Empowering Communities_ConferencePaper_PDF

Abstract:
Social Networking Sites like Twitter and Instagram have enabled museums to engage with community groups during periods of government mandated lockdowns. By focusing on the creation of a strong digital identity museums are able to forge a greater connection with their external stakeholders. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the ways that museums are intrinsically linked with the notion of community, and to argue that Social Media and Social Networking Sites can allow museums to create a stronger digital identity for the purposes of empowering communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Museums are integral for communities to function, as they provide resources for education and community empowerment. This paper examines the ways in which museums foster and maintain communities by using Social Networking Sites as tools to communicate with and expand their audiences on a global scale.

Keywords: Communities, Social Networking Sites, Museums, Cultural Organisations, COVID-19

Communities can be invaluable sources of support for both the individuals that exist within them and the organisations and institutions that they revolve around. Museums are pillars for the community on a local and a global scale given that they provide the public with access to a vast amount of information. The rise of new digital technologies such as Social Networking Sites (SNS) and Social Media (SM) have enabled museums to reach communities far and wide. In order to examine this further we must acknowledge the connection museums have to communities, and investigate the nature of a ‘community’ itself. Historically, it wasn’t algorithms that were responsible for filtering information through communities, rather it was the rigid and hierarchal nature of human relationships that occurred through the responsibilities and values associated with religion and familial ties (Hampton & Wellman, 2018). In modern times, technology has led organisations and individuals to incorporate a more ‘performative’ element into their identities and their day-to-day routines (Papacharissi, 2011). Hampton & Wellman (2018) suggest the expanding reliance on digital devices has led to a greater sense of isolation, even though instant connection is more accessible than ever. With their capacity to empower cultural awareness and their ability to distribute a vast degree of knowledge to the masses, a museum has a civil duty to the public to empower them and create communities who wish to thrive on support and shared histories. There is a pressing need for public institutions such as museums to use their positions to support their online communities and to facilitate safe spaces for these communities to express their cultural identities. Digital Technologies such as SNS allow museums to facilitate online spaces that centre on supporting cultural expression and empowerment.

When considering ‘community’ going forward we will be looking at the ways that digital technologies can foster connections with both online and face-to-face communities, regardless of location and time constraints and with a focus on how persistent communication can enable a strong relationship between institutions and the communities they create. In the last decade SM has been utilised to foster stronger community ties, however cultural institutions such as museums have expressed a reluctance in utilising this means of communication to their advantage, preferring to focus on streamlining processes such as payroll systems over the formation of a digital identity (Lazzeretti et al., 2015). It is important for museums to consider the role that branding can play in the creation of a digital identity, for a brand image can encompass a large amount of personality and often tells a narrative that a community can adapt and incorporate into their own values (Arias, 2021). Digital engagement tactics must be considered given that the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many museums facing loss of income as a result of budget cuts. We will also examine the tactics used by the Getty Museum to maintain interest from external stakeholders (McGrath, 2020). Lastly, SM can provide a cost-effective channel for the dissemination of knowledge and information, which can empower the public to further articulate their own identities (Carlson & Kennedy, 2021). Museums require a digital identity of their own in order to foster a strong social media presence, and a connection to community in the wake of COVID-19.

Digital technologies allow for communication to flow from face-to-face environments to online spaces, which is integral when organisations are needing to operate remotely in the event of a global pandemic such as COVID-19. March 2020 saw many museums close to the public under government mandates that aimed to manage the spread of the COVID-19 virus and this meant that they had to seek alternative methods for communicating with their audience in an online capacity (McGrath, 2020). New methods for communicating can empower a broader sense of belonging and communication – with communication being defined as a process where information is exchanged through mutual participation (Hooper-Greenhill, 1999). Museums are able to reinforce mutual exchanges on SNS through responding to comments and messages from members of the community, and over time this builds persistent contact. Persistent contact occurs when communication technologies such as SNS allow people and organisations to communicate effectively and maintain their relationships over time – often through the use of instant likes or resharing options (Hampton, 2016). This communication dynamic allows Museums to engage with their audience in a manner that reinforces the loyalty of external stakeholders, without having to drain large amounts of resources. SNS facilitate methods of communication that exist without time or location constraints and are structured from person-to-network ,which is a more effective way of communicating with multiple people at the same time (Hampton, 2016). SNS provide cost effective ways for museums to communicate with their stakeholders, and continue to build community engagement and loyalty without having to have face-to-face contact.

Over the last five years, SM has been utilised by organisations to strengthen relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and to assist in building a sense of community and belonging on a global scale (Lazzeretti et al., 2015). One such example is the Museum of Natural History of Florence (MNH), that being a medium sized non-profit cultural institution which relies on various social networks within the communication framework it has established to gain traction with stakeholders and increase the amount of external stakeholders both on foot and online (Lazzeretti et al., 2015). This example shows how museums have found that SNS have increased their ability to foster the formation of communities, and increased their visibility within existing communities, thus generating further interest and opportunities for funding. Communication strategies are vital in fostering burgeoning communities, and they must be in place for a museum to maintain a strong relationship with their external stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Platforms such as Instagram and Twitter can allow for digital identities to be explored and solidified – which can assist in growing community support for cultural institutions. Museums benefit from cementing their digital identity as it allows stakeholders to align themselves with the organisation’s brand image and values. The term ‘brand image’ encompasses a personality and a long-term vision, and has the capacity to immerse stakeholders into the narrative of the organisation (Arias, 2021). Whilst museums have been reluctant to adopt new online systems in the past given the majority of their focus was on utilising digital technologies for streamlining administrative duties, they can increase their global reach through incorporating digital technologies into their marketing strategy (Parry, 2010). Using a SNS to convey a strong digital identity in conjunction with the use of clever branding allows a museum to form strong connections to their communities and stakeholders who share the same values.

COVID-19 has seen Governments placing limitations on where people can travel to, which has meant that communities can no longer rely on proximity to existing relationships to form. The advent of digital technologies such as YouTube and Instagram allow people to connect around things they have in common, and museums can utilise these platforms to educate their audience. It can be credited that cities have caused a ‘time-space’ compression where relationships have been relieved from constraints relating to time zones and locations – instead relationships are now more dependent on shared interests than shared locations (Hampton, 2016). Communities are maintained through facilitating a sense of belonging, and museums can utilise virtual platforms to respond to queries from their audience and facilitate a strong discourse that links shared interests with a sense of belonging – creating an online community that exists on the principles of equality and shared knowledge (Delanty, 2018). In order for museums to take advantage of their ability to build global communities, they need to align with the moral values of their external stakeholders, and take efforts to ensure all of their values are clearly stated (McGrath, 2020). It is integral that museums utilise online platforms to facilitate the growth of communities based around equality, shared values and common interests.

Converging technologies can allow museums to grow their audience, and solidify a sense of community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instagram has seen the rise of a participatory culture otherwise known as converging culture which sees users of the platform play a pivotal role in how the platform operates – the needs of the user or audience can dictate the purpose of the platform (Jenkins, 2006). SNS are an asset to museums as stakeholders can easily engage with content generated by the organisation and reshare to broaden the reach of the initial post. Participatory culture has seen content not only being consumed, but being remixed and narrated by stakeholders who are able to facilitate new interest and welcome new members to the museum’s community (Lazezeretti, 2015). In order to appeal to stakeholders, museums can focus on their ‘branding’ given that this is the way they can articulate the values and aims of the organisation in a concise manner. A social narrative can be spun through a logo or a marketing plan, and this can create a complex dialogue between the stakeholder and the organisation (Levy & Luedicke, 2013). Branding has evolved to not just encompass products, but to be tied to the process of ‘identity-making’ whereby a brand isn’t just symbolical in nature, but acts as a way for an individual or organisation to stand out from the crowd and align with others to form a community (Arias, 2021). Twitter and Instagram are both tools that allow museums to successfully build up a ‘brand’ identity, and each platform encourages stakeholder interest through regular posting (Lazerreti et al., 2015). Regular posting on social media is a key component to building a dialogue between the museum and its community as it can easily link with digital exhibitions and provide the public access to educational tools. One such example are the digital engagement tactics utilised by the Getty Museum during the first lockdowns experienced in their region. They chose to boost digital engagement through the use of social media challenges, where they issued challenges to their Instagram followers asking them to recreate artworks housed in their museum collections under the hashtag #gettymuseumchallenge (McGrath, 2020). The use of engagement tactics can assist in forming a supportive community who will assist in broadening the organisation’s audience.

SNS allow museums to form strong connections with their communities through the exchange of information and resources. The exchange of knowledge is central to the formation of a community – as communities are often formed through shared interests and a reciprocal desire to trade knowledge and resources. Museums can aid this exchange of knowledge through utilising online platforms such as wikis, forums and SNS (Lazzeretti et al., 2015). SM has connected those employed by cultural institutions, and allowed them to document the economic hardships that were felt by those employed across the cultural sector during the COVID-19 pandemic such as funding cuts and staff freezes (McGrath, 2020). With large cuts to budgets resulting in widespread redundancies and the inability to hire new staff it is vital for those employed within the cultural sector to share their experiences with their wider community to raise awareness and solidify support from stakeholders.

It was commonly believed that museums existed purely to focus on taking care of artefacts, however changes in digital technologies have seen the role of museums growing to encompass educational purposes also (Parry, 2010). It is important that museums integrate their practices to involve social media platforms, as they are often free, widely accessible and allow for staff to work remotely if funding cuts and government mandates limit their contact hours. Museums can even choose to redistribute user-generated content in order to push engagement and promote a sense of belonging (Lazzeretti et al., 2015). Museums need to be proactive when it comes to developing marketing strategies that house a finetuned awareness of consumer needs and behaviours (Arias, 2021). Social media platforms enable museums to share educational resources with a global audience, and increase awareness as to the needs and the purpose of the organisation.
COVID-19 has caused government mandates which have sent communities across the globe into lockdowns, leaving cultural institutions to seek new ways to reach out to their communities and to maintain the interest of external stakeholders. Digital technologies such as SM and SNS like Instagram and Twitter afford Museums new platforms by which they can communicate and entertain their communities, and all through the click of a button. This capacity for audience growth alongside the formation of online communities has given a voice and an identity to the cultural sector, and enabled community members to rally in support of the preservation of the knowledge and information housed by museums. Through harnessing digital technologies to forge engagement strategies museums can foster a growing audience and solidify their importance within a global community.