How the sector has used social media
Case studies on how the sector has used social media, including approaches to tone of voice, games and video content.
Case study: The MERL on Twitter
Up until 2018, museum content had been relatively tame and formal. It was used to tell stories about collections in the same tone as you’d read in a gallery space.
Then, in 2019, The Museum of English Rural Life tweeted this and it went viral.
This tweet allowed other museums and galleries to see that loosening their tones and being playful could be extremely effective in reaching new audiences – and it showed those new audiences, that museums can be fun too. The MERL made sure they were consistent with this tone, and have maintained their following and high engagements ever since. They’re generally known for having the best example of a strong tone of voice and social media engagement strategy.
Case Study: The Black Country Living Museum on TikTok
The Black Country Living Museum gained a huge following just months after joining TikTok, and to date its videos have over 50 million views.
Each video features one of the character actors from the museum, showcasing a part of Black Country history – either in its own right, or tagging on to a style of video that’s already trending. The success of its TikTok strategy has increased the museum’s profile, especially with younger audiences who make up the majority of TikTok’s users.
Case Study: Historic Royal Palaces adventure thread
Historic Royal Palaces were the first in the sector to use Twitter threads to create a ‘make your own adventure’ style thread.
This was a really great example of finding an innovative way to engage with followers in a way they might not expect, by thinking outside the (content) box on social media.
