Although the digital transformation has started years ago, with the advancements in technologies and digital tools, many museums saw a great opportunity during the pandemic to boost their online presence and create multichannel experiences. A museum that successfully further-developed its digital activities is the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, the museum that hosts the largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s valuable artworks.
As described on their strategic plan of 2018-2020, the main objective of the museum for these years was “the management and conservation of the collection and making it accessible to as many people as possible, both physically in the museum and digitally, and both for Dutch and international visitors.” For the years to come, the museum’s vision is to be “at the forefront, current and relevant”.
It is proven that those statements are not just words, as the Van Gogh museum is building a powerful, modern digital space, utilizing smart, inbound marketing tactics, that foster connections with the audiences and build trust and authority through “pull”, instead of “push” activities. With that being said, let’s take a look at three inbound marketing methods they are using, that really caught my interest:
1. Content Marketing:
I, as a virtual visitor of the museum, can’t get enough of its free, attractive, and interesting content. From its social media accounts to its recently reformed website, the Van Gogh museum is a fountain of great content for the famous painter. To begin with, it is active on various social media, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, which are the most visually rich platforms.
Educational videos about the painter’s life and work, tutorials, virtual tours, and interesting discussions are some of the content forms one can find on the institution’s social media. On the Facebook and Instagram pages, the museum recently added 360-degree artworks, that create an immersive experience for the users and make them feel like a part of the artwork.
On a similar note, the museum's website is filled with both entertaining and educational content. There, one can find the artworks’ collection, stories relevant to Van Gogh, along with his famous quotes and letters. A very useful addition are the activities for children, ranging from coloring pages featuring famous artworks, to games and books.
Plus, the website is enriched with an app that is mobile-optimized and suitable for tablets & desktops, a book club section, where you can download relevant books and view discussions, and FAQ about the painter. All of those elements, combined with the website’s attractiveness, pretty colors, high-quality visuals, user friendly design and the integration of online services, make this digital space…almost addictive!
2. Community Building
Museums are, among others, hubs for communities to gather, physically or virtually, and talk about issues that matter, such as culture and society, or just get creative and have fun, while learning. In the case of the Van Gogh Museum’s communities, people are both entertained and educated.
As for the entertaining part, the museum has created the Facebook group named “Van Gogh Inspires” and the respective hashtag on Instagram, as an initiative that encourages people to join a community and share their everyday artworks inspired by Vincent van Gogh. So, User Generated Content is at the core of this marketing activity, that turns the user into an active co-creator of value, instead of a passive recipient of information. At the same time, this type of content has all the potential to get viral and increase the online visibility of the museum.
Another, mostly educational initiative of the museum, that took place during the lockdown, was the Van Gogh Museum Book Club, that encouraged people to read books from the "Van Gogh in focus series" and join a Live Book Club Discussion.
3. E-mail Marketing
Last, but not least, the Van Gogh Museum, as a museum that knows how to engage with its followers, applies e-mail marketing in a way that is consistent and coherent with its other digital activities. Again, color, attractive elements, clear Call to Actions and links to the museum’s webpages and social media, make the newsletters easy to the eye and pleasant.
Plus, without missing any chance to offer free and relevant to Van Gogh content to the user, the marketing team of the museum includes a downloadable artwork in the newsletter. And, of course, the opt-in e-mail that is sent to the user to confirm their subscription, reinforces the professional character of the museum’s e-mail marketing.
As an Arts and Culture admirer, I find that the Van Gogh museum offers a great example for the today’s museum: A modern, authentic institution, that communicates with its audiences and makes them appreciate art in a fun and active way.
There is more to say about this innovative organization, and I am sure that we will see plenty of amazing things in the near future, so stay tuned for a Part 2!
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