Sector 3: Solidifying Your Reputation

People will always talk so do what you
can to control the message.

As you consider the relationships you have built or are building, take a moment and consider how people in the community describe your organization.  What kind of reputation does it have?  Is the museum considered quiet and sleepy?  Mysterious?  Stagnant?  Or is it known as innovative and active in the community?  I think all of us prefer the latter description, but not all of us can be assured of it. 

When considering the work before you, knowing your reputation and improving or enhancing it is critical to your success.  There are four strategic ways you can solidify your reputation:

Start taking steps for future fundraising campaigns and annual appeals by establishing or reconnecting with a donor base.  Set up coffee chats, special visits or tours of the museum, attend public events and programs to be seen and meet people, or simply network through friends and family and connect with your base of donors, e.g. members.  Make sure donors know who you are and what the museum’s mission is and be sure to stay in contact.  People give to people and when your donors know who the face of the organization is, their giving comfort improves.

Once you’ve had some “face time” with donors and feel like you understand why people give to the museum, consider a membership drive or a small capital campaign to test the waters.  You, of course, have sizeable funding needs, but instead of tackling them all at once, carve out a smaller campaign that matches your staffing, board, and volunteer capacity.  Establish a goal for members acquired or funds raised and don’t let up until the goal is met.  Then, thank the donors, steward the relationships, and keep them primed and ready for future giving opportunities. 

Separate from the fundraising strategies but critical to your success is your relationship to the local media.  Pay close attention to the messages used to describe the museum and the topics local media focus on when reporting about museums/your museum.  Get in the habit of crafting regular press releases with consistent messaging.  Get to know local journalists and editors – make sure they know they can call you directly when news relates to your organization.  And, never lose sight of how the museum is described in social media circles.  Respond to negative comments with positive language that invites the author to return again.  Develop some kind of regular posting schedule that pushes interesting information about the museum to social media audiences.  A united, consistent messaging process will influence your reputation in lasting ways.

And lastly, and by far the most important way to solidify your reputation is to be kind to everyone.  It sounds ridiculously simple, but one or two bad days and you’ve created a ripple effect among community members who may think you’re inaccessible, disinterested, or worse, rude, and they will make decisions about supporting the museum based on their interactions with you.  If you live in a small town, this extends to the grocery aisle, the day care drop off point, and so much more.  This visibility can be a drag, but it’s also an easy way to draw positive attention to your museum that will ultimately attract support for all of those amazing projects you have lined up.

Next week, you’ll read about the fourth and final sector, assessment and planning, and we’ll see you at the American Alliance of Museums annual meeting in Baltimore!

Working in museums for nearly 20 years, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko has been a museum director since 2001. Cinnamon became CEO of the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine in 2009. Before that, she was the director of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where she led the organization to the National Medal for Museum Service.

Sector 1: Developing Your Audience

Do you know what your audience thinks about your organization and what you have to offer?  Do you offer a "product" that they value?

Develop your audience with

long-term relationships 

in mind. 

Exceeding expectations will 

create good will and a positive 

buzz about the museum.

Your audience will support you in the long run (with funding, attendance and word-of-mouth marketing) if they trust that you will meet their needs and wants.

Pursuing your mission only matters if you reach your audience (and so, of course, attendance matters). But, developing your audience is far more than simply increasing attendance. We quantify our relationships with our audience by counting visitors and web hits. However, when we become so focused on growing our numbers, we can lose sight of the quality of our interactions and our long-term relationship.

Let's take a more qualitative look at how your museum interacts with your audience:

• Which of your programs have been the most interesting, engaging and well-attended? Why?
• What aspects of your collection are unique, bear witness to compelling stories, or just have that "wow" factor?
• Do visitors pour over particular exhibits? Why are they so intriguing?
• Is your building a showpiece of the community?
• Is your staff known for its great customer service or engaging public presentations?

Now build on those strengths to take your first step in developing your audience. Your next program, exhibit or publication needs to demonstrate that your museum can exceed your current audience's expectations. Encourage your core supporters to share their positive impressions, whether in traditional word-of-mouth settings (like over the back fence and at the rotary club) or in social media (ever heard the conventional wisdom that Facebook is like a cocktail party?). By working with them to share that the valuable things your museum offers, you build good will and re-establish the museum as a community asset and create a positive buzz.

If you have strong ties with your current audience, consider which new audience you are ready to serve. Learn about what that group wants and how they communicate. Enlist community advisers from your target audience or from those who work closely with your target audience. Then strategically pick a couple of projects at the intersection of their wants and your strengths. Avoid a one-off program or exhibit. To build a relationship with a new audience, offer multiple ways for them to engage with your museum. 

Next week we will turn to building relationships with those who are closest to your organization: your staff, board and volunteers.

Stacy Klingler currently serves local history organizations as the Assistant Director of Local History Services at the Indiana Historical Society. She began her career in museums as the assistant director of two small museums, before becoming director of the Putnam County Museum in Greencastle, Ind. She was chair of the AASLH Small Museums Committee (2008-2012) and attended the Seminar for Historical Administration in 2006. While she lives in the history field, her passion is encouraging a love of learning in any environment.