If marketing is tough, it is all the more difficult for museums. This is how content marketing can work its magic for museums.
1. Sell The Story
The museum has been built around a story. Have you extended this story to the brand communication strategy? When encouraging people to visit the museum, you are not selling products – you are selling an experience. The museum needs an integrated content ecosystem. It is the interconnected network of all the different elements that make up your brand and its online presence – from your website, blog, and social media accounts to other marketing strategies like email campaigns, newsletters, SEO optimization, and more.
If you are not sure what a brand story is, read: What is a Brand Story?
2. Create Micro-Content
Once the story is in place, it needs to be amplified. This will happen through content creation and communication. Right from blogs and newsletters to social media – it all needs content, and a lot of it! Especially for social media, a ton of photo and video content needs to be created on a more regular basis than you realize. But as overwhelming as it may seem, there’s a method to the madness. The process can be and should be strategized & streamlined. 🤓
If this is something you would like to read more about, check out: 6 Benefits of Hiring a Micro Content Agency
3. Create Insta-Spots
Think of ways to get the museum on the ‘gram! Strategically place photo opportunities in the museum that people are intuitively compelled to take pictures with. People love sharing these things on social media. Nudge them to tag the brand. More the pictures, more the views, more the reach, more the engagement. You know the drill. ⚡️
Here’s an example from the USS Midway Museum in San Deigo.
4. Get People Talking
If you go somewhere and happen to love the place, you will surely tell at least one person about it. 🗣 Testimonial marketing is not just helpful, it is absolutely essential for museums. This can happen organically. The experience of the museum should be delightful that people are open to sharing their thoughts. Give them something more, a little souvenir that reminds them of the museum. Post happy pictures of visitors on social media channels to build a positive brand perception. 🤳
5. Be On The Tourist’s Itinerary
Get on “must-visit” lists. The museum should be THE place to visit in respective cities. Like The Met has become a must-do in New York or the Louvre in Paris. These are obviously the bestest examples of the lot, but consistent and persistent efforts will make the museum stand the test of time. Isn’t that the true essence of a museum anyway? Because when people travel, they are open to these experiences, and when people travel, they Instagram it. 📸
6. Don’t Ignore the Locals
How many times have you visited a new city and asked a local friend, “So, tell me where to go na!”? The residents of the respective city should not only have visited the museum but should be well updated with what’s new. They are the ones telling their tourist friends and family to visit the museum. 👯♀️
This is in a way retention marketing for museums. How can you make this work? Get them to follow you on social media, create an exclusive newsletter for them, host curated events, send them personal invitations. There’s a lot you can do to build a community around the museum.
7. Become a Thought Leader
As a museum, the institution is already considered an expert or thought leader in its respective space. Make use of this and publish content that establishes the museum’s legacy. If you are an music museum, you should have an active blog section publishing insightful content. Conduct interviews with experts in the domain. Your social media channels should be abuzz with conversations.
At Beyond The Panorama, we work with businesses to develop their digital brand presence, and a big part of that is content writing for various channels. If you are looking for help to organize this business function, we would love to have a conversation and set it up! Reach out to us at hello@beyondthepanorama.com on our social media channels.
