Festival of Museums 2018 PR & Marketing toolkit Introduction Thank you for taking part in this year s Festival of Museums, the most fun Festival of Museums ever! This toolkit contains information and instructions for all event organisers to help you raise the profile of your event and the Festival of Museums weekend. Museums Galleries Scotland is placing a huge emphasis on the marketing of Festival of Museums to make sure your fantastic venues are front of mind for both media and consumers, so please get involved. Museums Galleries Scotland has created this toolkit alongside our leading PR agency, Stripe Communications, to help your museum get the most from this year s festival and maximise your local media coverage and social media engagement. If you have any questions regarding PR or social media please contact Shaun Bell, Tara D Agostino or Megan Cunningham at Stripe Communications on 0131 561 8628 or email fom@stripecommunications.com Contents 1. Campaign overview 2. PR 3. Photography 4. Social media 5. Appendix a. Sample press release b. Sample media invite c. Sample photo caption d. Image sizes for social media Campaign overview As you ll have seen, we have already started our wider marketing campaign by distributing our leaflets and posters.
We will be officially unveiling the 2018 Festival of Museums events programme on 5 April with extensive media coverage and social media content. Our media relations programme will ramp up from this date. We will also be advertising in print media and across our social media channels to generate awareness of the festival and local events. PR MGS and Stripe Communications will work together to raise the profile of the Festival of Museums weekend and its programme of events through local and national media. We would appreciate your support in spreading the word in your area. You can promote your event in the following ways: Invite a local journalist to attend the event offer them free tickets / sneak preview a day or two before Invite the local newspaper photographer along to capture the event Share a press release with your local news desk in late April / early May encouraging them to pre-promote the event and drive footfall The appendix of this document contains template media release, media invite and photo caption, which you can adapt and use for your own media outreach. If you are contacted by the media about Festival of Museums and are unsure of how to answer their question, please put them in touch with Stripe Communications who will be happy to help with their enquiry. Identifying media opportunities MGS and Stripe Communications will be on the lookout for strong media opportunities throughout March, April and May. Stripe may contact you directly to discuss photo or interview opportunities, but we would also appreciate your support in identifying great stories for media. Let us know if your museum has any of the following: Strong spokespeople do you have any industry experts / curators who could chat with media in depth about the subject of your event? Or any real characters who could meet with media e.g. a tour guide who has worked there for forty years and has seen it all Awards / milestones has your museum recently won an industry award or are you celebrating an anniversary or opening a new exhibit? One-off events is your event a real one-off e.g. is this the first of its kind Exclusive exhibitions are you showcasing an exclusive item, artefact or collection that would be of significant interest to local or national media? If you have any interesting stories to share please notify the team at Stripe Communications.
Photography Having strong images of your event is a great way to secure coverage in local newspapers. Unfortunately due to cost cutting, not all newspapers will be able to commit to sending a photographer on the day. We d recommend hiring a freelance photographer, but if your budget does not stretch to this then please use these following guidelines when taking pictures: Who: photograph members of the public, staff / volunteers from the museum enjoying the event try to pick people who will make an interesting picture e.g. cute school children or actors in historical dress (please find under 18s consent form in appendix) What: as well as taking photos throughout the course of your event, it s also a good idea to stage an opportunity before or after the event to give you control over the shot and not to distract from the event itself. Behind the scenes pictures are also great draws to try to capture some shots of staff setting up in the run-up to the event. Where: pick a bright, naturally lit location whenever possible When: early in the morning before the event opens is a prime time to stage some photography and capture some strong shots in the bag. You should keep taking pictures throughout the day as these will be useful for social media. Why: create strong, high quality shots for sharing with media and posting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Top tips Resolution your photography should be at least 2480 x 3508 pixels. To take this standard of photography you should use a digital camera or an up to date smartphone. Variety take a mixture of landscape and portrait photography. Take a mixture of posed and candid shots. Try to take photos in a landscape format where possible. Try to avoid lots of people in suits. Set up shots that you think what would make a great picture in your paper e.g. colour, people, fun. NB: Persons under the age of 18 require parental / guardian consent before taking part in photography. Please find a consent form on the final page of this document. School children may have received this permission in advance, check with the class teacher in advance and identify if there are any children who do not have permission.
Examples of strong photography: Examples of less impactful photography: Social media In recent years, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have proved to be important communications tools and have increasingly helped us to raise public awareness of the Festival of Museums. If you or your organisation have these social media accounts please interact with us, let us know about any exciting milestones in your event planning and share photos related to your events and we ll share / re-tweet and use the information to build public awareness and interest. Guidance on uploading images to social media can be found in the appendix.
Facebook You can find us at www.facebook.com/festivalofmuseums We would appreciate if you could like our page and share, like and comment on our posts and we will keep an eye out for opportunities to return the favour. Here are some suggested posts you can use to engage with us: w/c 4 April We are excited to be a part of the 2018 Festival of Museums. Check out the full programme, including [name of event], here:[insert link], #FOM2018 w/c 4 April We re delighted to announce that [name of museum] is part of the 2018 Festival of Museums. The celebration is set to be the most fun-filled ever! Check out what s on here: :[insert link], #FOM2018 w/c 6 May Only one week to go until [name of event]! Part of the 2018 Festival of Museums #FOM2018 18-20 May Looking for some fun activities for the kids this weekend? Check out our name of event], part of the 2018 Festival of Museums #FOM2018 18-20 May Make the most of our weekend by visiting [name of museum] to celebrate the 2018 Festival of Museums! There s loads of fun activities for everyone to enjoy #FOM2018 18-20 May Check out our visitors enjoying the [XX] event as part of the Festival of Museums #FOM2018 Our top tips for Facebook: To drive interest and ticket sales in April and early May, we recommend you use links to drive visitors to the Festival of Museums website you can shorten long links by using bit.ly https://bitly.com An account is not necessary, however you can review how your activity performs if you create one. Always use engaging copy and images these are more likely to stand out on people s newsfeed and gain greater engagement. Remember to keep your posts between 100 and 250 characters shorter, succinct posts are better received. Create a two-way conversation ask your followers to share their thoughts on your event. Remember to link to / tag the Festival of Museums in your copy and photography this will notify us of your post and give us the opportunity to engage with you, as well as opening up your own channel to the wider Festival of Museums Facebook audience (to do this, type the @ symbol and the name Festival of Museums ). Twitter You can find us www.twitter.com/festofmuseums, @FestofMuseums and using #FOM2018
We would appreciate if you could follow our account and engage with our posts by commenting, retweeting and using the #FOM2018 hashtag. Here are some suggested tweets: 5 April The 2018 @FestofMusuems launched today & we re proud to be a part of it. Find out more here: bit.ly/1dswici #FOM2016 April w/c 6 May We re busy planning our @FestofMuseums event [name of event] #FOM2017 [picture of preparations] The countdown is on for [name of event]! Part of the 2018 Festival of Museums #FOM2018 18-20 May Looking for some fun-filled activities this weekend? Check out our name of event], part of the 2018 Festival of Museums #FOM2018 18-20 May Check out our [name of event] event as part of @FestofMuseums #FOM2017 [picture from event] We re hosting some incredible events during the Festival of Museums this weekend. Visit the programme for more info: [insert link] #FOM2018 [insert name of museum] is part of the most fun-filled Festival of Museums ever, taking place this weekend. Find out what s on: [insert link] #FOM2017 Our top tips for Twitter: Tweet frequently and make sure your tweets are informative, useful or funny. Retweet interesting posts related to your event / subject area. Join the wider conversation on Festival of Museums by using the hashtag #FOM2018. Direct followers to the Festival of Museums programme by sharing the link: http://bit.ly/1ys3gty Follow other participating museums, chat about the Festival and spread the buzz. Instagram You can find us on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/festofmuseums, @festofmuseums and using #FOM2018. We would appreciate if you could like our page and share, like and comment on our posts and we will keep an eye out for opportunities to return the favour. If you have a smartphone we would love if you could download the Instagram app and share engaging images and videos throughout the Festival of Museums weekend. Our top tips for Instagram: Tag your location you can use the search function as a helping hand.
Use the #FOM2018 hashtag in your updates. Hashtags are key to helping users find you through their mobile Instagram searches. Get connected by using creative captions including a few tags such as #FOM2018 #museum and #gallery. Be creative with your photos and use filters to enhance your pictures. Create buzz about your event throughout the weekend using Instagram Stories to share updates over the course of the event you can tag location and museums in stories too! Create an album of photos to share on your timeline after the event. You can add multiple photos to each post using the Instagram gallery function. Appendix a. Sample press release [MUSEUM NAME] JOINS SCOTLAND S FESTIVAL OF MUSEUMS 2018 LINE-UP [Museum name] in [town] is getting ready to take part in Scotland s annual Festival of Museums, a nationwide programme of cultural events taking place from 18 20 May. This year will be Scotland s most fun-filled Festival of Museums to date and [Insert Museum] is hosting [Insert a brief description of the event including date, time and ticket price] Sarah Burry-Hayes, Marketing Manager at Museums Galleries Scotland, said: The Festival of Museums programme is bursting with fun events to spark the imagination and celebrate culture in Scotland. Visitors to fantastic venues such as [name of venue] will experience museums in interactive, unexpected and hands-on ways. [Event name] is just one of many exciting events taking place as part of Festival of Museums between 18 and 20 May 2018. For a full programme of events, please visit www.festivalofmuseums.com. ENDS For further information please contact [your name] on [phone number] or [email address] Notes to editors About festival of museums Created and co-ordinated by Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS), Festival of Museums encourages Scotland s museums to provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy exciting, entertaining and surprising day or night events at museums and galleries over one weekend. This year s Festival will take place from Friday, 18 May to Sunday, 20 May and will features over 100 events, taking place at cultural attractions throughout Scotland. MGS works in partnership with Culture 24 / Museums at Night which takes place over the same weekend. b. Sample media invite
*MEDIA CALLING NOTICE* What: [museum name] hosts [xx] event as part of Scotland s Festival of Museums When: [date] [time] Where: [museum name] [full address, including postcode] Contact: [your name], [phone number], [email address] Background On [date], [museum name] will host [name of event] as part of 2018 s Festival of Museums, a nationwide programme of cultural events taking place from 18 20 May. Media are invited to [museum name] to film and photograph [area] locals exploring the Festival of Museums programme which is bringing Scotland s ancient and modern history to life through interactive and unique events across the length and breadth of the country. Media opportunities include: [insert info] For further information please visit: www.festivalofmuseums.com To confirm attendance, please contact [contact name] on [insert phone number and email address] ENDS c. Sample photo caption L-R: [insert names from left to right if there are less than six people] Visitors to [museum name] enjoy [description of event] as part of Scotland s Festival of Museums. Created and co-ordinated by Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS), Festival of Museums encourages Scotland s museums to provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy exciting, entertaining and surprising events, day or night at museums and galleries over one weekend. This year s Festival will take place from Friday 18 May to Sunday 20 May and features a range of over <insert total> events, taking place at cultural attractions throughout Scotland. ENDS d. Photography consent form PHOTOGRAPHY CONSENT FORM
To be completed by individual(s) (parents/guardians if subject is less than 18 years of age) before photographs are taken. Festival of Museums event/photography coordinator Event name Signature Date I have fully discussed the content of this form with the person(s) mentioned below. Person(s) in photograph I hereby grant Museums Galleries Scotland the right to use the photograph(s) resulting from the photo shoot, and any reproductions or adaptations of the photograph(s) for all general purposes in relation to Museums Galleries Scotland s work including, without limitation, the right to use them in any publicity materials, websites, newspapers and magazine articles whenever Museums Galleries Scotland to do so. Name (please print) Address Signature Date Name and address of parent/guardian if person to be photographed is less than 18 years of age Name (please print) Address Signature Date MUSEUMS GALLERIES SCOTLAND IS FULLY COMPLIANT WITH THE FORTHCOMING GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR) e. Social media guidelines Below are a series of social media content creation guidelines that will show you how to select the best images to use on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook Profile Picture 180 x 180 Must be at least 180 x 180 pixels
Photo will appear on page as 160 x 160 pixels Photo thumbnail will appear throughout Facebook at 32 x 32 pixels Cover photo 851 x 315 Appear on page at 851 x 315 pixels. Anything less will be stretched Minimum size of 399 x 150 pixels For best results, upload an RGB JPG file less than 100 KB Images with a logo or text may be best as a PNG file Shared Image 1,200 x 630 Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 630 pixels. Will appear in feed at a max width of 470 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1). Will appear on page at a max width of 504 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1). Shared Link 1,200 x 627 (Recommended) Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 627 pixels. Square Photo: Minimum 154 x 154px in feed. Square Photo: Minimum 116 x 116 on page. Rectangular Photo: Minimum 470 x 246 pixels in feed. Rectangular Photo: Minimum 484 x 252 on page. Facebook will scale photos under the minimum dimensions. For better results, increase image resolution at the same scale as the minimum size. Twitter Profile Photo 400 x 400 (Displays 200 x 200) Square Image recommended 400 x 400 pixels. Maximum file size 100 KB. JPG, GIF, or PNG.
Header Photo 1,500 x 500 Recommended 1,500 x 500 pixels. Maximum file size of 10 MB. JPG, GIF, or PNG. In-Stream Photo Minimum 440 x 220 (2:1 Ratio) Minimum to appear expanded 440 x 220 pixels (a 2:1 ratio) Maximum to appear expanded 1024 x 512 pixels. Appears in stream collapsed at 506 x 253 pixels. Maximum file size of 5 MB for photos, and 3 MB for animated GIFs. Instagram Instagram feed 1080 x 1080 Recommended 1,080 x 1,080 pixels Image height may be adjusted to create a landscape or portrait shot Maximum file size 50MB Instagram stories Recommended 1080 x 1820 (standard portrait shot) Instagram stories last 24hrs and appear separately from gallery shots, at the top of the Instagram app.