A survey conducted by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) found that nearly half of museums are still operating at just 80% of their pre-pandemic visitor numbers. This ongoing challenge highlights the need for fresh approaches to reengage audiences and rebuild momentum.
The good news is that museums adopting modern marketing strategies are seeing positive results. They are becoming lively community spaces that spark curiosity and create memorable experiences.
No matter the size of your museum, the ten marketing strategies we’ve outlined below can help you attract more visitors and stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.
1. Define Your Museum's Marketing Goals
Start by asking yourself what success looks like for your institution. Are you trying to increase overall attendance by 20% this year? Do you want to attract more families with young children? Do you want to boost membership renewals or increase revenue from your gift shop?
Your goals should be specific and measurable. So instead of saying "we want more visitors," try "we want to increase weekend family visits by 30% over the next six months."
This specificity gives your team a clear direction and makes it easier to choose which marketing tactics will deliver the best results.
Consider your museum's unique strengths too. A natural history museum might focus on educational school programs, while an art museum could emphasize special exhibitions and cultural events.
Your marketing goals should align with what makes your institution special and valuable to your community.
2. Create Engaging Content and Tell Stories
Museums are treasure troves of incredible stories, yet many struggle to share them in compelling ways.
Your visitors don't just want to see artifacts behind glass. They want to understand the human stories and the surprising connections that bring history to life.
Think beyond traditional wall text and brochures. What if you shared the story of how a particular artifact was discovered? Could you highlight the passionate curator who spent years researching a specific collection?
These behind-the-scenes glimpses make your museum feel more personal and accessible.
Video content works particularly well for museums. A two-minute video showing how ancient pottery was made can be far more engaging than a lengthy written description.
3. Leverage Self-Guided Tours
Self-guided tours are now a key part of the modern museum experience. They give visitors the freedom to explore at their own pace while still offering meaningful context. Visitors simply need to download an app to get started.
One powerful feature that enhances these tours is geofencing, which uses GPS or Bluetooth beacons to trigger location-based content automatically.
When a visitor approaches a specific exhibit or area, the app can play an audio clip, show a video, or display extra information without requiring any manual input.
The Walt Disney Family Museum is a great example of how this technology can improve the visitor experience. Their self-guided tour app uses location-based features to provide multilingual support, accessibility tools, and interactive content.
According to Tracie Timmer, Senior Public Programs Coordinator at the museum,
“The goal of the project was to create an app to improve the accessibility of our galleries, particularly for non-English speakers and guests with disabilities. We also wanted to create more interactive content for guests that they could access to make their visit easier, more efficient, and fun.”
By combining technology with flexible exploration, self-guided tours make museum visits more engaging and accessible.
4. Optimize Your SEO Strategy
When someone searches for "things to do this weekend" or "museums near me," you want your museum to show up near the top.
Search engine optimization (SEO) might sound technical, but at its core, it’s about making your website easier for people to find. And yet, many museums are falling behind in this area.
A study published by Johns Hopkins Libraries analyzed over 200 museum sites and found that many institutions are missing basic SEO opportunities. Common issues include weak metadata, limited schema markup, and an overreliance on external platforms like Google Arts & Culture.
To improve your visibility, focus on a few key areas:
- Add clear, keyword-rich titles and descriptions to your main pages, especially for exhibits and programs.
- Optimize your site’s structure and navigation to ensure it’s mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy to explore.
- Use schema markup to help search engines understand your events, collections, and location.
By following SEO best practices, you’re not just improving your Google ranking. You’re also making it easier for curious visitors to discover what you offer.
5. Publish Your Collections Online
Making your collections available online is about more than convenience. It’s an opportunity to build lasting connections with people who may never step inside your museum.
When visitors can explore your artifacts and artworks from a phone or computer, your museum reaches far beyond your physical location. This kind of access offers real value for both your institution and your audience.
Digital collections act as marketing tools by giving potential visitors a preview of what they can experience in person.
They also support educators, students, and researchers who can use your materials for learning, teaching, or scholarly work.
A great example of this is Manawatū Heritage, which now lives on a STQRY-powered website.
Users can explore individual items, browse by collection, or log in to start their own curatorial "scrapbook" experience. They can collect favorite items, organize them into custom sets, and choose to share their groupings with the public or keep them private.
This level of interactivity turns passive viewing into active engagement.
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6. Integrate AR and VR for Immersive Experiences
Augmented and virtual reality are changing how museums connect with visitors both on-site and online. These tools don’t replace traditional exhibits. Instead, they add new layers of interactivity and immersion that enhance the overall experience.
With AR, visitors can point their phones at a display and see it come to life, like a dinosaur skeleton moving or a historic site restored to its original form.
VR takes the experience even further by offering things that aren’t possible in the real world, such as walking through ancient cities or exploring deep-sea ecosystems.
These moments not only deepen engagement but also create memorable experiences that visitors want to share.
When people talk about their visit or post about it online, it helps attract new audiences, build community interest, and support long-term growth for your museum.
7. Encourage Social Sharing and User Generated Content
User‑generated content can be your museum’s most powerful form of marketing. It comes across as more genuine than traditional ads and exposes your museum to new audiences through friends and family.
To make sharing easy and natural, create moments throughout your museum that people want to capture. Think about bold visuals, hands-on displays, or photo-friendly spots with good lighting and creative backdrops.
You can also encourage sharing through a simple hashtag campaign. Choose one that’s short, memorable, and unique to your museum. Feature it on signs, in social posts, and even in conversations with your staff.
When visitors tag their photos, they help promote your museum in a way that feels personal, authentic, and trustworthy.
8. Nurture Visitors Through Email Campaigns
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to build lasting relationships with your audience, yet many museums treat it as an afterthought.
To make the most of it, timing is key. Send a welcome email right after someone visits or subscribes, then follow up with content tailored to their interests.
For example, a family program attendee might appreciate updates about children’s events, while an art enthusiast may want early access to exhibition announcements.
Personalization should go beyond using someone’s first name. Segment your list based on behavior, preferences, or location to ensure each message feels relevant and thoughtful.
To keep your emails engaging, mix exhibition announcements with behind-the-scenes content, educational stories, and exclusive offers. Even if someone can’t return right away, your emails can keep them connected.
9. Ask for Feedback and Make It Easy to Give
Feedback transforms good museums into great ones, but only when it’s easy for visitors to share their thoughts.
One way to simplify the process is by placing kiosks on-site, where guests can quickly leave a rating, submit a short survey, or share a suggestion before they leave.
You can also follow up with a thank-you email that includes a direct link to leave a review or answer a few quick questions.
Gathering feedback is not just helpful for improving your exhibits. It also builds trust and creates social proof that can influence future visitors.
This is especially important today, as a survey by BrightLocal found that nearly half of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family.
Therefore, making it easy for visitors to leave feedback and reviews should be a key part of your overall marketing strategy.
10. Measure Your Results and Adjust Often
Marketing without measurement is just guesswork. To get the most out of your efforts, track metrics that align with your specific goals.
For example, if your aim is to increase family visits, focus on family attendance trends rather than only looking at total visitor numbers.
Fortunately, digital tools make this process easier and more insightful. Website analytics can show which pages receive the most traffic, while social media insights highlight the types of posts that generate the most engagement.
To stay on track, schedule regular check-ins. Reviewing your metrics each month allows you to catch patterns early and address small issues before they grow into bigger challenges.
At the same time, make space for experimentation. Try different email subject lines, adjust photo styles, or test new calls to action on your website. Even small changes can lead to meaningful increases in engagement and visitor turnout.
Power Your Museum's Experience with STQRY
STQRY helps museums bring their stories to life through simple technology that creates deeper connections between visitors and cultural spaces.
With STQRY Apps, you can build immersive self-guided tours without needing any coding skills. These tours work offline and deliver personalized content, allowing visitors to move at their own pace while staying engaged.
To support your mobile tours, STQRY Kiosks give visitors interactive access to information inside your museum. Kiosks can also collect quick visitor feedback through short surveys, giving you helpful insights.
With STQRY Collect, you can digitize your collections and share them online. This lets people explore your museum from anywhere and encourages virtual visitors to plan an in-person visit.
Ready to create more meaningful experiences and reach a wider audience?