AIM Success Guide: successfully getting started with social media

Many museums and heritage organisations - of all sizes - are already learning more about their users and sharing more of their stories with them through social media. If you're one of them, we hope this guide will give you some new ideas and if you aren't talking with your audience through social media yet, this will give you an overview of what's possible and some suggestions for getting started. Examples from museums, many of them independents, are included throughout this guide: social media can appear complex, but follow these simple steps to get going.

Social media essentials

What is social media?

Social media refers to any internet or web-based platform through which people can share what is now generally called 'content' - text, audio, video and photographs - personal opinions, spread news, swap perspectives and generally communicate with other people. Interaction is the basis of social media. Readers interact with content and people who make the content - commenting, engaging, sharing, enhancing.

Why use social media?

Half of the UK population use Facebook. Around a third use Twitter. YouTube is the country's second most popular search engine. In short, not using social media means ignoring a huge number of people who could be finding out about, visiting and supporting your organisation.

You can use social media to:

Raise awareness through communication: People are chatting about everything on social media. Being part of these conversations will help you reach new audiences and also gain a better understanding of your visitors.

Engage new audiences: Attract more visitors, supporters and volunteers through interacting with people on social media. Listen to and respond to feedback.

Market and fundraise: Free advertising space used to be hard to come by. But social media allows you to promote exhibitions and events, raise the profile of your organisation, and - with the right approach and compelling stories - turn an online community into active fundraisers.

Recruit volunteers/staff: Social media helps you to recruit new volunteers and even potentially new members of staff, or if you are really lucky, celebrity supporters might come on board.

Download the guide to read on:
AIM Success Guide: successfully getting started with social media (PDF)