Museum Social Media Campaigns 2017

You lot may associate social media influencers with bikini-clad Instagram models posing with detox tea and encouraging you to utilise their promo code. How on globe could this model (pun intended) be practical to arts and culture organisations, you may ask? In this commodity, we'll give you an overview of why your museum should consider this approach to marketing.

The Benefits of Influencer Marketing to Museums

Influencer marketing isn't just reserved for the likes of detox teas. This is all-time exemplified by the Louvre's record-breaking year of visitorship in 2018 following the release of Béyonce and Jay-Z's Apeshit music video. The video used the Louvre as a backdrop, showcasing works of art throughout the museum. Following its release, the Louvre welcomed ane.2 million visitors in 2018, a 25% increment over 2017 . Béyonce and Jay-Z effectively endorsed the Louvre as a gimmicky, relevant, all-round absurd identify to be, and the increase in visitorship proves that the world took note.

While endorsements from Béyonce and Jay-Z don't popular up left, right and centre, the same principle can be applied on a smaller scale to whatever cultural establishment. What influencers offer is a unique power to connect with their audience in the way that institutions tin can't e'er produce on their own. Followers trust influencers, non necessarily because of their fame or celebrity, but rather the personal connection they feel through accessing the influencer's content on a regular basis. This goes back to that authenticity that we talked near when establishing your brand and phonation. This intimate engagement that tin be effectively harnessed past cultural institutions through partnerships with influencers.

You want to target audiences who can be converted into visitors, and influencer marketing could be a great way to do just this. Instead of throwing your message out for anyone to hear, influencer marketing enables yous to deliver your bulletin directly to a small, but invested market. Influencer marketing can generate organic, collaborative content that sparks higher rates of user engagement than a blanket marketing campaign. Moreover, your bulletin comes from a trusted source (the influencer) directly to their following (your target market). With the correct research, you can cull an influencer whose following with a 18-carat interest in what you're offering.

Who to Choose

Choosing the right influencers to work with is the most important function of this marketing model. You'll need someone who reflects your brand and whose following will exist invested and interested in engaging with your institution. First, you'll need to know your brand and your target audience. What audience are you trying to accomplish and on which platforms? What are your strongest platforms, and is your message relevant to new platforms? We've discussed all of this last week then by now you should have that target audience formed and it'due south important to go on them in heed when choosing an advisable influencer to piece of work with.

Finding the influencer with the biggest post-obit isn't necessarily the best approach; you're looking for the person who has adult the best trust with your target audience. At that place are a few kinds of influencer to consider:

• Macro influencer : Think famous net moguls similar Kylie Jenner. These influencers typically have 100,000 to millions of followers. They can target a really broad audience, such as 'immature people' or 'women.' This kind of influencer can come with a much higher toll tag. With a macro influencer, your institution volition be visible to millions of people.
• Micro influencer : Micro influencers are considered 'normal' people with roughly between one,000 and 100,000 followers. Micro influencers have a high engagement level with their fan bases, a specific audition who is securely connected to them and trusts them. Because of this shut relationship, followers are more willing to believe that a micro influencer really endorses what they're promoting. They are typically seeking opportunities to connect with institutions that align with their audience.
• Nano influencer : Do yous have that friend who simply happens to exist actually good at social media, and people e'er seem to like their stuff? That friend probably hasn't worked with a make before, only they're exactly the kind of content creator who's prime to become a nano influencer. Nano influencers have upwards to just 5000 followers. They're more like a good friend giving you a solid recommendation than a celebrity. Nano influencers tend to be the most authentic and intimate kind of influencer marketing.

Consider an influencer and their celebrity carefully earlier budgeted them. Yous're entrusting the reputation of your institution to a third party. You need to be certain the relationship you lot're building with them is what y'all're looking for, and that the influencer actually represents your institution and your values.

When choosing influencers to approach, you might want to consider some of the post-obit questions:

• What is the influencer's area of expertise?
• How does your institution align with the influencer's audience and paradigm?
• Does this influencer and their audition utilize the same channels and platforms as your audience?
• What does a typical follower of this influencer look like? Is this follower likely to exist interested in your institution?
• What is this influencer'southward reputation? Are they generally well-liked?

Before we dive into how to find and approach influencers, let's quickly consider platforms and content types. As mentioned above, you should consider platforms as advisedly every bit you would consider which influencer y'all want to work with. The platform and content type their audience accesses should marshal with the audience you're looking to target.

Here's a list of influencer marketing channels and content types to consider when you lot're budgeted influencers:

Marketing Channel	Content Types
Facebook	Posts, sponsored live videos
Instagram	Posts, stories
LinkedIn	Posts, videos
Snapchat	Photos, videos, filters
Twitter	Posts, videos, hashtags, discussions
Blogs	Blog posts
YouTube	Videos

How to Find Influencers for your Museum

You lot've now honed in on your target audience afterward careful consideration and planning… Y'all know what platforms and content they engage with…. And then, now you're at the phase where you lot're set to find influencers that speak to this target audience and have created a solid trust with them. Here are a few ways you might call back about finding the right influencer for you:

• Use an online service that connects influencers and institutions . This is an piece of cake identify to first considering these services will have done the majority of the work for you, letting you pick and choose from people who are probable to be most relevant to your establishment.
• Effort a digital PR service like BuzzStream . This service will permit you to research influencers and build your own database of potential influencer-partners based on their following, relevance, and power.
• Write a carefully considered brief of what you're looking for and the kind of campaign you're hoping to run. Y'all can and then post it on a platform similar Tribe or Takumi . These platforms connect influencers or content creators and institutions who are looking for someone to promote their brand. Platforms like these are especially pop with micro influencers, many of whom are keenly seeking partnerships. The benefit of these services is that influencers are vetted and tin can be searched based on their relevance to your brand.
• Use social media. Find influencers where they alive and breathe–on social media.
• Attempt following hashtags similar #PRrequest , #PRrequests , #Journorequest or #Journorequests on Twitter. These hashtags allow you to see the kinds of opportunities other institutions and brands are posting. You can even try posting your ain opportunities using these hashtags, which more than likely target micro or nano influencers.
• Bring together Facebook groups such as U.k. Influence Opportunities , where opportunities for influencers are posted similar to the Twitter hashtags above.
• Harness your own social media following to bring influencers to you lot. Depending on the nature and size of your institution's post-obit, posting on your own feeds that yous're seeking people to partner with may aid in finding the correct influencer.
• Do some practiced old fashioned market research . Understanding the platforms and types of content your target audience are accessing is ultimately going to be the all-time way to find the correct influencer to partner with.
• Do a search of relevant, niche publications that are accessed by your target audience. Start with people who are regular contributors, or whose names continually pop up in the news or social media. Who do they follow? Who follows them?
• If all else fails, try a quick Google search of what you're looking for , e.m. 'top influencers in arts and culture' or 'influencers twitter arts and civilization young people.' You never know who may turn up!

How a Museum Should Approach Influencers

Finding the right influencer is like online dating–y'all may have to sift through a lot of options, but you've finally constitute the one for you. You're set to ask them out–ahem, approach them nigh a partnership. But much like online dating, the pull a fast one on is to do this in the correct way.

Sending an email is the simplest way to make contact with an influencer nigh a potential partnership. Yet, depending on the level of influencer y'all're looking to work with, they could be inundated with requests to partner every day. Many of these requests may be spam, irrelevant to them, or just plain uninteresting. Yous want your asking to stand up out from the pack. This is human relationship marketing after all, which is by nature a two-style street–yous know why you want to work with them, but at present yous need to make them encounter why they want to work with you. Here are some simple guidelines on all-time do for get-go contact:

• Keep your email curt and sweet. They might receive a hundred requests per day, then they don't necessarily have fourth dimension to read a lengthy proposal.
• Be clear and upfront. Explain clearly what your establishment does and what yous're looking to reach. Ideally do this in the first paragraph of your email so the influencer gets an immediate sense of whether or not this is something they want to engage with.
• Personalise your email . You might be contacting a range of influencers to see who will be the best fit, but that doesn't mean y'all should have a one-size-fits-all approach. Make sure the influencer knows why you lot chose them specifically.
• Suggest content ideas. It'due south a good thought to offer suggestions of what you lot're thinking might work, but ultimately the influencer knows their audience best. Don't be likewise prescriptive and leave room to piece of work together on campaign ideas.
• Write like a person . There'due south a time and a identify for institutional vox, but this isn't one of them. Write like a homo connecting with another homo.
• Add value for them . Make certain you highlight what value this partnership brings them, even if the partnership you're proposing isn't monetary.
• Make saying yes easy . Don't ask them to fill out a form or get back to y'all with x content ideas; instead, just ask them if they're interested and available. A simple yes will do.

If you lot're not able to go an influencer'south email, you can also arroyo them through direct message on their social media platforms. However, treat the directly message as a launching point. Give the influencer your elevator pitch and enquire if yous tin can contact them via electronic mail or phone to talk over the partnership further.

If you don't hear back from an influencer correct abroad, don't be discouraged and feel free to follow up with them . They're wading through hundreds of emails–pushing yours back to the top of the pile doesn't hurt. When following up, be sure to strike a balance betwixt gentle reminders and constant spam.

How to Set Clear Expectations and Guidelines

Y'all're in–an influencer has agreed to partner with you! Now you need to set expectations and guidelines for your campaign, including what kind of campaign you're hoping to run together. Here are some examples of different campaigns:

• Reposting their content on your channel . This is the simplest kind of partnership which can be achieved with a uncomplicated straight message or email request for their permission. A lot of micro or nano influencers might agree to a repost just for the exposure.
• Co-created content . Your institution and the influencer volition piece of work together to produce content that can be posted on both your channels.
• Event or product marketing . You're trying to drive traffic to your institution, be it a particular exhibition, show or specific consequence. Y'all can ask the influencer to post about the event to their followers and/or invite them to attend themselves.
• Takeovers . The influencer takes over your social media aqueduct(s) for an agreed amount of time. This encourages their following to appoint with your channel, drawing in new followers and engaging their audition.

Dependent on your campaign, the next step volition be to create a entrada programme . Work with the influencer to decide a timeline, goals and cardinal functioning indicators for the entrada. Key performance indicators are broad-ranging, only tin can include impressions, views, engagements, click-throughs, increment in followers, and/or sales. Make sure you're agreed on messaging and delivery of the campaign. Give good examples of similar posts that align with your brand, while leaving room for influencers to tailor content to their audience. Review the content the influencer is producing before it'southward posted. Include specific requirements, guidelines, payment schedules and consult with your legal squad or advisor earlier solidifying your campaign plan and contract.

For some influencers, payment may come in the form of gratuitous tickets or an substitution of cantankerous-posted content. However, larger micro influencers macro influencers may crave budgetary compensation. When budgeting, practice your inquiry and be enlightened of the return for your investment . Return for investment can exist difficult to manage, specially with nano and micro influencers, so exist mindful of what you're willing to spend. If your institution does social media advert or sponsored newsletters, it may be worthwhile connecting with your marketing or digital departments to compare toll and appointment rates on these kinds of campaigns versus what you lot're expecting from your influencer.

Always look that you lot'll have to put some budget up when working with influencer marketing. You're creating a personal relationship with them, but at the terminate of the day it'southward nevertheless an exchange of appurtenances and services. Y'all may fifty-fifty end up spending more on an influencer than a nonspecific audience entrada, dependent on the kind of influencer marketing entrada you're building. Remember that yous're paying for a curated, engaged following and the in-built trust with that audience. Exist aware of your brand value and the influencer's brand value, as this volition impact how you compensate the influencer. Also consider maximising your budget by using multiple influencers in lighter-touch ways merely bringing the campaign together using a hashtag.

Here are a few helpful tips to consider as you develop your campaign plan:

• Exist transparent . What are your expectations for the entrada? What central performance indicators are y'all using to mensurate its success?
• Yous're working with a person, not an agency . Influencers sometimes get a rap for being difficult to manage. You lot need to set up clear guidelines but call back that this isn't a purely transactional interaction–yous're edifice a relationship with the influencer and their following.
• Strive for continuity . Relationship marketing isn't transactional so be sure to stay in touch with influencers and maintain your relationship. You may want to piece of work with them again.

Final Takeaways on Museums and Influencers

In this competitive climate for art and civilisation institutions, any added edge to get your brand and bulletin out there is much needed. Influencer marketing may sound similar a foreign land reserved for the likes of diet teas, only even the simplest reposting of content is the beginning of building a relationship with an influencer. Hither's a quick overview of the key takeaways from this article:

• Know your make and your target audience . It'south the easiest mode to target the correct influencers to partner with. It's besides the best manner to find key influencers–by using platforms and accessing content in the same fashion your target audience does.
• Cull the correct influencer, not the ane with the largest post-obit. The largest following does equate to the all-time appointment. Observe someone who speaks to your audience and who has a deep engagement and trust with them. Quality over quantity!
• Arroyo and work with influencers in an engaging, personable way . Influencer marketing is human relationship marketing. You're working with a personal brand that aligns with your own–create a similar level of trust in the influencer as the influencer's followers have them.
• Be clear and upfront with influencers . Equally person-to-person as this interaction may be, it'south still of import to have articulate guidelines outlining the goals and central performance indicators of your campaign.

Now go co-create that viral content in partnership with Queen Bey herself!

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Interested in learning more about all-time do in Museum Marketing? The MuseumNext Digital Marketing Elevation looks at the crucial office marketing plays in persuading our audiences to take that next positive step: to convert a passing interest into a ticket purchase, a website hit into an actual visit, an appreciation into real involvement.

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