Case Study: Revitalizing Digital Engagement for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Background

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, renowned for its extensive natural history exhibits, faced a significant challenge: low digital engagement and stagnant social media presence. With a social media following of less than 2,000 and outdated content strategies, the museum sought innovative ways to connect with the community and enhance its online visibility—especially during the global pandemic, which brought additional constraints on resources and in-person interactions.

Challenge

Upon joining the museum as the Content Lead, we identified several key challenges:

• Low Digital Engagement: The museum’s digital channels were underutilized, leading to minimal audience interaction.
• Outdated Social Media: Existing social media platforms were over a decade old, lacking fresh content and strategy.
• Limited Resources: The pandemic severely restricted resources and in-person events, necessitating a shift to digital engagement.
• Community Awareness: The museum needed to increase public awareness of its initiatives, particularly the groundbreaking Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit.
• Siloed Departments: The museum’s twelve departments, including paleontology, astronomy, and more, operated in silos, limiting collaborative efforts and a unified mission.

Strategy

To address these challenges, we implemented a comprehensive strategy focused on creating engaging, informative, and approachable content while fostering collaboration among departments:

1. Content Revitalization:

   • Developed a content calendar to ensure consistent and varied posting across platforms.
   • Created visually appealing and informative graphics, videos, and blog posts that resonated with diverse audiences.

2. Hub-and-Spoke Model:

   • Strategized a hub-and-spoke model that unified the museum’s mission, allowing content to be shared across all twelve departments.
   • Facilitated regular meetings with department heads to align goals, share resources, and create integrated content that highlighted the interconnectedness of the museum’s exhibits and programs.

3. Dueling Dinosaurs Launch:

   • Launched the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit, highlighting its significance as one of the most scientifically important paleontological discoveries.
   • Collaborated with the exhibit’s sponsors, including Bank of America, to align content with their branding and sponsorship goals.

4. Community Engagement:

   • Initiated interactive campaigns, including polls and Q&A sessions, to foster community involvement.
   • Hosted virtual events and live discussions with paleontologists and museum staff to generate interest and engagement, capitalizing on the need for online programming during the pandemic.

5. Performance Measurement:

   • Implemented analytics tools to monitor engagement metrics and refine strategies based on audience feedback.

Results

The impact of these initiatives was profound and measurable:

• Audience Growth: Social media followers increased by over 200% within less than a year, significantly enhancing the museum’s digital footprint.
• Increased Engagement: Engagement rates on social media platforms skyrocketed, with a notable rise in likes, shares, and comments.
• Successful Sponsorship Integration: Effectively integrated the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit into the museum’s overall content strategy, fulfilling sponsorship requirements for Bank of America, which made its largest donation to the museum to date.
• Leadership Recognition: Delivered major leadership presentations to Bank of America, demonstrating the success of the partnership and enhancing the museum’s reputation within the community.
• Awards: The campaign was recognized with several awards, including the 2021 Best Not-for-Profit/Association Campaign by the Bulldog PR Awards for the “Dueling Dinosaurs Roars with Global Announcement,” highlighting the project’s impact and success.

Conclusion

Through a strategic overhaul of digital content and community engagement, we successfully transformed the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ online presence, all while navigating the challenges posed by a global pandemic and limited resources. By implementing a hub-and-spoke model, we helped unify the museum’s mission and foster collaboration across its twelve departments, revitalizing the museum’s social media channels and building meaningful relationships with sponsors and the community. The recognition received through awards underscores the effectiveness of innovative content strategies in driving engagement and support for cultural institutions during challenging times.