Shrewsbury Morris on Twitter – summary

Summary: “Shrewsbury Morris on Twitter” Talk by Graydon Radford and Ray Langton (21 February 2021)

The Morris Federation hosted a talk featuring Graydon Radford and Ray Langton from Shrewsbury Morris, exploring their innovative use of Twitter to promote Morris dancing and connect with the broader community. Over a decade of experimentation with social media has brought their Twitter following to an impressive 102,000. Graydon, who has managed the account since its inception, shared insights into its evolution and impact.

Origins and Approach

In 2011, Shrewsbury Morris recognised the need for better visibility after a local resident expressed surprise at the side’s existence despite its 40-year history. The team adopted a marketing mindset, using diverse platforms like Facebook and Twitter to raise their profile. Graydon’s social media strategy is encapsulated by the acronym PEN: Patient, Engaged, and Nice. This approach fosters meaningful interactions beyond Morris dancing, drawing in followers through shared interests like cricket, TV shows, and community causes.

Achievements and Impact

Twitter became their primary focus due to its simplicity and broader reach. Through this platform, Shrewsbury Morris:

1. Raised Awareness: By sharing cheerful and engaging photos, they showcased Morris dancing’s vibrancy and fostered brand recognition.
2. Supported Community Initiatives: They allowed local charities to “borrow” their Twitter account, amplifying messages to their large audience.
3. Secured Sponsorships: Creative tweets attracted sponsors, helping fund events like the Morris Federation Day of Dance. This sponsorship model evolved to bring in annual contributions, enhancing team experiences and funding community events.

Notable successes include:

• Winning local awards for community contribution and tourism promotion.
• Collaborating with high-profile individuals like Theo Paphitis, whose Small Business Sunday initiative provided massive exposure.
• Running crowdfunding campaigns to fund educational initiatives, such as bringing Zulu Tradition performers into schools.

Engagement Strategy

Graydon underscored the importance of engaging beyond the Morris community to appeal to diverse audiences. Their Twitter feed includes light-hearted interactions, shoutouts to local businesses, and participation in broader conversations. Notably, a parody tweet about Donald Trump gained significant traction, demonstrating the potential for humour to reach new audiences.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Despite their online success, social media has had limited direct impact on recruitment. Instead, in-person performances and physical flyers have proven more effective for attracting new members. Additionally, maintaining a consistent and approachable online presence is vital, as Graydon ensures his posts represent the entire team’s values.

Advice and Tools

Graydon emphasised using tools like Twitter lists to organise followers and photo-editing apps to enhance visual content. He also noted the importance of adapting content to each platform’s strengths, suggesting teams experiment to find what works best for them.

Conclusion

Shrewsbury Morris has demonstrated how thoughtful use of social media can extend the reach of a traditional art form, connect with the local community, and build a robust online presence. The talk concluded with a Q&A session, during which attendees explored topics like the use of hashtags, managing time on social media, and ensuring consistency in messaging. The session highlighted the adaptability of Morris dancing in the digital age and its potential for broader cultural engagement.