Category Archives: Glossary

Glossary, S

Social Media

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Social media refers to a museum’s owned digital media channels for building community, cultivating a respectful space for dialogue, and leveraging content to support a museum’s mission, strategy, and audience-building goals.

When used with strategic creativity and authenticity, social media can be a powerful platform for amplifying a museum’s voice, personality, and social impact.

How it’s used

Social media is an indispensable part of a strategic marketing communications mix, requiring dedicated resources. Platforms come and go with the ability to make and break organizational reputations, and therefore, require constant management and investment.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and Pinterest are just some of the popular platforms used by museums to engage, connect, and grow their fans and followers. Location-based online communities such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google Business also provide opportunities for audiences to share and rate museum experiences, and these platforms can also make valuable additions to an organization’s social media mix. When planning your social media strategy, it is important to recognize that different communities are on different platforms and they engage differently according to the characteristics of each platform.

An important aspect of this work is monitoring, listening to, and sharing content created by others (user-generated content).

Museums benefit from having social media guidelines, establishing clear rules and parameters for how users—referring to both the public and employees—should use and engage with the organization’s social platforms. This helps balance transparency and freedom of speech with cultivating a respectful community space online, just as a museum would uphold in its physical spaces onsite.

Why it matters

Social media helps to humanize an institution. It gives an accessible voice to an otherwise possibly intimidating organization, creating a direct line of communication between a museum and the people it serves.

Breaking geographical and cultural barriers, social media allows for a range of conversations—from fun quips and rapport-building to customer service and dispelling misinformation—to happen in real-time.

Leveraged strategically, social media can be a powerful way to grow long-term trust, relationships, and loyalty with audiences.

Glossary, P

Purpose Statement

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

A purpose statement (purpose, mission, vision, values) is a declarative and specific statement of why the museum exists. Because museums exist to serve audiences, the purpose statement must also clarify its specific commitment to its community and audiences. A museum’s purpose statement is the foundation for its mission and vision statements.

Our outline of the most common strategic tools is as follows:
Purpose: Why we exist
Mission: The means by which we will achieve our purpose
Vision: The future we wish to bring into being
Values: The principles we will abide by as we seek to achieve our purpose

How it’s used

Clarity and simplicity are essential characteristics of an effective purpose statement. A museum’s purpose statement must be known and understood by all those within the organization so that they can actively work to align with it.

Purpose and mission are often used interchangeably, but purpose answers the question of “why,” and mission defines how or what an organization will do to accomplish its purpose. Purpose and vision are also sometimes used interchangeably and have some overlap. When defining both the purpose and the vision is deemed overly complex, our recommendation is to prioritize purpose because of its greater capacity for immediate guidance. Doing all the things outlined in the mission in service of its purpose will enable the museum to advance toward its vision.

An organization’s core values, or values system, are the ethics that guide the organization as it works to carry out its mission and achieve its purpose. Core values should be complementary to an organization’s purpose.

While not common in the museum sector, a purpose statement is a standard tool in the for-profit and nonprofit communities.

Why it matters

In an ever-changing world, how a museum and its stakeholders decide what to do and what not to do is crucial, but not always easy to ask and answer. Where do we turn to as individuals, employees, and as organizations when difficult questions arise? A museum’s purpose statement is invaluable at such moments because it ensures that every employee can see if their work is aligned with and contributing to the museum’s purpose.

Example

For reference, we include the purpose and mission statements of the International Audience Engagement group. See https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/international-audience-engagement-network-iae/

Our purpose is to create a museum culture centered around audiences.

Our mission is to create a global network of museum leaders in audience engagement committed to advancing the public value of museums through supporting an authentic internal and external focus on the audience experience.

Notes

See also Core Values

Recommends

See: The Importance of a Small Set of Core Values

Glossary, P

Public

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

The public is the broadest possible term for the people who live in the society outside of your organization. The word is most often used in a political or geographical sense, to identify those who live in a particular state or a city, or who make up the communities in which your organization works.

How it’s used

The term public is often conflated with audience. They are closely related; however, audience is a more structured group of the public who is paying attention to your organization, targeted to receive a message, or receiving your messages and acting on them. In general, the public is the large and diverse group of all the people who could potentially be impacted by or intersect with your organization but may not yet be formally involved as members, donors, attendees, visitors, etc. It’s everyone we have the opportunity or potential to reach.

Many organizations also use the term in its plural form, publics, to identify multiple different broad groups that they are aware of. For example, if I am a national museum, my publics may be both local and spanning the country. These publics may not yet be audiences.

Why it matters

Almost all museums include as their mission a responsibility to the public, whether they are key audiences or not. The idea of public opinion and public perception, or the field of public relations, for example, are also built on the idea that what the public thinks, does, and says matters deeply to the success of an organization. Museums, on their most fundamental level, promote the public good.

Glossary, M

Messaging

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Messaging, also sometimes referred to as copy, is the art of generating carefully crafted phrasing for use in marketing, communications, and audience engagement. It is created with the intended audience in mind to maximize effectiveness or resonance.

How it’s used

Messaging is used in advertising copy and communications outreach and as talking points for internal teams. It should make a clear and compelling assertion to advance some organizational objective, such as selling tickets or encouraging donations. Sometimes what we think we are saying is not what is being heard, and so its effectiveness can be improved through market testing, market research, and workshopping—all ways of listening to your audience.

Why it matters

Messaging serves to build awareness, create consistency, and develop positive associations with the museum. Messaging helps the audience understand why the museum matters, the work they do, where they want to go, and any big shifts (new directors, new board, crises, etc.). It serves to drive brand, perception, and action.

There is always a gap between what the organization wants to communicate and what is received by the intended audience. Messaging is the art of reducing the discrepancy between intent and result in external communications.

Recommends

See: Can you hear me?

Glossary, M

Metrics

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Metrics are quantifiable, specific data points that are used to assess, compare, and track performance. Metrics are what make analysis possible in order to make strategic, data-driven decisions. Metrics are quantitative data and some examples include the number of visitors, number of page views, and number of social media post shares.

How it’s used

Metrics are a key way to measure the performance of a campaign, initiative, or program. Most metrics are identified based on the predetermined goals of a specific project.

Why it matters

Metrics are often gathered and analyzed to create a story that is shared with key stakeholders in reports, presentations, and other internal and external communications. These data-driven stories help gauge success and should be used to inform decisions, whether reinforcing or indicating direction changes in strategy and implementation.

Because museums are human-centered institutions, it is important to note that while critical, metrics and pure data points do not tell the whole story. Qualitative methods of gathering and interpreting data, such as interviews, focus groups, and observational studies, should also be used to provide a more robust picture than numbers alone.

Notes

See also Analytics

Glossary, M

Marketing

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Marketing is the practice of helping people see the value of a museum in their life with the goal of motivating action. Marketing helps to organize and encourage the exchange between the museum and the public.

Marketing is both a function of which communications is a part and a shorthand for an operational unit within the museum that may be organized differently depending on the particular museum.

Marketing is a long-term process, which begins by identifying, understanding, and appealing to a target audience and then extends across the span of the museum’s relationship with that audience. Marketing may employ a range of tactics to make people aware of the museum and its offerings in order to foster engagement and increase positive associations. The goal of marketing is to build a relationship with current and potential audiences; this relationship encourages interactions with the museum and helps move audience members along a path from awareness to advocacy. (See also Audience Journey.)

How it’s used

Marketing may include research, positioning and branding, public relations, advertising (e.g., print, digital, and out of home), email, social media, and promotions. Marketing is often connected with communications so that both paid and earned media outreach are aligned.

Marketing is a core function of any organization that, although distinct from sales, is tied to earned revenue. Through market research, marketing brings audience insights into business and strategy conversations. All activities, even the most mundane ones, should be subject to consideration for how they are to be effectively communicated to the audience.

Why it matters

Marketing supports the museum’s goals by driving attendance and sales in support of earned revenue. An investment in marketing can be directly correlated to an increase in attendance, sales, and earned revenue. It also plays an important role in building brand awareness and reputation. Marketing is both a contributor to sustainability and the continuation of the museum’s mission.

Notes

All activities, even the most mundane ones, should be subject to consideration for how they are to be effectively communicated to the audience.

recommends

See: Curatorial vs. Marketing in Museums

Glossary, I

Influencers

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

An influencer is someone who has credibility within a certain industry or has earned the trust of a set of audiences and can shape their opinions and even inspire action, typically using social media as their platform. Influencers may serve as endorsers or content creators/distributors to their particular audience of followers.

How it’s used

Being an influencer has evolved from an informal activity into a more structured practice. Just as the line between paid and earned media has become increasingly blurry, this is true among influencers as well. The independent voice of influencers is what adds value to the collaboration, creating authenticity and fostering trust with the desired niche audiences.

Outside agencies have offers that specialize in managing paid influencers. Endorsements and content creation from influencers might be paid, given voluntarily, or exchanged for perks.

In the context of PR, influencers can play a similar role to the press in extending positive perception. They function as press in terms of getting the word out as some people follow solely influencers instead of traditional media outlets.

In the context of marketing, influencers may be contracted to leverage their clout with specific niche audiences that museums may not be able to reach themselves.

For issues management and crisis communication, it is a good idea to monitor relevant influencers as you would more traditional media.

Why it matters

Because of the splintering of the media landscape and diminished trust of advertising, influencers can give access to otherwise unreachable niche audiences.

Influencers often have carefully cultivated a particular audience of interest. When this aligns well with the museum’s brand or promotional intentions, influencers can serve as expert storytellers on their chosen platform. They have the capacity to help you build relationships with audiences that are harder for the museum to reach on its own.

There is also always a risk of the amplification of negative messages though adversarial influencers. Just as you monitor traditional media outlets, pay attention to influencers as they can have a powerful impact, especially in crisis communication planning.

F, Glossary

Financial Health & Sustainability

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Financial health is measured by a museum’s ability to raise and maintain revenue and balance expenditures. Revenue can be earned or contributed and is used to fund its staff, operations, programs, and facilities.

Financial sustainability is dependent on sound strategic planning and developing diverse revenue streams including ticket sales, membership, shop sales, paid programs, subscriptions, partnerships, donations, endowments, government support, and more.

How it’s used

A museum must recognize financial matters as mission critical, articulate financial goals, strategies, and responsibilities, and ensure that annual budgets are developed and adhered to accordingly.

Why it matters

The fulfillment of a museum’s mission is dependent on and energized by its sustained financial health. Only a sustainable museum can continue to add value as well as economic vitality to the communities, the public, and the region it serves. Also, a sustainable business model is paramount in order to be able to weather economic downturns.

Recommends

As the old adage goes, “No money, no mission.” See: What if Museums Were Run Like Successful Companies?

D, Glossary

DEAI

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

The below definition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is from the Ford Foundation and the definition of Accessibility is an excerpt cited from Facing Change, a 2018 report on the insights of the American Alliance of Museums’ Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) Working Group.

Diversity is the representation of all our varied individual and collective identities and differences (race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, tribe, caste, socio-economic status, thinking and communication styles, etc.). We proactively seek out and engage with a variety of perspectives because we believe we can only advance justice when we affirm our similarities and understand and find value in our differences.

Equity seeks to ensure fair treatment, equality of opportunity, and fairness in access to information and resources for all. We believe achieving equity is only possible in an environment built on respect and dignity.

Accessibility is giving equitable access to everyone along the continuum of human ability and experience. Accessibility encompasses the broader meanings of compliance and refers to how organizations make space for the characteristics that each person brings.

Inclusion builds a culture of belonging by actively inviting the contribution and participation of all people. We believe every person’s voice adds value, and we strive to create balance in the face of power differences. We believe that no one person can or should be called upon to represent an entire community.

How it’s used

DEAI is an ongoing actionable commitment and process that needs to be woven into an institution’s core framework—from mission and vision to content and operations. DEAI is a core tenet of museum work. Some examples of how DEAI principles are applied across the museum include hiring and training practices at all levels that help an organization better reflect the community it serves in its staffing and leadership; developing programs and partnerships that welcome audiences at the widest spectrum; and communicating in a way that engages audiences of different social, economic, educational, and religious backgrounds.

Organizations are accountable to our communities and DEAI is a key metric by which we measure the success of our work. DEAI efforts should be recognizable and holistic, applied to every activity of the museum (e.g., audience engagement, programs, vendors, employment, marketing, and collecting). Each organization should develop standards of excellence for its DEAI work, including practices such as a “nothing about us without us” methodology.

Why it matters

The DEAI framework enriches and enlivens the work of museums, ensuring their sustainability and long-term relevance. We, as museum professionals, must hold ourselves accountable as we reap the benefits and face the challenges of putting DEAI principles into practice.

Museums are engaged in an ever-evolving process of building trust, especially with historically marginalized groups as we engage with audiences, serving as stewards of collections and thought leaders of art, history, and education but also as catalysts of social and cultural progress. As we tell the stories of people and cultures across the globe, we commit to raising their impact and influence across human history, especially those of non-dominant groups who are often underrepresented or erased from the narrative.

Additional resources

D, Glossary

Demographic

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

A demographic profile defines statistical characteristics of a population such as age, sex, income level, race and ethnicity, employment, location, level of education, and marital status. Demographics differ from psychographics which focus on attitudinal and behavioral characteristics. Psychographics can cross statistical segments.

How it’s used

Many museums are looking to understand their audience’s demographics to make sure their offerings better reflect the interests of the communities they serve and those they have not yet reached or been able to support. Demographics are also useful in selecting advertising, PR content, and media tactics as well as partnerships. Demographics are one way to understand who a museum’s audiences are or should be. They are a useful reference when planning an audience development and communications strategy.

It is important when making sure a museum’s communications are relevant for the intended audience. Is your marketing reaching who you want it to?

Why it matters

It’s helpful to understand both your current demographic reach, and your organization’s future audience as this has implications for program planning, fundraising, marketing, communications, and audience engagement. Marketing cannot reach everyone so priority-setting is key.

Notes

See also Audience Development, Audience Segmentation, and Community

Recommends

See: Museums and Race