There is so much competition for audiences nowadays, and galleries and museums are working harder than ever to attract visitors. With the growth in digital and social media marketing, all the stats show that great video content is an essential part of today’s marketing and communications mix.

 

The average user spends 88% more time on a website with video. (Forbes 2018)

When watching a video, viewers retain 95% of a message – compared to 10% when reading text. (Forbes 2018)

74 percent of all consumer internet traffic was video in 2017, this will be 82 percent by 2021. (Cisco 2017)

 

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What kinds of video content work for galleries?

A well-planned video strategy can have impact, and help build loyal audiences. This shouldn’t be restricted to trailers. Video can educate, raise funds or tell an untold story. It can let viewers inside unknown parts of your gallery, preview new exhibitions or inspire fans. Films promote ticket sales, build membership and sell shop items.

Learn how to create great Online Videos with our 10 Top Tips

OK, but can all of this be achieved within gallery-friendly budgets?

Yes! By definition, galleries have amazing visuals to shoot, experts on hand, fascinating stories and space for filming. Generating, creating and providing these are often some of the most expensive elements for other kinds of organisations. Creating great content can be achieved with a manageable budget as long as you have a well-planned content strategy.

 

WHAT IS A VIDEO CONTENT STRATEGY?

Successful content strategies look at video in a range of ways. A great starting point is the three kinds of video content that Google recommends. These are broadly classified as HERO, HELP and HUB films. These headings can be a great starting point for working out your video strategy. They can help you create video that will resonate with a range of audiences from your first-time online viewer to your most loyal friends.

Hero Videos

HERO films are designed to reach your largest possible audience. They should inspire, entertain and attract new visitors or customers. Think of your HERO film as your John Lewis Christmas ad.

A HERO film may be an advocacy video for your whole organisation or a trailer for a major exhibition. For a small gallery or museum you may only commission one every couple of years. Even for large national galleries, you’d be unlikely to commission more than a handful each year.

HERO films are designed to stand out – they can have innovative creative approaches, beautiful photography, bespoke animation to bring your exhibits to life, or feature a well-known stakeholder or supporter.

Help Videos

HELP films are designed to answer any question your audience might ask, and search for online. For a gallery, HELP films can communicate practical information such as ‘Is the gallery accessible?’,  ‘What is on offer for school groups?’, ‘What is X gallery like for children?’, ‘What are the benefits of membership to the gallery?’.

But HELP films can also be responses to the most asked questions about your area of expertise, or your gallery’s specialism. ‘How did X art movement come about?’, ‘Who is X artist’, ‘Why is X gallery in X city?’.

Publishing HELP content enables your organisation to show a human side. It shows that you are listening to the public and helping to answer their needs. It can foster genuine loyalty amongst your existing audience, and cement your reputation as the go-to source for information relating to your speciality inside of the Art World.

Hub Videos

HUB pieces are videos for your loyal customers. These will largely be watched by your fans, your regular visitors. HUB films become increasingly important as your following grows, as they will encourage further engagement with the gallery.

 

There are many ways to approach HUB videos. They could be artist portraits, curator insights or behind-the-scenes series. They should be familiar yet inspiring; frequent yet not routine. These films represent the whole you, your values and stories.

For more inspiration, here’s our selection of ‘Great Art Documentaries You Need To Watch’.

Getting started with video for your museum or gallery

If your gallery is looking at producing content, we recommend answering the three following questions as a starting point:

Video is a communication medium, so in the same way as you would create an ad or web copy, you should start by being clear about who you want to talk to. Where are they – online and offline – and what are they looking for? Doing some research into your audience can lead to a successful plot for your video adventure.

Set goals. What do you want to achieve from that audience? How quickly do you want to achieve it?

Set a realistic budget. Creating video does not have to be complicated or expensive, and there are always different ways of approaching it for different budget levels.

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When you know who you are working to reach and what you are working towards, using video in the optimal way can truly help you achieve your goals.