Presentation from October 4, 2015: Arts Midwest Orchestras 20/20: Context, Connection, Collaboration. An attempt to lay out the context of audience, competition, technology and strategy - then a set of practical steps to get things done.
5. Douglas Hegley
Director of Media and Technology
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Image Soure: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11113/111131358/3367143-road-runner3.jpg
This presentation available at:
www.slideshare.net/dhegley
26. GETTING
HERE
Unrealistic expectations of digital technology to
perform miracles – leads to: inability to harness
potential benefits (wishful thinking)
Benefits of digitcccccccccal
technology have been
demonstrated
Benefits of digital technology
have been demonstrated
Forward-thinking organizations realize the difficulties
and the complexities – use that understanding to
develop practical approaches to implementation.
The Hype Cycle
43. “ … we do not ‘surf’ and the internet to us is not a ‘place’ or
‘virtual space’. The Internet to us is not something external
to reality but a part of it: an invisible yet constantly present
layer intertwined with the physical environment. We do not
use the Internet, we live on the Internet and along it.”
Piotr Czerski
“We, the Web Kids”
English translation by Marta Szreder
(Emphasis is ours)
It’s a Brave New World Out There
61. Audiences – The Future:
• Expanding definition of “culture”
• Primacy of social media
• Integrated mobile activities
• Redefined loyalty
• Less view, more do
Source: LaPlacaCohen.com/culturetrack
66. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
67. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
68. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
69. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
4. Tell stories, build a narrative (and lose the acronyms).
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
70. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
4. Tell stories, build a narrative (and lose the acronyms).
5. Write things down.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
71. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
4. Tell stories, build a narrative (and lose the acronyms).
5. Write things down.
6. Show practical impact.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
72. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
4. Tell stories, build a narrative (and lose the acronyms).
5. Write things down.
6. Show practical impact.
7. Lunch is good. Really.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
73. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
4. Tell stories, build a narrative (and lose the acronyms).
5. Write things down.
6. Show practical impact.
7. Lunch is good. Really.
8. Plant seeds, and wait.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
74. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
4. Tell stories, build a narrative (and lose the acronyms).
5. Write things down.
6. Show practical impact.
7. Lunch is good. Really.
8. Plant seeds, and wait.
9. Be agile, nimble.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
75. 1. Speak truth, not “fancy nonsense”.
2. Repeat after me: “It’s not about technology, it’s about people”.
3. Take your time, slow down.
4. Tell stories, build a narrative (and lose the acronyms).
5. Write things down.
6. Show practical impact.
7. Lunch is good. Really.
8. Plant seeds, and wait.
9. Be agile, nimble.
10. When all else fails, call in the experts.
How to Pitch Technology to Your Board
In 10 Easy Steps
77. Cool Blue
Do a select few
Seek funding & partners
(We wish we could do them all)
Risk: Too many at once (saying yes to everything)
Red Flag
Do only if necessary
Stop! (or proceed with extreme caution)
(We wish we could have none)
Risk: Bogs down & exhausts resources
Green Light
Do these fast
Make a prioritized list, get moving
(We wish there were fewer)
Risk: Resources pulled away from Cool Blue
Gray Fog
Do only if there are resources
“Busy work” or dreamy distractions
(We wish we had more time)
Risk: People fall into this , esp. in times of stress
High
High
(Hard)
Low
Low
(Easy)
Importance
Difficulty
Evaluating Effort: Deciding on What to Do v. What NOT to Do
84. Yeah, okay, but is social media actually important?
• It’s how you reach a large set of customers –
especially new ones
85. Yeah, okay, but is social media actually important?
• It’s how you reach a large set of customers –
especially new ones
• Your customers are already there
86. Yeah, okay, but is social media actually important?
• It’s how you reach a large set of customers –
especially new ones
• Your customers are already there
• Competitive advantage/necessity
87. Yeah, okay, but is social media actually important?
• It’s how you reach a large set of customers –
especially new ones
• Your customers are already there
• Competitive advantage/necessity
• Connections to and among people
88. Yeah, okay, but is social media actually important?
• It’s how you reach a large set of customers –
especially new ones
• Your customers are already there
• Competitive advantage/necessity
• Connections to and among people
• Peer recommendation is the most-effective type
89. Yeah, okay, but is social media actually important?
• It’s how you reach a large set of customers –
especially new ones
• Your customers are already there
• Competitive advantage/necessity
• Connections to and among people
• Peer recommendation is the most-effective type
• Social media is here for awhile
91. Facebook
Pros:
Most-used, lots of sharing, wide audience
Cons:
Care & feeding, need for images/video
Douglas says: Be
there or be left out
… for now at least!
92. Twitter
Pros:
Popular, timely, re-tweeting, fast, short
Cons:
Care & feeding, images, dialog expected
Douglas says: Great for
announcements, and works
well in combination with
Facebook
95. Instagram
Pros:
Popular with Millennials, easy to use
Cons:
Depends on photos, can be disruptive onsite
Douglas says: Up and coming, but
probably better for visual arts orgs
96. Tumblr
Pros:
Established audience, longer-form content
Cons:
Growth has slowed, care & feeding
Douglas says: Facebook is much higher
priority, but if you have longer stories to
tell it’s a decent option compared to
implementing a full blog on your site
97. Flickr
Pros:
Often searched, can be respository
Cons:
Can get complex (licensing), photos only
Douglas says: Only if you have a lot of
photography to share openly and
without restrictions
98. Vine
Pros:
Millennials love it, can be very funny
Cons:
Fine line between irony and anger
Douglas says: Only if you are already strong
on a number of other platforms, and even
then proceed with caution
99. Snapchat
Pros:
Popular with Generation Z, easy to use
Cons:
Temporary, limited audience
Douglas says: Not for
organizations, but you could help
your teen audiences share via
Snapchat by providing photo ops
107. Source: http://colleendilen.com/2015/08/19/connectivity-is-king-fast-fact-video/
Content Leads to Connectivity
To paraphrase:
• Connectivity is sparked when content is rooted
in mission
• Your passions matter to your audience
• Important: unvarnished insights
• They want to know what’s really going on, not
just receive a sales pitch
• Don’t aim to make content, aim to connect
109. Content: Basic Best Practices
1. Friendly and accessible tone
2. Direct and uncomplicated language
110. Content: Basic Best Practices
1. Friendly and accessible tone
2. Direct and uncomplicated language
3. Steady frequency – don’t disappear
111. Content: Basic Best Practices
1. Friendly and accessible tone
2. Direct and uncomplicated language
3. Steady frequency – don’t disappear
4. Link to further information or action
112. Content: Basic Best Practices
1. Friendly and accessible tone
2. Direct and uncomplicated language
3. Steady frequency – don’t disappear
4. Link to further information or action
5. Authors with passion, both for the
organization and to share knowledge
113. Content: Basic Best Practices
1. Friendly and accessible tone
2. Direct and uncomplicated language
3. Steady frequency – don’t disappear
4. Link to further information or action
5. Authors with passion, both for the
organization and to share knowledge
6. Add media, especially photos
116. Klout
A website and mobile app that uses social media analytics to rank its users according to
online social influence via the "Klout Score", which is a numerical value between 1 and 100
117. socialmention.com
A social media search & analysis platform that aggregates user generated content into a
single stream of information
121. HootSuite
A social media toolkit that lets you post and read messages, track mentions, prepare posts,
prepare updates, and set schedules for posts at later times
122. Monitoring Essentials
• Start slow – finger on the pulse
• Build over time
• Make progress
• Don’t jump to conclusions – until
you hire a professional statistician
141. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
142. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
143. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
Being small can be a huge advantage
144. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
Being small can be a huge advantage
We can face down our fears
145. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
Being small can be a huge advantage
We can face down our fears
Our audiences are changing
146. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
Being small can be a huge advantage
We can face down our fears
Our audiences are changing
Strategy guides decisions and people
147. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
Being small can be a huge advantage
We can face down our fears
Our audiences are changing
Strategy guides decisions and people
Deep dive into social media
148. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
Being small can be a huge advantage
We can face down our fears
Our audiences are changing
Strategy guides decisions and people
Deep dive into social media
Tools, tips, tricks, best practices
149. Embrace the digital age
Challenges – it’s a competitive world out there
Digital offers cost-effective solutions
It’s not about technology, it’s about people
Being small can be a huge advantage
We can face down our fears
Our audiences are changing
Strategy guides decisions and people
Deep dive into social media
Tools, tips, tricks, best practices
Collaboration!
Embracing the digital age? Yikes! We don’t want to become bits and bytes and robots! I just want to assure you that this kind of dystopian future is NOT the goal, not by a long shot.
Today’s session will be divided into two parts. In part one, we’ll look at the context and concepts that are placing digital technology as an essential part of the success of all organizations. In part two, we’ll dive more deeply into specific ways to use digital technology to connect and engage.
But to start – perhaps I should introduce myself briefly.
I’m Douglas Hegley, the Director of Media and Technology at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and I’m delighted to be here today with all of you. I have strived throughout my professional career never to be one to put my head in the sand and pretend things aren’t changing. In fact, if there is a thread running through my career it probably connects efforts to make positive change. One fair warning – I can be a fast talker and can sometimes speed along like the famous road runner. I want to assure you that this presentation will be available online, so no need to frantically write down comprehensive notes.
How did I get here? Well, frankly it’s a long story. Let’s just say it wasn’t a linear path!
I’ve been in the cultural sector since 1997, but before I ventured into museums and technology, my formal academic background was in clinical psychology. What’s that got to do with the topic at hand? Plenty, I will argue, because at the heart of it all is PEOPLE (and not, gasp, technology).
I was lucky to be privileged to work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art – I thought I’d stay for two years to help them improve their basic technology service approach - 14 years later I was finally on my way out. In the meantime, I benefitted from the shifting landscape of digital technology and the rapid pace of change. In essence, I had a new job and set of responsibilities every 2-3 years. It was a big organization (over 2500 employees), and came with a healthy dose of bureaucracy as all such larger institutions do.
Now I work at Mia, another fairly large organization by art museum standards (over 250 employees). Museums – like every cultural heritage sector organization – are in the business of EXPERIENCE. Great art/music/performance is meant for an AUDIENCE.
Wait … technology in an art museum? Why? Isn’t it supposed to be for quiet contemplation? What good could technology do anyway?
Well, I would immediately back away from “technology”, and certainly from technology for technology’s sake. All of us in the cultural heritage sector are ultimately providing experiences for people.
THIS is our mutual goal: Happy customers! Engaged, excited, inspired, and “attached” to our organizations. We want them to think of us a familiar and comfortable place for community, connection, pleasure, inspiration, wonder, learning and FUN.
So, that’s the preamble. Now let’s talk about what we’re doing here today in this session.
Let’s face, we in the cultural heritage sector have some challenges to face.
It’s a tough world out there. We aren’t competing with each other, and we never should. To the general public, we might as well be franchises of the same corporation. Our real competition? The mall, the cineplex, professional sports, the entertainment industry, amusement parks, and even the couch in the living room! It’s harder and harder to be heard above the din!
But all is not lost. Even the little guy can be an intense competitor, by being hard-working, intentional, and passionate. Digital can help, because it provides us with flexible, cost-effective (often free!) tools and an ever-changing landscape – providing many opportunities to catch up or even jump ahead.
Digital technology has had a huge impact on the cultural sector. Every aspect of our business is likely to depend on some form of computing and connectivity, from the ways we reach out to our audiences through the make up of our organizations and (for us in the art sector) even the challenges of collecting art that is “born digital”. We’ve all got digital assets – files that store our content and potenially share it with the public – presenting challenges in storing and cataloguing. Digital has been a driver of change and that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
Technology is changing every aspect of communication and engagement. This is not about technology per se. It’s about the fluid, ambiguous space that cultural orgs are so well-placed to provide, where we can use these very powerful computers that our visitors carry in the palm of their hands, that work like little external brains that give them exponential memory, recall, information processing power, and communication capabilities. . Rather than worry about the “right” and “wrong” way to use technology let’s work to see our sector as a public space where technology applications are allowed to be ad hoc, surprising, and artistic.
Every industry, every segment has been evolving to embrace digital. Org charts are changing, new titles are being added, cross-functional work is taking place like never before. It’s wonderful, and it’s not easy.
My task today - if you’ll forgive me the very-stretched metaphor - is to do my best to conduct, recognizing that YOU are the true talents in room. You know your business way better than I ever will. If/when I am successful here today, you’ll be empowered to perform at your best, today and going forward.
Let’s explore, examine, discuss and share some ideas. This is NOT A LECTURE! Please interrupt, and don’t hesitate to ask questions or consult with your peers. We are here to work together.
Please make sure to get what you need out of this session. We’ve got some hot topics to cover, but I KNOW you’ve got some thoughts. Please jump up and participate!
So, let’s jump in!
I always prefer to start with why, and I think we’ve already been examining this with the challenges we’ve discussed.
Technology is disruptive, truly. The pace is fast, and it’s oh so easy to feel like you’ve fallen behind.
In the cultural heritage sector, we are on the cusp of really understanding and utilizing digital technology (or “the latest digital technology”) for our benefit. We’ll explore thais today, in the most-practical terms that we can, I promise.
We must not be afraid that we are too small. Size and head count and bureaucracy will always have their place. But hiring specialists and assigning them to a squadron of expensive managers isn’t the only approach. Smaller organizations mean fewer people – of course – and also mean nimble, quick, aligned, direct, and non-bureaucratic. I might even add scrappy and effective! You’ve got a tremendous opportunity, I’m here to help you realize the potential.
We often find that large, lumbering organizations fall into the trap of pretending to be something that they are not. Modern audiences bring a healthy dose of skepticism, and see through this quickly. Smaller organizations that leverage honesty and real passion have an advantage in this regard. Mean what you say, say what you mean – it’s not always about expertly-crafted marketing copy!
Let’s take a look together at impact.
Please pull out the first worksheet, and jot down some notes. Spelling doesn’t count, and there will be no test!
There are not right or wrong answers here, and copying from your neighbor is blatantly encouraged! Let’s just take a minute or two to jot down some thoughts. What’s changed recently, in terms of technology, within your business? This could be specific to your organization, or it could apply across the sector.
Taking into consideration what you’ve just written, what’s been the impact? Just jot down a few thoughts. This should be more about thinking than writing.
What is your SUBJECTIVE sense of the pace of all of this? Is it all too fast? Are there some aspects that are not? Jot down a few thoughts.
Please list up to three things in this regard that are keeping you awake at night. What do you fear? What makes you sweat a little? It’s fine to exaggerate here, we aren’t focusing on reality, we’re looking into how you are experiencing all of this. Try to be as graphic as possible in what you write down. I’ll give you an example: in another workshop, one participant wrote, “I worry that my lack of knowledge about digital will be uncovered and I’ll be seen as incompetent, lose my job, and just feel totally humiliated forever!”
Now we’re going to do a little exercise call the Worst-case Scenario.
Please choose one of the fears you listed on the previous page. Jot down a few of its most-salient characteristics. Try to be as honest as you can – what is it that causes you to fear this so much?
Now I’d like you to take a moment – close you eyes – envision the worst possible thing that could happen. Try to really FEEL what that would be like. When you are ready, jot down some of you feelings – what thoughts crossed your mind?
Let’s hear from a few of you. Who’s brave enough to tell us about your fears?
Here is the vital aspect of this exercise. Let’s start to list steps you could take. Where/to whom could you turn for help? What would be the outcome? Be specific – again, copying from your neighbor is totally fine! We’re here to learn together.
What’s the polar opposite? What’s the best-case scenario? The other side of the coin. Go ahead and be a dreamer!
For example, in another workshop a participant said, “By being honest about what I really know, I have my smartest staff and friends happily teaching me, or better yet just taking on the tasks that need to get done – and before long at all we find ourselves the talk of the town!”
All right, that was an exercise, and I encourage you to try that again and again if you found it useful. The idea is to experience (at least by proxy) the extremes, so that you can put both feet back down on the solid ground of reality and get to work. So let’s do it!
Audiences are changing, how so?
Most of us were around when the internet was born. For us, it’s been an innovation. Guess what? Tomorrow’s audiences don’t see it that way. It just … is!
LaPlacaCohen generously shares their longitudinal study called Culture Track. I hope most of you had a chance to look it over. I know it’s long and dense with information! I’m going to highlight some things now that I think are particularly salient for our work today.
Communication channels vary by audience characteristics. My question for us: are we in a period of transition, or is this our “new normal”? How will we decide?
Active and fun – it’s relatively new for us, can we embrace it?
The truth is that you don’t need to spend a ton of money on fancy custom apps to satisfy your audiences. They’re already active, so how can we support that?
In one way, by thinking big and making plans – that’s called strategy. And a digital strategy must fit into and be completely aligned with overall strategy.
It can seem daunting, but I promise that it can be done in meaningful steps that lead to success.
Plus, I’m a big fan of iteration. It’s DIGITAL, so it’s going to evolve. There will be versions, feedback loops, and ongoing changes. IT’S BETTER TO START than to try to finish fast or be “comprehensive” out of the gate.
You’ve got another two-page worksheet. On the top is this matrix, which provides a way to break down decision-making based on Importance and Difficulty. Importance is DETERMINED by strategy. Difficulty is determined by practical reality. <quick once-over of the quadrants> Now please turn to the second page of the worksheet, and list some ongoing/upcoming efforts at your organization in each cell. <after a bit of time> Who would like to share briefly?
What should I be doing? How much time should I spend on this, related to everything else? How fast should this be done? Is it okay if I do this? Is my work and effort a key part of this – and will that be recognized?
We’ve been sprinting along, and thanks for keeping up. It’s time for a break. Let’s move around, get some sustenance, and recharge for the second half. Please be back and ready to go at 330pm. Thank you!
In part two of today’s session, we’re going to dive more deeply into specifics, and especially take a long look at social media and it’s power.
We hear about it all the time, we see those youngsters with their noses in their phones, we want to be able to get into this game effectively. Let’s dig in.
Just because you can define something doesn’t mean you really know it.
I know, I know – there are so many! And to think that was only a partial list! Plus we cannot know what’s coming next. It can seem overwhelming.
You’ve got a handout, and I won’t insult or bore you by reading the entire thing. I’d like to do a quick, high-level summary over the next few minutes, I hope you find it useful.
Tweetdeck is a great way to follow the stream of tweets that might catch your interest. Check back at least daily, and scroll. Follow twitter accounts that align with your mission and passions. Like and retweet a few times per day, show that you are active as an organization.
Klout connects to your social media accounts and shows your score over time. What are you looking for? Increasing scores, of course. And if there is a dip, it’s usually because of inaction.
Socialmention.com is a very useful free service. Keep an eye on the four measurements shown to the left (I suggest tracking these over time on a spreadsheet)
HootSuite is the next step up, and it’s got a bit of a learning curve. But the time invested will pay off, because it’s a powerful platform once you know it. I’d start with the others, move to HootSuite when you are ready.
What is the goal? What do you aim to accomplish?
Who are you trying to attract? Be as specific as you can, and the only wrong answer is “everyone”!
Choose your social media platform, keeping in mind the strengths of each.
Establish your tone and voice, keeping in mind the previous columns.
What will you say and show? Who will author it?
Decide how to monitor and assign people to do so, with a clear expectation of the schedule.
Don’t drop what you’ve begun. The worst thing to do on social media is to disappear, especially unannounced. If you intend something to be temporary, say so repeatedly. Otherwise, expect to pick up community members along the way, and keep interacting with them – they’ll love you for it.
Who would like to share a line item from their draft plan?
Working together, like we are doing today, enables us to learn from one another, including challenges, successes, failures, discoveries.
If we believe in the old adage that a rising tide lifts all boats, then this collaboration is effective. We provide a support network for each other.
Please don’t afraid to try. Our sector has a long history of the Chicken Little Syndrome – one negative response often leads to scrambling action. Let’s take a collective deep breath and remember that failure is a great learning opportunity, for all involved. And I’ve got one more nugget about failure that might really interest you.
Is everyone familiar with the Service Recovery Paradox? I find this fascinating, of course I am a psychologist at heart. A customer who experiences a problem with your organization that is effectively fixed will be MORE loyal than a customer who has never had such a problem. This is a true reflection of the idea that a failure is not a catastrophe.
My time is ticking down, and I DEFINITELY want to hear from all of you one more time, but I’d like to take just a couple of minutes to review how much ground we’ve covered this afternoon.
Let’s make a list of the top things that you’ll take away from today. Who’d like to start?
What’s been left unanswered? Oh, and by the way I’ll make an effort to provide answers – at least those that I can – in the near future, so please stay tuned for that.
Surfers ride the waves! Be aware, eyes up, don’t fight it when you can instead enjoy it. Or, of course, you’ve got another option …