Is your museum on Instagram?
If not, why?
Instagram is a visual platform that’s perfect for museums to engage with their customers: past, present, and future. On Instagram, museums can celebrate their collections, give behind-the-scenes peeks at new exhibits, and promote different things.
While it may seem like the learning curve is high for Instagram or that you need fancy photography equipment to stand out, nothing could be further from the truth!
In order for your museum to succeed at Instagram, all you need to do is start! If you’re searching for inspiration, here are three ways your museum can use Instagram to connect with your audience.
#1: To Celebrate Your Collection
The first and foremost way your museum should be using instagram is to celebrate your collection.
Now, celebrating your collection doesn’t mean reposting official photos of pieces on your feed (though it can). What it does mean is making your collection accessible to your audience.
How can you do that?
By focusing on the photo’s true subjects and caption.
If you want to celebrate a specific piece in your collection, show people enjoying and interacting with it. Watching other people interact with art can be instructive for your audience.
You can also grab people with your caption. Talk to your audience in it and ask that they talk back. Ask them how they would analyze the piece in the comments or give them a prompt to think about it. If you want to go a more lighthearted route, you can ask your Instagram audience to come up with a caption or run a contest.
#2: To Give Behind-the-Scenes Looks at New Exhibits
The Instagram stories feature is amazing for giving behind-the-scenes looks at new exhibits.
You can use Instagram stories to have your curators talk directly to your audience. Ask them to jump on and explain what’s happening in an exhibit. People are fascinated by seeing all the work that really goes into a museum exhibit.
Don’t worry about making your stories polished or perfect. In fact, Instagram stories resonate more when they are fun and off-the-cuff. If you’re worried about the production value on your museum’s feed, stories can be a great way to still use the platform while eliminating any fear of posting an imperfect photo.
There are many features in IG stories that you can utilize to engage with your audience as well. We love posting polls or asking questions – if you’re struggling to figure out what content to post on your museum’s feed, just ask! Your audience will be more than happy to give you tons of ideas.
#3: To Promote Events
Instagram is an amazing way to promote events and other special occasions. Use the platform to showcase your museum’s transformation and give your audience a big sense of FOMO. If you’re hosting a donor fundraiser, for instance, using Instagram to show off all the amazing things you’ve created can prompt viewers to want to sign up for the next event.
Use tools like the swipe up function in Instagram stories to make purchasing tickets or completing your call to action easier for your audience.
If You’re Not on Instagram Yet, Why?
Instagram is a powerful tool for museums to engage with their audiences.
If you’re not on the platform yet, why? Tell us in the comments and we’d be happy to help you think through how to use it.
