How museums can enhance visitor engagement with Bloomberg Connects

For their latest print bulletin, the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) spoke to two of its member organizations – The Royal Signals Museum and Dulwich Picture Gallery – who are using Bloomberg Connects to reach out to new audiences as part of their museum digital engagement strategy.

We’re re-publishing their interview here as an answer to why is marketing important for museums and as a case study in how cultural institutions are effectively enhancing museum visitor engagement.

AIM:

The Royal Signals Museum in Dorset was set up to preserve and promote the story of the Royal Corps of Signals and is one of almost 140 regimental museums in the UK. During the pandemic the museum looked at its strategy and decided to put capturing the Corps’ story as it occurs at the heart of its operational objectives, explains Ryan Ellis, Head of Storytelling.   

Ryan Ellis:

“As we’re situated ‘behind the wire’ on an active army barracks, accessibility was one of the reasons we reached out to Bloomberg Connects. We saw the app’s potential to expand the reach of our object collection and our oral history collection, something that we’ve been building since 2022. Under our new storytelling strategy, as soon as a deployment ends, I’m in a room with those who have deployed capturing their story. Whilst we cannot make some of that immediately public, at least we have captured it, which ensures our ongoing relevance to those currently serving. For the thousands of members of the Corps based in the UK and around the world, the app gives them access to their collection, to their story. It also offers us a straightforward way to share extracts in audio and video form to a global audience in an accessible way. “

AIM:

Other elements of the app’s functionality helping the museum team drive engagement include the availability of transcripts and multiple languages.   

Ryan Ellis:

“Transcripts really open up who can engage with this sound library that we’re building. For a museum like ours with a small team and budget this was a straightforward way to improve access and to gain a global audience.  

We recently had visitors from France, possibly in relation to the recent D-Day commemorations, but as a museum based in rural Dorset our display boards are in English. However Bloomberg Connects with its translation function opens a whole new world possibility for our international visitors. We’re launching a digital collection on the app as part of the Queen’s Gurkha Signals anniversary this year and are hoping that additional languages will be added so the Gurkha community can really engage.“ 

AIM:

The app has useful reporting that enables organizations to review a range of key data and interactions such as what content is popular, explains Ryan.  

Ryan Ellis:

“We review what is working and what isn’t – last year, one of our most popular items was a long-term volunteer talking about his time operating alone at the start of the Brunei revolt. To be able to tell him that he has been ‘number one’ on the app for six months is a real boost of confidence for our volunteer base.”  

AIM:

So, if an AIM member is considering the app, what advice would you give them?  

Ryan Ellis:

“Jump straight in – the team at Bloomberg Connects is fantastic. There’s training on how to best word the individual pieces that you are going to put up, the sort of photographs that work best – there’s advice on how best to market the app, both within the space and externally as well – a whole marketing team that will work with you. So, whilst it may seem like a daunting task, the support network is extraordinary. It has been incredibly beneficial for us to have joined.” 

AIM:

For Tom Short, Marketing Officer at London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery, a review of the digital visitor experience during the pandemic was the key starting point. 

Tom Short:

“We were thinking ‘what’s the world of visiting going to look like when we reopen?’ It was an opportunity to look at how we presented the visitor experience digitally and think about how we might enhance our exhibitions. A great thing about the app is there’s so much content that you can enjoy outside of the museum experience, you can take it home and learn more, enjoy more and see more.”  

AIM:

Working with the app has coincided latterly with a major infrastructure project, explains Tom.   

Tom Short:

“We’re transforming the grounds, bringing sculptures into our gardens. The latest version of the Gallery’s map on the app includes points where you can discover more about the sculptures – it’s nice to be able to give people pointers on that, visibility which is impossible on other platforms, really, apart from your website.  

“You can test things out and it’s really accessible for someone who isn’t super-hot on using design apps. Usage statistics vary based on the exhibition: demographically some people are going to be more interested in the app and some are more like ‘I just want to go into a museum.’ The auto translate function is also interesting as visitors can view content in their own language, it helps us build up a picture of what nationalities are visiting and what they want to see from us. “ 

AIM:

Tom recommends those considering the app to use the platform to its strengths and to think about the user journey.  

Tom Short:

“There is no need to put every video you have ever made on there, or every interesting image. But, equally, it’s great to have some additional bits of content that some will enjoy after the exhibition. It helps to keep them in your ecosystem and encourages them to come back.“ 

This interview demonstrates that whether it’s offering accessibility solutions or gaining insight to their audience, the app is helping small and independent museums strengthen their digital experience and enhance their exhibitions. Learn more about becoming a Bloomberg Connects Partner here.

This content is courtesy of the Association of Independent Museums and was originally published in AIM’s Octoberprint Bulletin.