Under Construction? Time to Blog!

• By Alexandra Sastre
• November 4, 2008

We’ve talked a lot about how useful Web 2.0 can be to museums in reaching new audiences, but connecting with visitors isn’t only about rethinking how you reach people, it’s also about rethinking what information is valuable and even desirable to share. Visitors are interested in the goings-on of a museum beyond its collections and current events, and institutions such as the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of American Jewish History have picked up on this curiosity, using blogs to showcase their current construction projects, keep the public updated on their upcoming exhibitions, and solicit donations.

• National Museum of American History: Set to reopen on November 21st 2008 after a major facelift, NMAH began blogging about their renovation in July 2008, giving their fans, press contacts, and supporters an inside peak at the renovation process, as well as a place to highlight NMAH publicity coups (such as a spot on The Colbert Report), and sneak peaks at what the museum will look like when it is completed. The blog is produced by the NMAH New Media team, including New Media Director, Matthew MacArthur, New Media Project Manager Dana Allen-Greil, the New Media Assistant Dan Hoerr.

By keeping the audience updated, NMAH has tapped into a new way to build excitement and ensure they remain part of the “current conversation” during their closed door phase.

• National Museum of American Jewish History: The new museum won’t even open until 2010, but it’s already reaching out to future visitors with a Museum Cam and their blog, Shaping Space, Making Meaning. The Museum Cam uploads pictures of the construction site every 15 minutes, giving visitors a view of the museum’s progress from anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, the blog offers insights into how a museum creates a major exhibition, invites visitors to give their feedback and share opinions prior to the museum’s opening, and uses current events and debates to help reach a broader audience of future visitors and potential supporters.

Being "under construction" doesn’t have to put you out of touch with your audiences. In fact, by opening up the process through a blog, it can offer fresh new opportunities to talk directly to supporters and reach new audiences.

Filed under: trends, what's cookin'