SURFACE IMPRESSION

Digital engagement

What do we mean by digital?

• Is it anything to do with computers?

• Is it just online stuff?• Is it the new stuff like social

media?• What about gallery interactives?

What do we mean by engagement?

• Is it any contact with people?• Or does it only count if they become an audience

member?• Or do they have to “do something”?

Audience ladderDonor

Volunteer

Advocate

Researcher/Learner

Events attendee

Frequent visitor

Occasional visitor

One off visitor

Aware of you

Not aware of you

ChannelsDonor

Volunteer

Advocate

Researcher/Learner

Events attendee

Frequent visitor

Occasional visitor

One off visitor

Aware of you

Not aware of youWeb search

Your site

Project blog

What’s onSites

TourismPromotion

FlickrPinterestYoutube

Crowd funder

Twitter/FacebookTrip

Advisor

SubjectInterest LinkedIn

Mobile app

Numbers gameDonor

Volunteer

Advocate

Researcher/Learner

Events attendee

Frequent visitor

Occasional visitor

One off visitor

Aware of you

Not aware of you

Value to your missionDonor

Volunteer

Advocate

Researcher/Learner

Events attendee

Frequent visitor

Occasional visitor

One off visitor

Aware of you

Not aware of you

Value to your incomeDonor

Volunteer

Advocate

Researcher/Learner

Events attendee

Frequent visitor

Occasional visitor

One off visitor

Aware of you

Not aware of you

So, what to do?

• Start by coming up with a few goals• Eg:

• Increase physical visitors• Let more people know about amazing object X or collection Y• Increase attendance at events• Get more volunteers• Reach a particular audience segment • Be the “rainy day” destination for area Z

• Run no more than 3 at once, and concentrate resources on those

• Give a goal a (fairly long) deadline and a threshold, if you’re not seeing results, move on

Resourcing activity (time)

• Your time spent on this can reap benefits, but it is also an “opportunity cost”

• A few ideas• Look to your team/volunteers for “platform” enthusiasts (there’s

often a social media user)• Try to recruit a volunteer specially (esp good to engage young

people or early career people)• Post to networks strategically – eg in “bursts” around events,

sector activities, other goings on in the area. Or do something easy but attractive like “Photo of the day”

• Look at your content production processes – how can material from one thing (exhibition, event) be used in another platform

• Get your audience to do the work – “Visitor picture of the day”

Resourcing activity (money)

• Build digital aspects into any funding bid you make• Document a capital development project in a blog• Specify social media in a marketing section• Include an online exhibition with a gallery development

• When recruiting new staff or volunteers, build digital activity into the job description

• Go for specific funding for more expensive projects like an app or new site – eg HLF commemoration fund

• Crowd funding – Kickstarter is most well known, but there are others like Sponsume

Measurement

• Keep track of stats for advocacy and fundraising• Google Analytics is the industry standard for sites, but

can also track some social media, mobile apps and you can even upload data into it. Plus it’s free.

• Retweets, shares, likes etc are all metrics• Qualitative data is useful too – visitor surveys that ask

how people decided to visit (including how they heard about you) will tell you a lot

Channel round up• Website, mobile web• Blog, project blog• Apps• Twitter• Facebook• Tumblr• LinkedIn• Foursquare• Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr• Youtube, Vimeo• Google +, Google Places• Wikipedia, specialist Wiki/Community• Trip Advisor, tourism promotional sites• What’s on listings

Implementation

Offer Content Channel Measurement

Indoor activity Visitor info Twitter on rainy day Discount “code”

Amazing galleries Online exhibition Website Google Analytics

Great cafe Photos + menu + reviews

TripAdvisor +Facebook

Free 2nd drink voucher

Beyond just marketing

• Reaching out to “communities of interest”• Get your questions answered – in public!• Online exhibitions• Online collections search• Outreach projects – use a digital platform to capture

activity• Digital artists residencies• Joint curatorial or editorial projects with universities,

other museums, archives, cultural orgs etc

Some sector examples

• Interesting site: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl

• Multi-voice twitter: https://twitter.com/MuseumSheffield

• Engagement on Youtube (Brooklyn Museum): http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=77760CA9EE2ED053

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valencehouse

Thank you

• Peter Pavement• Surface Impression Ltd• www.surfaceimpression.com• @peterpavement