Marketing Your Museum on a Shoestring

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Marketing Your Museum on a Shoestring Christina Inge, VP of Marketing, EdTrips

description

Museum marketing budgets are seldom lavish, but that doesn't mean they can't achieve great results! In this session, we will look at ways to attract individuals and groups in larger numbers, without a big budget! This practical workshop will cover time-saving and affordable techniques including: Using social media the right way Creating more targeted marketing for better response rates Why print is not over--but how to save on your print budget and create compelling materials Email, web, and advertising that work together to save Practical ways to craft your museum's message for maximum appeal to diverse groups, from school groups to local families Working with fans, volunteers, and followers to create free marketing--of the best kind, word of mouth Where the affordable advertising venues are Working together with other venues to cut costs and get more visitors Where you are wasting tons of money, and how to stop now

Transcript of Marketing Your Museum on a Shoestring

Page 1: Marketing Your Museum on a Shoestring

Marketing Your Museumon a Shoestring

Christina Inge, VP of Marketing, EdTrips

Page 2: Marketing Your Museum on a Shoestring

You want more visitors!

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But you can’t go over a fiscal cliff!

Need a plan for effective and cost-effective marketing

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Look at what you want

More visitors?

More tour groups?

More donors?

All of the above?

Set realistic goals and prioritize them

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Look at what you have

More than you think!

Much of current marketing uses ―free‖ channels that depend on current visitors and supporters

Social media

PR—not what you think!

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Now decide what to go after!

Set realistic yet aggressive goals

Be concrete: We want to increase bus tours by 50%

over same time last year

We want double the number of school field trips

We want to grow the attendance at lectures and events by 40%

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Targeting: key to affordable, effective marketing

People respond best to messages that strongly touch their interests

Need to know ―Why should I go?‖ in a way that addresses their unique needs

Find out who your best 5 types of attendees are, and create marketing specifically for them

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Targeting in action: Identify

Teachers taking kids on field trips

Their specific needs: Address Common Core and other

education standards

Age-appropriate

Bus parking

Allergy-aware food

CORI-ed staff

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Targeting in action: Address

Create web page, brochures, materials addressing their needs

Talk to them directly: ―We have great field trip programs.‖

Outline what you offer, how it meets their needs, why it’s for them

People have questions—answering them helps them make the decision!

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Targeting in action: Target

Find communities of teachers: Mailing lists

Organizations

Online publications and communities

Facebook advertising

Word of mouth

Share your message

Measure responses

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PR is ―free‖ – but you work for it

Can be the most credible channel after word of mouth

Think creatively

New England Quilt Museum: Wonderful collection of vintage

quilts

Owned the intellectual property

Write about history of women, folk culture, and create spinoff, modernized quilt patterns for core audience of 28 million-plus quilt enthusiasts

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PR done right

Familiarize yourself with the publication

Think about what the editor needs. When you do a placed article, you work for the publication

Good photos, great stories, outstanding resources appeal

Get your strongest writer

Inform, rather than promote

This is not paid

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Social media

Single best way to get your biggest fans to promote you

Share interesting content, not just updates: Candid photos

Trivia

Questions

Engage people

Don’t be afraid to ask for a share!

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Email marketing

Companies get back over $40 for every $1 they spend on email

Still the best way to reach core advocates

Make sure you email with regular schedule: Announce events and exhibits

Monthly e-news

People come to expect it!

Measure clicks on each article, to see what your attendees like!

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Web, email, and social together

Make sure it all works seamlessly: Consistent imagery and language

Signup forms easy to find

Social media links and calls to follow

Add information easily: Include links to specific pages, rather than

homepage

Use your blog to highlight very specific information

Keep email short and pithy, use website/blog for full info

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Are you wasting budget here?

Large print magazine ads with no tracking

Big, untargeted mailings

Print brochures in too many locations

Not getting competitive print quotes

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You can save!

Print ads: Track with coupons, special web pages

Smaller and co-op ads

Mailings: Target by household type:

Families with kids under 15, seniors, over $100K income

Costs more for list, but worth it

Tailor message to the demographics

Try mailing via a targeted list by interest group

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Advertising: you can afford it

In addition to smaller and co-op:

Online ads—they are often a fraction of print

Google Display Network

Outbrain

Email newsletters

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Bringing it all together

Set priorities

Look for combined campaigns: PR on new exhibit with an

Ad in a targeted email blast and

Targeted postcard mailing and

Multiple social media posts

Re-use materials as much as possible

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Measure!

Google Analytics

Coupon redemption

Social media tools: Hootsuite

Facebook insights

Email open rates and clickthrough rates

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Thank You!

Blog: EdTrips.com

[email protected]

@Ed_Trips & @ChristinaInge