Museums all over the world have been hit hard by the coronavirus. While closed, some of them have used social media, like TikTok as a way to connect with their guests.
In the case of the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, England, a turn towards social media has led to viral success. Abby Bird, the museum’s communications manager, told the Guardian that she didn’t expect much when she first made an account on video-sharing platform TikTok. But at the end of 2020, the museum was part of the top-100 accounts in the UK, with more than 350.000 followers world wide and 2.2 million views on one of their videos.
The museum is an open-air attraction where visitors can explore England’s manufacturing history through recreated houses, shops and other things. The account features videos of 1940s women playbacking popular songs, 1920s grandfathers giving advice and Victorian house tours, among other things.
“Just because our doors are closed at the moment, that doesn’t mean our job stops. We’re focusing on visits to the website, conversations happening, the number of comments – all of those are really important indicators that people are taking in the story. And I have absolute confidence that that is going to lead to more visits.”, Bird told the Guardian.
Source: The Guardian, Black Country Museum on TikTok
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