After running for ten years, the Scottish Heritage Social Media Group has come to an end. For our final event, we wanted to leave on a positive note with a group of speakers who explained why they’re optimistic about the future of social media in the heritage sector.
We heard from Anna Melville, Social Media Apprentice at the National Trust for Scotland, and Laura Doherty and Theresa Peteranna, Digital Content Producers at National Museums Scotland.
The Social Media Landscape
Laura and Theresa spoke about what we as content creators and producers are up against and why they understand how our jobs can be tiring.
They noted:
- the ever-changing global news environment
- the rise of AI slop (think clips from Outlander with AI voiceover narration or the fully AI-generated timelines of historical figures like Mary, Queen of Scots, often containing inaccuracies)
- constantly changing social media algorithms
- questions over the provenance of objects in collections
Then there’s the practical side of crafting content from museum collections in particular; have you tried filming objects in a display case? Glass glare can be a big problem (though one attendee recommended polarizing filters which pop onto your camera lens and noted that most digital SLRS will have options to combat glass glare).
Anna also noted that social media users have shorter attention spans today making it harder to grab their attention and impart information. On the plus side, Anna also noted an increase in desire for authentic connections and niche communities and that social media is becoming the new search engine, meaning that your factual content is needed on those platforms.
Why Should We Still Be Using Social Media?
Anna also reminded us why social media still matters:
- It’s a primary channel for brand trust-building, and customer connection. Voices on social media are more trusted now than traditional advertising
- Social media is highly valuable to the heritage sector as it allows for increased organisation awareness, engagement and loyalty
- It’s a place for information discovery and helps organisations to stay relevant in online culture
She also shared a quote from Sophia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing for TikTok, which she found to be instructive in her work:
“Users won’t just scroll, they’ll be in full discovery mode, following their curiosity, and expecting a return on the time they invest. For brands on TikTok, that means the era of passive consumption is over. Marketers will need to be on the pulse of cultural moments and participate as they happen and clearly demonstrate the value they bring.”
What’s in Our Arsenal?
So what do we have to help our content stand out? Laura and Theresa noted that the experts we have at our disposal are second-to-none.
Top Tip: if your experts are nervous about being on camera or online, try offering them a voiceover instead or film them on non-intimidating camera phones rather than with a camera on a tripod.
We also have access to interesting objects and places with great stories which make for good content. The pair also mentioned the humanity inherent in our posts; as promoters of heritage, we care about human stories – how people lived, laughed and loved (pun intended) throughout history – which will always be of interest to the public.
They also noted that working in our favour is the fact that popular content doesn’t require pricey or high-tech equipment. Laura and Theresa said that many of their most successful posts were filmed with kit – such as a smartphone, handheld gimble and Bluetooth lapel mics – that can fit into a Uniqlo cross-body bag or smaller. Anna agreed that imperfections can actually be a good thing these days.
How to Crack Short Form Video Content
One of Laura and Theresa’s most popular pieces of content was their short video on the Orkney Hood – a rare, 1,500-year-old Iron Age woollen garment found in an Orkney peat bog in 1867 – which garnered 2.4 million views across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube shorts. This also included 143k engagements including 62k likes and 5.4k saves.
Their video on the museum’s 7-billion-year-old meteorite also collected 200k views across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube shorts, along with 13k engagements including 1k shares and 700 saves (on Instagram).
Laura and Theresa attributed the success of these videos to:
- Listening to their audiences; paying attention to what they’re interested in, and giving them more of they want. For example, very old objects and ancient textiles.
- the fact that the videos lead with hooks like “found in a bog” and “7 billion years old”. Anna added that the subject matter doesn’t have to be a shiny new acquisition or rare item – it’s all about how you frame it.
- and foregrounding the human connections in the stories, whether that’s an expert on camera, or featuring objects from thousands of years ago which are recognisable to an audience today. Anna also agreed that “humanity cuts through the slop”.
Laura and Theresa also highlighted the fact that there were no calls to action or promotion in these posts. As they were just presented as a piece of storytelling to enjoy, the audience responded positively to being given something “for free” without the expectation that they’d have to donate, visit or fill out a form for something in order to enjoy that content.
In terms of trends, Anna noted that they do make short joke videos, usually responding to a comedic trend or sounds, but they also have success when they pull out odd, interesting factoids from their collections, which usually focus on unusual customs and behaviours in past societies. You don’t need to follow trends if you don’t have capacity or it doesn’t feel right for your organisation.
The speakers recommended some heritage-related accounts to follow for great content inspiration:
Nairn Museum: They showcased a well-used domestic object (whisker) in informal iPhone style as part of a content advent calendar (and got over 2 million views!)
The Postal Museum: iPhone style video of the ‘mail rail’ journey in the museum (Thankfully, most modern smartphones have amazingly advanced built-in stabilisation that means gimbals aren’t always necessary). Shows that a fun POV format to talk through a popular attraction works.
RSPB: For “unhinged content”
Black Country Living Museum: for working with volunteers, staff and reenactors and responding to trends
If you want more inspiration, you can find Laura and Theresa’s work with National Museums Scotland on Instagram and YouTube or Anna’s work for the National Trust for Scotland on Instagram and TikTok.
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