AGAD

122

MARCH 28, 2012

N SHYKOLUK

SOCIAL MEDIA BRIEF

ORGANIZATION BIO
Public and research institution promoting cultural exchange, offering innovative programming and creating vibrant, contemporary exhibitions. (140 characters)

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) will use five social media tools to stimulate engagement between a specific audience segment, the organizations programs, and (especially) a series of monthly Thursday evening events taking place over the next year at the MOA. The target demographic for all social media tools is: professional men and women (singles or couples) between the ages of 25 and 35; live and/or work within a 15-kilometer radius of the MOA in Vancouver, BC; engaged in other cultural pursuits in the Vancouver area, such as art galleries, theatre, museums, and social activism; and, enjoy local and world music, ethnic and contemporary food, and great local wine. SPECIAL EVENT (majority of social media will be directed towards promoting this) 1. Monthly Thursday evening events geared toward the above demographic will take place from 6 10 PM in the MOAs main gallery after the Museum closes to the public. Live music featuring local musicians Wine-tasting from vineyards in the region Appetizer buffet showcasing the culinary tradition of local Northwest Coast peoples, as well as from indigenous cultures around the world Private access to MOA galleries and curator(s)

SOCIAL MEDIA SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Twitter almost 2,000 followers from different demographic segments (e.g., museums, galleries, social activists, public education, First Nations organizations) Flickr excellent photo resolution & variety of photos/exhibitions/collections Blog really keeps audiences up to date with goings on at the MOA; easy to read and lots of great photos

WEAKNESSES No proprietary MOA podcast Podcast would be useful to reach target demographic because of targets use of media (iPods/iPhones), and could distribute lectures/behind the scenes to wider audience to get people interested and informed

AGAD 122

MARCH 28, 2012

N SHYKOLUK

OPPORTUNITIES Tweet about upcoming events and generate buzz with audiences (not a lot of responses to tweets made by MOA staff) Pintrest can get people to share their experiences at the MOA, what inspires them, and generate more buzz about exhibits/events/programs Other major Canadian museums like the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) have far most Facebook posts and interaction with their followers Not enough interaction with followers can mean less interest in MOA membership purchases and event attendance/interest ROM and other museums are using Pintrest to get people to share their experiences at museums and what theyre interested in THREATS

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS

Adults around the age of 30 use the most diverse range of social media outlets to receive and share information (Smith et al., 2003). This is important when considering how to market the MOAs adult-oriented social events to the 25 35 demographic (as discussed above). Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/moa_ubc Flickr will allow the MOA to show off its collections, programs, and events online through high- resolution photos and videos. People can imagine themselves at the event and/or see how much fun other people are having. This will create a buzz and potentially generate new audiences. The MOA can post photos and videos after each event, especially those on Thursday evenings, that show people of the target demographic having a great time (promotions and relatable posts). This creates the ability for the MOA to link Flickr to Facebook, Twitter, and their podcasts so they can promote events and educate audiences about collections using a diverse social media toolkit. Also, attendees can post their photos from the event which will provide the MOA with information about what interested attendees at the event (audience engagement). Qualitative Evaluate what photos members have taken when attending MOA events. Also, have they posted photos of non-MOA events but which are related to their interests? Use this for future programming and audience engagement. Quantitative Track how many members are in the Flickr MOA group over the course of a year. Does the number increase/decrease based on the types of events held. RSS feed http://www.moa.ubc.ca/blog/?php%20bloginfo('rss_url');%20?%3E This tool is useful to provide updates about whats happening at the MOA with headlines. Subscribers can then click on whichever headline interests them and be directed to the MOAs website (i.e., for full story, read more). Its more informational and is not about opinions but instead links people to information so they wont get overloaded with exhibits, events, and programming they arent interested in or that dont apply to them.

AGAD 122

MARCH 28, 2012

N SHYKOLUK

The MOA can use its RSS feed to keep their audience apprised of whats new at the Museum, upcoming special events, and breaking news in museums, archaeology, and culture (i.e., audience engagement and event promotion). Qualitative Study comments solicited by MOA through email, Facebook, Twitter, and on-site from regarding whether people find RSS feed useful and applicable to their needs/interests Quantitative How many people subscribe to MOAs RSS feed monthly. Track changes in monthly subscription numbers. Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Museum-of-Anthropology/261008030084 Facebook is a useful social media tool for the MOA because many people in their target demographic are regular Facebook users. MOAs Facebook page is already very engaging and far above that of its nearest competitor, the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. An informative, well- designed Facebook page reflects positively on an organization because many people judge organizations by what they post and how they structure their page. The MOA can use Facebook to inform its followers of upcoming events and create an opportunity for dialogue about both upcoming and past events (e.g., what do you want to see at the MOA, what was your experience like). Also, photos of collections and exhibits can be posted to the photo gallery so that followers/viewers can get a sense of what the MOA is about. Qualitative Read and critically evaluate followers and viewers comments on the page to see what they like about the MOAs Facebook page and whether Facebook helped encourage them to attend events/programs. Quantitative Number of followers and number of posts to the page by non-MOA followers over the course of one year. Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/moa_ubc Twitter will allow the MOA to get the word out quickly and succinctly to its followers about upcoming events and exhibits. This allows people to quickly scan their Twitter account to see if anything the MOA tweeted about interests them. Then, they can access the MOAs Facebook, blog, or website for more information. For a museum, the MOA has a lot of followers (approximately 2,000), and many of them appear to be in the target demographic discussed above. Through Twitter, the MOA can also ask its followers to comment about their experience at a certain event, what they thought of a particular exhibit, or what they want to see at upcoming events. Qualitative Read and evaluate the content of followers tweets about their experience at the Thursday event adults event. Quantitative Number of followers over the course of a year, number of tweets about a particular event/exhibit, and number of responses to MOA tweets asking for commentary.

Podcast A downloadable podcast that gives subscribers behind the scenes access to the Museums current exhibitions would be an excellent way educate and engage audiences. Also, subscribers could download podcasts prior to each event and either learn about the exhibits beforehand, or listen to them while walking through the gallery.
3

AGAD 122

MARCH 28, 2012

N SHYKOLUK

Qualitative Solicit feedback from podcast subscribers about the content and usability of the podcasts Quantitative Determine how many people subscribe to the podcasts and how many use the podcasts to get informed prior to visiting the MOA.

RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
1. Canadian Museums Association The CMA often posts information about new developments in museum studies, research, and policy on its Facebook page, all which may be relevant to the MOA and its operations. Also, there may be upcoming related conference information or job postings. 2. Royal British Columbia Museum (Victoria, BC) This museum is a direct competitor for MOA audiences and only a ferry ride away. The MOA should know which exhibits and events are upcoming at the Royal BC Museum, as well as evaluate who is following this museums Facebook/Twitter to determine audience demographics. 3. Aboriginal Tourism BC (West Vancouver, BC) This organization promotes aboriginal arts, culture, and environmental tourism from an aboriginal perspective. In following its Facebook page, the MOA can learn more about what aspects of First Nations arts and culture people are interested in, and then tailor programming or special events to match that interest. 4. Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (Vancouver, BC) The MOA has many Bill Reid sculptures on display (and has named a gallery after Bill Reid). He was a prominent Northwest Coast artist and the MOA needs to stay connected to organizations/galleries who showcase his art. 5. The Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Art Studies at Simon Fraser University Because of its large collection of Bill Reid art, the MOA needs to stay abreast of developments in Northwest Coast art research. This will better inform its Bill Reid and other Northwest Coast displays/exhibits. The MOA can also post upcoming Bill Reid-related events/programming/exhibits going on at the MOA on this Facebook page. 6. University of British Columbia The MOA is part of the University of British Columbia and should demonstrate a link to them as a Facebook/Twitter follower. This may also help the MOA to gain new Facebook and Twitter followers through association.

AGAD 122

MARCH 28, 2012

N SHYKOLUK

7. UBC Film Society Many of the films the MOA shows may be of interest to UBC Film Society members. By following this organization, the MOA can attract new audiences and cross-promote its film events. 8. Wine Islands Vintners Association Because the Thursday evening adult events feature local BC wines, it would be prudent to follow wine trends in the Vancouver and Vancouver Island region. It would also show potential attendees that the MOA was serious about providing great local and quality wines at its events. 9. Tourism Vancouver The MOA is an important tourist destination for visitors to Vancouver. It would be important for them to follow whats going on with regard to tourism in Vancouver and maybe find potential organizations to partner with, or who have the same followers the MOA does. 10. Vancouver Art Gallery The Vancouver Art Gallery hosts many events that cater to the same demographic the MOA is trying to attract (e.g., FUSE adult evening with music, food, and art). The MOA can likely learn a lot about what makes FUSE a successful event and use that to their advantage, as well as attract new audiences from their desired demographic by associating with the VAG.

CONTENT PROVIDERS

Jill Baird, Curator Education/Public Programs Create and post blog content related to public programs and exhibits Develop website content and post photos/videos of exhibits on Facebook Gwilyn Timmers, Public Services Manager Create and link headlines for RSS feed Post photos and videos of all exhibits, programs, and special events to Flickr Deborah Tibble, Manager, MOA Museum Shop Use Twitter to update followers about upcoming sales at MOA Museum Shop Post photos of merchandise on Flickr and Facebook

LITERATURE CITED

Smith, H., Rogers, Y., and Brady, M. (2003). Managing ones social network: Does age make a difference? In Proceedings of the INTERACT Conference. Zurich, Switzerland. Pp. 551-558.