We had a look at ways to integrate social media into a museum exhibit and make it part of the visit experience using a feed as well as a video-wall. See here – social media in museums article.
Social Engagement
For many people, social media is part of the fabric of everyday living. Museums have embraced ‘social’ by posting links on their websites and using social sites to market new exhibits and expand brand awareness.
Sharing the Experience
Yet social media is more than a link on a museum website; it’s about bringing social dialogue ‘into’ your museum. With the ‘social’ momentum, now is a perfect opportunity to incorporate social media into exhibits and open areas allowing visitors to share their experience in real-time.
Social media requires engagement…it’s about connecting. Creating a dialogue with your audience is a way that’s fresh, relevant, responsive and most important — builds relationships.
Creative Use of Audience Dialogue
As technology evolves, so do the platforms and tools used to communicate. There are many simple and creative ways to increase visitor participation.
- Label Exhibits with Suitable Hashtags:
Every exhibit can include a ready-made hashtag to make it easy for visitors to post messages on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social sites.
- Post Photo Ops and ‘Selfie Stations’:
For areas in your museum where photos are allowed, signage suggesting a photo op or ‘selfie station’ can also encourage social posts and increase your museums digital presence.
- Establish a Social Media Wall:
While many museums have installed interactive displays of current exhibits, the use of a Social Media Wall allows visitors to congregate for real-time viewing. It encourages the audience to share thoughts and instantly see what’s being posted on a topic or hashtag.
A video-wall is an ideal vehicle for creating a Social Media Wall. Video-walls are fixed or mobile video screens that can incorporate visual displays as well as social media. Software is available which aggregates multiple social media platforms.
- Tablet Rental:
Another way to increase visitor participation is rental of low cost tablets customized with cameras and apps that upload to social media feeds.
Sharing. Engaging. Connecting.
Until the next great leap in technology, social media is here to stay. It can be both challenging and rewarding to incorporate social media as part of your museum’s overall communications and engagement plan.