Museums and historic sites are built for exploration. Having visitors on-site is core to your mission. You want to see people walking through galleries and exhibits, participating in tours and classes, and wandering the grounds. But your visitor engagement strategy doesn’t have to be limited to when people are on your property.
Today’s technology and communication channels provide endless opportunities to reach people beyond your physical space. We’ve put together 13 ideas to help museums and historic sites strengthen your online presence and keep visitors engaged.
Digital Engagement Strategies for Museums
1. Make important information easy to find.
People visit your website for key details like your hours, ticket costs, exhibit schedules, special events, and more. Don’t get caught with out-of-date or inaccurate information on your website, and make sure your museum website is optimized for mobile visitors. Consider adding a site-wide alert banner for major updates, and creating dedicated landing pages for seasonal events, ticket promotions, or new exhibits.
Keep in mind, your community is also using other sources (like AI platforms, social media, and TripAdvisor) to gather information, so it’s critical that you also maintain and update your museum’s brand across the web. Keep your Google Business Profile and structured data accurate so essential details surface in search results and map listings.
2. Grow your email and text lists with exclusive incentives.
While visitors explore your website, invite them to join your email list and SMS (text) list for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, or early access to event registrations. Use a pop-up or sign-up form with an incentive (such as a discount in your online store, a free downloadable guide, or priority booking for special events) to increase conversions.
3. Source social media content from your followers.
User-generated content is a great way to boost engagement and authenticity. Encourage your followers to share their experiences, memories, and favorite exhibits through photos and video. Here are some prompts to get them started:
- Memory Lane: Ask visitors to share a favorite museum visit from childhood.
- Artifact Guessing Game: Post an artifact and challenge followers to guess its origin or purpose.
- Creative Kids Challenge: Invite parents to share videos of their kids describing historical items or artwork.
4. Host an online contest.
Contests generate excitement and interaction. Keep it relevant to your museum’s subject matter and offer a fun prize, like free tickets or exclusive merchandise. Promote your contest via social media, email, and on-site materials. Here are a few ideas:
- Recreate a Masterpiece: Have participants recreate a famous painting or historical moment at home.
- History Trivia Challenge: Ask followers to answer questions about a historical figure or event.
- Costume Contest: Challenge people to dress as a famous character from history or a favorite exhibit.
5. Offer interactive classes and virtual lessons.
Leverage your educational team to provide engaging learning opportunities. Create interactive video lessons, demonstrations, or downloadable activity guides for students and teachers. Topics can range from art techniques to historical storytelling, aligning with school curricula.
6. Share behind-the-scenes content.
Give your audience a glimpse of what happens beyond the exhibits. Virtual tours of archives, conservation labs, or restoration projects can provide fascinating insights that enhance their appreciation for your work.
7. Hold a live virtual event.
Live events on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube are a great way to connect with audiences in real time. Invite curators or historians to answer audience-submitted questions, or host a live trivia session where participants can test their knowledge for a chance to win a prize.
Do you have an educational film or documentary that aligns with your museum’s focus? Consider hosting an online screening event with live commentary, Q&A sessions, or discussion prompts to keep the conversation going.
8. Create interactive content.
For self-paced engagement, develop materials that help people go deeper. There are a variety of online tools available for creating simple interactive maps, timelines and quizzes, or you can work with a web developer to create a custom version. How could you use dynamic content to help people explore your site’s history, understand a collection’s geographic origins, or grasp a specific issue?
9. Keep engaging your email subscribers.
Not all of your followers are on social media, so email remains a powerful engagement tool. Repurpose social content into newsletters, share upcoming events, tell stories, and provide exclusive insights into exhibits to keep your subscribers interested.
10. Make every digital experience accessible.
As you’re dreaming up online experiences, be sure to consider accessibility so everyone has a chance to take part. Add captions to videos, provide alt text for images, and design online activities that work smoothly with assistive technologies.
11. Do more with your audio content.
If you have docent tours, recorded lectures, oral histories, or interpretive text, repurpose it into short audio clips or mini-podcasts. Audio-only materials can be more efficient to produce, and can bring your stories to people during commutes or while they’re multitasking.
12. Adapt content for different learning styles.
Turn one story into multiple formats: a short article, a video clip, a quiz, a social carousel, and an audio recording. This stretch-the-content approach gives you more engagement without the burden of creating entirely new material.
13. Invite the community into the storytelling.
Host open calls for people to submit local history, family artifacts, photos, or memories connected to your museum’s themes or their experiences there. Museums that make visitors part of the story build lasting relationships.
Expanding Your Reach Beyond the Museum Walls
By embracing digital engagement strategies, you can extend your reach, deepen connections with your audience, and create lasting relationships that keep visitors returning, both online and in person.
Ready to enhance your museum’s digital presence? Let’s start building an online experience that keeps visitors engaged, wherever they are! Learn more about our museum website design services.
