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As museums and cultural organizations continue to adapt to the challenges brought on by the coronavirus, many have revamped and expanded their digital presence and offerings. In the process, many organizations have realized that traditional strategies, messaging, and social media channels aren’t enough, and have started to get more creative with how they reach audiences in their homes.

Last week over 3,000 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), Sloan MacRae (Marketing Director @ Carnegie Museum of Natural History), & Caitlin Kearney (Digital Content & Engagement Manager @ The Field Museum) as they discussed what sorts of digital strategies, workflows, and channels are allowing them to effectively target and attract audiences beyond the walls of their museums.

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View the top takeaways below!

Consider Experimenting with TikTok and Other New Platforms

As museums shift to digital, many are diversifying their outreach by experimenting with different channels. The traditional channels such as Facebook and Twitter are still effective, but as Sloan MacRae noted, experimenting with TikTok has led to a greater reach and more engagement from a non-traditional audience.

TikTok is popular with younger audiences and is gaining traction in older segments. To date, it has more than 800 millions active users worldwide. Because it is newer, less curated, and more authentic, it can be a more forgiving platform than Facebook and Instagram, and is generally quite positive.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History has been one of the first museums to experiment with TikTok, with viral success. Their TikTok has taken off in recent months as a result of snail jokes told by Tim Pearce who is the head of the Section of Mollusks at the institution. As TikTok tends to be more light-hearted than other social media platforms the Carnegie Museum of Natural History have used TikTok as an opportunity to introduce science based content in a way that is fun and entertaining for all.

The Field Museum has also enjoyed their moment in the spotlight in recent weeks. Their inflatable T-Rex SUE has amassed quite a following on Twitter. Caitlin Kearney stressed the importance of museums showing personality stating that she loved how museums are essentially bringing their collections to life in partnership with their community members.

Both the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and The Field Museum are experimenting with different platforms by creating character based content. The goal is to first attract an audience and then give them something of value once they gain interest.

“Shifting the goal from how do we attract attention and more to how do we engage with our community and offer them something of value and something of value can be something that's useful”
– Caitlin Kearney

Both panelists agreed the time is now to try new engagement strategies. Audiences are tuned in more than ever and it is an excellent opportunity to create, experiment and have fun with content that may have been overlooked in the past.

Pro Tip: Check out our blog for Tips For Leveraging TikTok at Your Museum

Create Content with Multi-Generational Appeal

The cultural world has been presented with an opportunity where many are turning to digital content to provide educational opportunities. As many parents are now acting as teachers, museums have an opportunity to present their content online in an engaging way that is appealing to both parents and children.

“There is a real opportunity for all of us to figure out not only how to engage those parents, but how to facilitate dialogue with parents and children.”
– Sloan MacRae

Increasingly, as parents search for ways to entertain and educate their children from home, museums may be starting to produce more content that has appeal for the whole family. Sloan MacRae references Disney’s Pixar model to explain how content might be designed for children, but it really appeals to adults. As he puts it, “there's no age exploration on wonder.”

As families brace for many months at home together, and parents search for new ways to relate to their children and facilitate both their education and entertainment, the demand for content with multi-generational appeal may very well keep on growing.

New is Not Always Better

While many museums are finding it fruitful to experiment with new platforms and channels, now may not be the time to completely reinvent the wheel.

With stay at home orders in place, museum staff are finding it difficult to create content without proper access to their respective institutions. Interestingly, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s now infamous snail jokes were filmed almost a year ago. They were repurposed using TikTok and gained popularity from there. Museums are repurposing old content and reintroducing “best of” content as they are forced to work with what is easily accessible from home.

“It may not be a groundbreaking idea, but, I would say new isn't always better. Revisit some of your favorites or biggest hits, the things that your community already knows and loves about you.”
– Caitlin Kearney

Oftentimes the content museums need to run an effective campaign already exists. Repurposing, repackaging, and trying new channels are effective ways to work around not having access to your facility. Both Sloan and Caitlin agreed that new isn’t always better and some of your biggest hits can be a source of reassurance to your members and audience during difficult times like these.

Different Channels Appeal to Different Demographics

Museums serve diverse communities and audiences and they need to keep this in mind when creating and distributing content.

When deciding on a channel to convey your message, Caitlin noted that it is important to ask yourself these questions: “who is visiting your website and your social channels and what are their motivations for doing so?” Determine the voice you are using and which channel will be most appropriate for the demographic you are targeting. For example, are you trying to maintain an academic voice or are you using this specific content to simply introduce an audience?

“Some people think Facebook is yesterday, and so they're more likely to be on Twitter or Instagram. There's definitely a different entryway for each of those people and it takes a lot of work, but, you have to customize.”
– Sloan MacRae

There are channels available to every demographic. As Sloan noted, social media, phones, and the internet are far and away the most accessible way to reach people compared to other traditional, printed mediums. Understanding which channel appeals to a specific demographic takes time, but it can have a tremendous impact on the success of your campaign.

Museums are continuing to come up with creative ways to reach their audiences. Whether it is by experimenting with new channels, repurposing old content, or refocusing messaging, the time is now to discover and learn. As museums continue to face new challenges, they must look at this time as an opportunity to innovate, adapt and connect in a way that will see them through this difficult time and beyond!

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