Event marketing and tools, research, and case studies to attract and retain visitors and members to historical societies, historic sites, and history museums. Includes The History List, the campaign for history at the holidays, website tools and insights, social tools and insights, advertising tracking, event marketing, and more. Presented at History Camp Iowa on November 14, 2015 at the State Historical Museum of Iowa. More information about History Camp is at HistoryCamp.org. More information about The History List is at TheHistoryList.com

1. Marketing and communications tools
for historical societies
and other history organizations
History Camp Iowa at the State Historical Museum of Iowa
November 14, 2015

2. • Keeper of your community’s history
• Challenges
– Long-term decline in membership
– Long-term decline in attendance
– Acquiring resources and expertise
• New ways to engage
– Online
– In-person
Local history organizations are critical

3. . . . more people would attend
and this might stimulate an interest
in learning more about history.
My hope: If it were easier for people to find out about
history-related events . . .

4. Event promotion

6. Resources for history professionals, board members, and volunteers
Using The History List to publicize your events
Open to all organizations

7. Resources for history professionals, board members, and volunteers
Using The History List to publicize your events
Weekly statewide
“Guide to History Events”

8. Resources for history professionals, board members, and volunteers
Using The History List to publicize your events
Enter a year of events
in about 30 minutes

9. Resources for history professionals, board members, and volunteers
Using The History List to publicize your events
Automatically included in your state’s
weekly “Guide to History Events”

10. You have unlimited space for
text, photos, and video on The
History List. If you copy and paste
a description it will never be cut
off. Change or update listings
anytime.
Anyone can edit a listing, and
every person can have their own
account.
Supports all kinds of events,
including repeating events, as
well as ongoing exhibits.
Supports multiple sites.
The History List main page
An event page
A venue page
An organization
page

11. All of your upcoming
and past events appear
automatically at the
bottom of your
organization’s page.
You only need to enter
an annual event once—
ever. As the next year’s
event approaches,
simply edit the listing
with the new date and
any other details that
have changed.
An organization page
The organization’s events appear
automatically at the bottom of their page

12. o “History Events in Massachusetts”
Weekly e-mail launched August 8, 2015
o “History Events in Rhode Island”
Weekly e-mail launched October 22, 2015
o “History Events in Iowa”
Will launch as soon as we have 20 organizations
participating and 100 individuals as subscribers
Status of the rollout of weekly statewide history
events e-mail as of November 14, 2015:
Organizations: TheHistoryList.com/start
Individuals: TheHistoryList.com/subscribe

13. The holiday campaign for
history organizations and historic sites

14. Tabletop signs ready to print out
on cardstock.

15. Merchandising signs ready to
print out on cardstock.

16. Create your own designs for tags and
signs, such as the one shown.

17. Add to your website, newsletters,
and print materials.
Supply to bloggers to promote your
organization’s gifts and events

18. In two designs with several
different messages

19. Merchandising gifts and promoting events

20. Merchandising

21. Merchandising handmade gifts

22. Merchandising handmade gifts

23. Merchandising

24. Merchandising books

25. Merchandising memberships

26. Merchandising memberships

27. Supporting the organization

28. Blog and bloggers

29. Bloggers

30. Bloggers

31. Web banners for merchandising gifts and promoting events

33. Research to help you plan and promote
Attracting Visitors to Holiday Events at Historic Sites and Buildings
(October 2013)
31 page consumer research report included in the holiday materials download

34. All are included in a single download

35. Download the holiday campaign and browse other
resources at TheHistoryList.com/resources

36. Advertising

37. Include coupon codes

38. Ask ticket buyers where they
heard about your event

39. Day of event promotion

40. Photography in the age of social—
otherwise known as free advertising.

41. Enfield Shaker Village – No photos permitted inside
 22 photos

42. Shelburne Museum – Photos permitted everywhere
 671 photos

43. © Fusion Research & Analytics LLC and Frankly, Green + Webb Ltd, 2012. All Rights Reserved
http://www.vam.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/231975/V-and-A-Mobile-Visitor-Survey-Report-FINAL-16-Jan-.pdf
Visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

44. © Fusion Research & Analytics LLC and Frankly, Green + Webb Ltd, 2012. All Rights Reserved
http://www.vam.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/231975/V-and-A-Mobile-Visitor-Survey-Report-FINAL-16-Jan-.pdf
Visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

45. Social

46. Encouraging sharing
http://www.chathamnjhistoricalsociety.org/event/selfiemania

47. What engages people?

48. Items with visual interest

49. Tip: Post to Facebook via Instagram

50. Supporting historic achievements

51. Connecting with the community

52. Websites

53. Many, many, many choices for easy
website builders, including WordPress

54. Use responsive design

55. Main content types
o Your organization, such as the board, meetings,
membership  Site
o Your collection, such as documents and objects 
Omeka.net, History IT, Flickr
o Your community’s history  Site/blog/wiki

56. Tools for content
o Embed documents: Scribd
o Embed slide sets: SlideShare
o Embed video: YouTube
o Embed events: The History List

57. Tools for insight and engagement
o Social: AddThis
o Analytics: Google Analytics
o Subscription pop ups

58. Why use QR codes?

59. Make it easier for people

60. Tours and supplemental information
for sites and collections
o Don’t use QR codes
o Use your responsive website
o [your historical society]/tour
o URL shortner

61. E-mail

62. Vendors
o Free: MailChimp, Vertical Response
o Embed signup form

63. Online engagement

64. Making content widely available
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Vimeo
Scribd
SlideShare
HistoryPin
WhatWasThere
Flickr and Flickr Commons

65. Raising money

66. Offer a way for people
who have moved away to
support your organization

67. Explain why it is important
to support your organization

68. Create opportunities
for smaller gifts

69. Sharing ideas

70. Quarterly meetings with other
history organizations

71. Next steps for organizations
o Add your organization and events to The History List
 Will also appear in “Guide to History Events in Iowa”
o Use the resources at TheHistoryList.com/resources
 Sign up for “Marketing Tips” newsletter
 Download the “Make this holiday historic!” materials

72. Links
o TheHistoryList.com/start
Browse features and request an account to add your events
o TheHistoryList.com/subscribe
Subscribe to newsletters for individuals and organizations
o TheHistoryList.com/resources
Download the holiday campaign materials; browse other resources
and case studies
o TheHistoryList.com/conferences
Browse history conferences and online courses

73. Lee Wright
Lee@TheHistoryList.com
Twitter: @TheHistoryList
Facebook: TheHistoryList
L