Make Sure These Basics Are Part of Your Reopening Plan
While we all plan our active ‘reopen’ marketing campaigns, keep in mind that many people, especially past visitors, are already thinking about making a trip to your museums. More often than not, these visitors will get information on your reopening from one of your more passive information sources.
To ensure that these individuals can access information about your reopening quickly and easily, check that each of these tools is updated with your reopening date, hours, phone number, and as much additional information as possible. As you go through this process, keep in mind that during this time, people are assuming businesses are closed unless they find out otherwise. If the information they find is incorrect or outdated, they are not going to take a chance. They will choose to go somewhere else.
Website – In my previous blog on reopening, I mentioned creating a landing page specifically for your reopen. The landing page should include your reopening date, hours, admissions, address, phone, information on exhibits, and an easy way to click through to a map app. In addition to the landing page, ideally, I recommend having an easy to find button in your website top navigation that directly leads people to the landing page.
If this is not possible, make sure that information about reopening is on your home page, visit page, exhibit pages, and contact page. If someone searches something like “Contact XYZ museum” in Google, it will often take them to your contact us page. You want these individuals to see an easy to find link to information about your reopening.
Phone Message – Many people will call after hours to see if you have reopened. Have an outgoing message stating when your reopen, your business hours, and leads the caller to the landing page on your website.
Travel Sites – Many of the travel sites such as Google Travel, TripAdvisor, and Yelp have marked businesses as ‘temporarily closed.’ Make sure you have updated this information in your travel site profiles.
Email Signature – Have your staff put the link to your reopening in their email signature. Something simple like “Come see the ABC exhibit, REOPENING June 10th.”
Search Your Name in the Search Engines – Search your museum’s name in all of the major search engines and see what comes up on the first page. Often there are informational sites you don’t usually think about that have your museum market as closed.
Closing tip – If your museum’s building does not appear open when people drive by, get a big flag, or another noticeable item for your yard.
As we all reopen, every visitor is going to be important. Make sure these elementary contact points clearly communicate that you are open and ready for visitors.
Article by Frank Bennett, originally published at www.WorldClassMuseum.com
- For more tips on reopening go here http://worldclassmuseum.com/ten-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-museums-reopening/
- If you would like to discuss your reopen strategy, email me at frank@worldclassmuseum.com.
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