Why create digital campaigns for museums?

Here is the complete guide to online cultural promotion through digital campaigns for museums

In Contemporary cultural landscape, digital campaigns for museums are no longer a choice, but a strategic necessity. In an age when most choices are made online, it is crucial that cultural institutions also learn to preside over this space effectively. According to Google, 53 percent of users conduct online research before making a decision: this crucial moment is referred to as the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT).

Here’s why investing in online promotion and in tools such as Google Ads can make the difference between a forgotten exhibition and a room full of visitors.

Why museums need to invest in online promotion

Competition for audience attention is no longer played out only among cultural institutions, but also with cinema, social media, TV series, and endless digital entertainment options. To stand out in this crowded ecosystem, it is necessary to being present and active online.

Adopting digital strategies enables museums to reach new audiences, increase interaction and participation, and improve both the online and physical experience (Source: White Paper, UK Museum Sector: Embracing Digitisation., Cisco).

In addition, it is good to elaborate on the ZMOT mentioned above.

What is the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT)?

The ZMOT is the moment, introduced by Google in 2011, when the consumer, after perceiving a stimulus (such as a need or an advertisement), turns to the Web to gather information about the product or service that interests him or her, even before making direct contact with it or the point of sale. At this stage, the user:

• He reads reviews
• Watch demonstration videos
• Compare prices and alternatives
• Consult other users’ opinions and authoritative sources

During ZMOT, consumers become active participants in their own purchasing journey, constructing opinions and evaluations that will influence the final decision.

The ZMOT represents a revolution in the relationship between consumers and brands: choice no longer happens only in front of the shelf or in the ticket office, but is built much earlier, online, thanks to immediate access to a multiplicity of sources and opinions.

Presiding effectively over the ZMOT means intercepting the customer at the moment when they are forming their opinion and positively influencing their final decision. If your museum is not present at that moment, you are leaving room for competitors. Being visible with digital campaigns for museums structured allows you to influence choice right there, where it all begins.

Digital campaigns for museums: much more than visibility

Talk about digital campaigns for museums It is not just about buying advertising space. It is about Build a consistent digital experience, capable of attracting, engaging and building loyalty.
Here are the key elements to consider:

• SEO and editorial content: Optimize museum web pages with up-to-date, engaging and relevant content.
• Email marketing and automation: Informing different audience segments with personalized messages.
• Social media ADV: Reaching target users on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn.
• Google Ads: an indispensable tool for presiding over the ZMOT, appearing right when the user searches for “museums open on Sunday” or “contemporary art exhibition Milan.”

But beware: an article in the Art Newspaper points out that social media are not the first source of information for deciding to visit a museum, but rather tools used after a decision has already been made, while traditional online research (search engines, websites) remains crucial for planning the visit.

How to use Google Ads culture to attract new visitors

Among the most effective resources in online promotion, Google Ads represents a powerful and still underutilized lever for many museums. The advantage? It makes it possible to intercept users who are actively interested in cultural issues.

Here are some best practices for an effective campaign:

• Geolocalized segmentation: show your ads only to those who are physically near the museum.
• Long tail keywords.: e.g. “visit archaeological museum for children in Rome”.
• Ad extensions: add schedules, special offers, or links to booking.

Strategies for consistent and sustained online cultural promotion

The effectiveness of digital campaigns for museums is enhanced when integrated into an omnichannel strategy, in which every online touch point works in synergy:

• Mobile-first website: In 2024, smartphones account for 94.2 percent of all devices used to access the Internet by people over the age of 16 (Source: Statista, 2024).
• Blogging and storytelling: telling the stories behind the works and artists to increase dwell time on the site.
• Retargeting: re-contacting those who have visited the site or interacted with social content.

Each action must converse with a specific goal, whether it is to increase ticket sales, get reservations for a guided tour, or collect contacts for future newsletters.

Real-world examples of successful museum digital campaigns

A case of excellence that helps to better understand the impact of online promotion in the museum world is the MAXXI (Italy). In fact, the museum collaborates with specialized agencies (Do Agency) for dynamic Google Ads campaigns with interactive HTML5 banners in 7 formats, optimized for Google’s technical limitations. It has, in addition, integrated Google Art Project with Street View virtual tours and 55 works in high definition. Finally, the use of Google Web Designer for complex banners demonstrates an advanced technical approach to pay-per-click campaigns.

amuseapp: the digital platform for museums that want to grow

In such a dynamic environment, having a specialized technology partner can make all the difference. amuseapp is the platform that enables museums to create engaging visitor experiences, manage visitor relations, and integrate their marketing activities easily and effectively.

amuseapp is the online audio guide for museums – the digital revolution for cultural places

amuseapp is more than just an audio guide-it is an innovative digital platform that transforms the visitor experience and helps museums increase revenues.

Customized itineraries with theArtificial Intelligence. Unlike traditional audio guides, amuseapp uses artificial intelligence to create customized itineraries based on the needs of each visitor: children, people with sensory disabilities, experts, students, and many other categories.

Accessibility in 30 languages. Today, only 20 percent of museums offer content in more than two languages. With amuseapp, cultural venues can break down this barrier, automatically generating text and audio in 30 languages and making cultural heritage accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Chatbot real-time virtual tour guide. Using a customized chatbot, amuseapp offers visitors an always-available virtual guide who can answer their questions and enrich the visitor experience.

Easy and safe donation collection. With amuseapp, cultural places can collect donations directly through the app, quickly, securely and intuitively.

Feedback for continuous improvement. amuseapp allows you to collect visitors’ opinions about the visitor experience, providing valuable data to optimize your services.

Available in app or web app mode. The amuseapp web app allows visitors to access the museum’s digital content without having to download any apps. The amuseapp mobile app is designed to offer a more advanced and customizable experience. By downloading it from the official stores, visitors can benefit from extra features.

One solution, multiple benefits. With amuseapp, cultural venues can offer an innovative, inclusive and interactive experience while improving their sustainability model.

Learn more about amuseapp.

Do you have a museum and want to find out how to provide the best digital experience for your visitors?
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