtsWave App exceeded 16,000 downloads and helped deliver more than 8,000 free or discounted tickets to performances that might have otherwise gone unfilled. ArtsWave Pass donor benefit redemptions have seen up to a 600% increase. These are not just engagement metrics. They reflect real world value, seats filled and dollars spent in the local creative economy.

This kind of digital infrastructure is especially relevant now. As government support for the arts declines, private support must grow stronger. To earn that support, organizations need tools that offer immediate value to individuals while demonstrating a measurable impact. A well-executed content strategy can help achieve both.

The ArtsWave App shows how content and technology can support a community-wide cultural ecosystem. By focusing on the user experience, aligning content with real behaviors and delivering personalized recommendations, mobile platforms can play a key role in stabilizing and growing support for the arts, right when it’s needed most.

To see for yourself how the ArtsWave App curates your arts experiences, download it today.

This article is adapted from a video lecture, recorded for a content marketing class at Miami University. It is a shortened version of a talk given at the Americans for the Arts Conference 2025.