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The number of people visiting museums worldwide is decreasing. Smaller museums can't compete in the market because of budget constraints. However, a successful plan for promoting a museum may help with this. You can use some tools to get your museum out to the public to boost brand recognition, foot traffic and admission fees. Luckily, this piece gathers some crucial ideas from the marketing strategies of innovative museums and cultural organizations.
The following tools can assist you in maximizing the effectiveness of your museum marketing plan, whether you are focused on raising attendance for public events or generating income.
Digital Signage
The "if you build it, they will come" adage is a myth, and museum and attraction marketers know it. If you don't know how to get the word out to the locals and tourists, even the best displays will go ignored. Find out how to effectively utilize digital signage to attract more visitors to your museum. For instance, with museum digital signage, you can showcase what you are about and get people interested in your artifacts. In addition, you can use museum display signage to show upcoming shows and exhibits.
You can use digital display boards to improve the museum experience for visitors and employees. Here are some examples:
Museum wayfinding signage
You can use the museum's display boards as a quick map! Visitors to large, multi-wing establishments like museums and art galleries can become lost and have a negative impression impacted. Luckily, you can show the layout of the building on wayfinding displays in the lobby, on the stairs, and at other 'T'-junctions to help visitors get around.
In addition, dynamic 2D or 3D wayfinding displays allow the user to rotate and zoom in for a lifelike navigational experience. Visitors may save museum maps on their smartphones using QR codes, a feature many institutions use.
Video walls with detailed information about items
Videos are the most popular media used in interactive exhibits that aim to teach visitors about a topic via various channels. Visitors to your museum might have an out-of-this-world experience thanks to the material shown on video walls. More significantly, because 65 percent of people learn best via visuals, it helps them remember what they've seen better.
Interactive experience
Touch monitors can be a great addition to museums both inside and outside. The benefit of such information displays is that visitors can learn quickly and conveniently. Say you're curious about the Egyptian Rosetta Stone, but you're in a museum where it's on display. Digital information libraries on touch screens make it possible to quickly and easily research topics, including an object's history, importance, age and cultural value. With touch monitors that support gestures, visitors to the museum can access what they are interested in comfortably.
Projection digital signage installations
Museum visits are changing as audiences get more used to digital interactivity. Therefore, projection is the solution to improve your museum experience and make it more like modern social norms. The future of museum visits will be more sensory and immersive.
Museums increasingly turn to projections because they provide a fresh perspective on interpreting historical or artistic works. The ability to display videos in custom shapes is a great way to get people interested in what you are showing. The projection may even transform the building into a canvas to construct a piece of art. You can also use digital signage software inside to transform screens into interactive digital displays.
Upcoming exhibitions and a contribution request
The question then becomes what may keep them coming back. Of course, that brand new exhibition, art show opening in a week, or talk by a renowned historian on classic tales! Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) posters are a great way for museums and galleries to promote events, provide news about upcoming exhibitions, and even provide exclusive glances behind the scenes. You can also use digital signage software inside to transform screens into interactive digital displays. The administration of a museum might also solicit funds by highlighting notable donors and holding events in their honor.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Regarding digital marketing, SEO is among the most often used strategies. However, SEO isn't just useful for businesses. By using a few basic SEO methods, museums may increase their online visibility and attract visitors. For your museum, try to develop an SEO strategy based on the following three considerations:
- Museum subject matter: Create content related to the museum's main focus. If, for instance, you want to showcase Ancient Greek Art, you could want to write some articles on Ancient Greece and Ancient Greek Art.
- Artist content: You should publish essays on the artists included in your shows and other artists they influenced.
- Local subject matter: Produce content regarding museum-related activities in the surrounding area. If there is a cluster of excellent cafes, write up reviews, recommendations for surrounding restaurants, and other points of interest.
The benefits of SEO are endless. Once your SEO plan is in place, it will gradually expand and bring more visitors to your museum.
Include Offline
Some may believe print and offline marketing are obsolete in light of all the attention paid to social media and the effectiveness of digital marketing. However, this couldn't be farther from the truth for customers and would-be museumgoers. According to Harvard Business Review 82% of online consumers prefer printed materials over digital marketing when deciding on an online purchase. Postcards, posters, bookmarks, pamphlets, brochures, and other printed materials have their strengths that should not be overlooked while promoting your museum. Because of the real character of these items, which can be displayed on a wall or a refrigerator, visitors may keep in touch with your museum even after they've left an event or exhibition, which is great for your museum's brand.
Make the Most of Your Members
Creating a membership program should be integral to any museum's promotional efforts. Your membership marketing campaign is essential, even if you only provide monthly incentives.
Here are a few suggestions to help you get going:
- Make an email mailing list: Compile a mailing list of all your members, whether they paid for it or not. Depending on your needs and budget, you may get started with something as elementary as MailChimp.
- Publish a weekly email: Send weekly emails to your museum's members updating them on events and asking for feedback in the form of reviews on online review sites.
- Please inquire about the best options: The best way to determine what your museum's visitors want to see is to ask them. It is helpful knowledge that may ensure consistent customer attendance and financial success.
- Recognize those who put forth the greatest effort: You can see which members click on email links, who write reviews, and who keep returning to your site by using your different marketing tools. Reward these dedicated customers with special offers, discounts, and freebies.
Pay-per-click (PPC) Advertising
PPC advertising entails spending money to have ads appear at the top of search pages. Pay-per-click for museum advertising is useful because it focuses on the leads most likely to convert, such as those already interested in your product or service.
According to a Trend Statistics study, 78% of businesses utilize Google Ads for PPC marketing. However, you may also promote your museum using social media websites like Twitter and Facebook. Think outside your homepage and towards intriguing offerings like family tickets, school packages, and other things you have to make the most of this technique.
Video Marketing
You can increase museum attendance while serving the dual purpose of enlightenment and amusement via video marketing. Users stay on sites with videos for longer, so if you want your site or YouTube channel to be successful, you'll need to produce genuine, varied, and interesting films. As a museum, you should consider organizing the video displays best. You may include interviews with guests or staff, a sneak glimpse of the museum, or a behind-the-scenes look at a recent event. Video marketing represents one of the upcoming museum trends you should take advantage of
Blogging
Blogging is one kind of content marketing that may help increase the museum's online visibility and revenue. Creating informative and interesting content for your website's audience is key. To begin, consider who you want to visit your museum and what they would be interested in learning about that also relates to your mission as a company. It pairs well with keyword research to ensure you write about timely and relevant subjects in your blog posts.
Social Media Marketing
Find the best social networking sites to promote your museum and connect with your customers. They are one of the best media channels to get your museum seen. Instagram or TikTok, for example, may be great places to advertise to millennials, while Facebook and Twitter might be good places for information aimed at an older demographic. You can boost museum attendance and attract new visitors by posting engaging, shareable content on social media. The casual social media setting makes it a great location to engage with prospective clients and learn about their likes and dislikes. You may get insight into your audience and pique their interest in your museum by taking advantage of such occasions. It gives you arts management depending on your audience.
Do you feel like you're living in the past when you market museums? Invest in digital marketing to boost visitor engagement and ticket sales, and use cutting-edge tools to convert word of mouth into new visitors and contributors. Try out LOOK DS digital signage products to increase your museum's visibility to the general public today.
