Focus on the Audience: Social Media Managers Talk Participatory Campaigns
Session Leader : Meagan Estep, Social Media Manager, National Gallery of Art
Co-Presenter : Russell Dornan, Web Editor, Wellcome Collection
Co-Presenter : Arielle Sherman, Assistant Manager, Digital Communications, Hammer Museum
Co-Presenter : Sarah Waldorf, Media Producer, The J. Paul Getty Trust
Co-Presenter : Amy Fox, Web and Social Media Content Manager, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Friday, November 4, 2016 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Compelling, interactive social media messaging is on the rise: we know, as practitioners and professionals, that “engagement” is more than simply hitting the high numbers. Now that we’ve mastered the art of crafting a creative message in 140 characters, how can we do more to connect with our online visitors in an authentic and meaningful way? Most institutions have just one (or a few) staff dedicated to social media work and little to no resources. Getting buy-in can be a challenging road, and many social media projects don’t have the management, budget, and support they require for success. And yet, we posit that a strong social media strategy includes a deep focus on a museum’s audience. To bridge the gap between onsite and online, we must speak our visitors’ language and collaborate on their terms. In this panel discussion, five social media managers from a variety of institutions will come together to explore what it really means to foster human connections with their online audiences. We’ll examine the ins and outs of beginning a participatory campaign—perhaps it’s a desire to know more about your online visitors, an interest in community involvement, a need to grow a local or distant audience, or your director saying “make this go viral”—and consider factors that contribute to a campaign’s success or flop. Through case studies and discussion, participants in this panel will explore whether or not to pursue an interactive strategy.
Transcript