“…This tallies with findings from other research about the kinds of content that followers valued in social media during the pandemic (Kidd et al., 2022). Nature‐based experiences have been found to positively impact well‐being (Koay & Dillon, 2020; Sia et al., 2020) and there is evidence to suggest that people sought out and spent more time on such activities during the pandemic, including virtually (Robinson et al., 2021).…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 86%
“…We are only beginning to assess what the longer‐term impacts of the pandemic might be on those institutions' digital strategies and ambitions. Although there have been several studies reflecting upon uses of social media at that time (Burke et al., 2020; Kidd & Nieto McAvoy, 2022; Kidd et al., 2022; Kist, 2020; Ryder et al., 2021), these analyses have primarily focused on Twitter (hereafter X) and Facebook, and there remains limited published scholarship on uses of Instagram during that period (aside from O'Hagan, 2021). This study begins to address that gap, reporting findings from an in‐depth study of Philbrook Museum of Art's approach on that platform during the pandemic.…”
Researchers have been documenting how museums used social networks during the COVID‐19 global health emergency, however, to date there has been limited assessment of museums' uses of Instagram at that time. This article begins to address that gap with a case study of Philbrook Museum of Art's approach to that platform during the early months of the pandemic. We use a mixed‐method inquiry featuring social media analysis and a series of interviews with staff at the museum to analyze the museum's use of Instagram to maintain a presence within followers' lives during this intensely challenging period. To frame our analysis we introduce Gibbs et al.'s (Information, Communication & Society, 2015, 18, 255) concept of “platform vernacular” to digital heritage studies, trialing its use to critically analyze the combination of affordances, practices, and communicative conventions that Instagram convenes for the museum. We find this approach to be both theoretically and practically insightful, with the potential to inform more meaningful, authentic, and transparent interactions between institutions and users within social networks.
“…This tallies with findings from other research about the kinds of content that followers valued in social media during the pandemic (Kidd et al., 2022). Nature‐based experiences have been found to positively impact well‐being (Koay & Dillon, 2020; Sia et al., 2020) and there is evidence to suggest that people sought out and spent more time on such activities during the pandemic, including virtually (Robinson et al., 2021).…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 86%
“…We are only beginning to assess what the longer‐term impacts of the pandemic might be on those institutions' digital strategies and ambitions. Although there have been several studies reflecting upon uses of social media at that time (Burke et al., 2020; Kidd & Nieto McAvoy, 2022; Kidd et al., 2022; Kist, 2020; Ryder et al., 2021), these analyses have primarily focused on Twitter (hereafter X) and Facebook, and there remains limited published scholarship on uses of Instagram during that period (aside from O'Hagan, 2021). This study begins to address that gap, reporting findings from an in‐depth study of Philbrook Museum of Art's approach on that platform during the pandemic.…”
Researchers have been documenting how museums used social networks during the COVID‐19 global health emergency, however, to date there has been limited assessment of museums' uses of Instagram at that time. This article begins to address that gap with a case study of Philbrook Museum of Art's approach to that platform during the early months of the pandemic. We use a mixed‐method inquiry featuring social media analysis and a series of interviews with staff at the museum to analyze the museum's use of Instagram to maintain a presence within followers' lives during this intensely challenging period. To frame our analysis we introduce Gibbs et al.'s (Information, Communication & Society, 2015, 18, 255) concept of “platform vernacular” to digital heritage studies, trialing its use to critically analyze the combination of affordances, practices, and communicative conventions that Instagram convenes for the museum. We find this approach to be both theoretically and practically insightful, with the potential to inform more meaningful, authentic, and transparent interactions between institutions and users within social networks.
“…There is a general perception that as museums closed their doors to the public, their digital presence increased to maintain connections with their audiences. Within the academic literature, there is discussion of a digital “pivot” (Kidd et al, 2021), and suggestions that the pandemic may play a role in ushering in a digitally mediated future. This was clearly articulated in the ArtFund report “Looking Ahead”:What has emerged is a new model for the museum, one in which the physical space of the museum is no longer dominant.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Finnis and Kennedy (2020: 11) noted that “Organisations reacted, jumped or were forced to shift to digital working at a speed of change that would have been unthinkable before.” The scale of this digital leap was outlined in an ArtFund (2020) report—drawing on survey results from April to May 2020—which noted that 86% of respondents said their museum had increased its online presence since the start of the pandemic (p. 19). This momentum was described as a “pivot to digital” (Kidd et al, 2021); as “accelerating the digital revolution” in museums (Cipullo, 2021); and taking place in the context of a “digital transformation agenda” (Finnis & Kennedy, 2020, p. 2).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…There is a general perception that as museums closed their doors to the public, their digital presence increased to maintain connections with their audiences. Within the academic literature, there is discussion of a digital "pivot" (Kidd et al, 2021), and suggestions that the…”
This paper examines social media activity by UK museums during the COVID‐19 pandemic. There is a general perception that as museums closed their doors for extended periods, their digital presence increased to maintain connections with their audiences. However, much of the research conducted in this area is based on small‐scale studies and examples of best practice from large, well‐resourced museums. By contrast, this study utilizes a comprehensive database of over 3300 active UK museums to understand the use of Facebook and Twitter across the sector. Specifically, the paper examines the frequency with which museums posted to these digital platforms as they attempted to engage with their audiences. Our findings indicate that there was no substantial increase in social media use and activity across the UK museum sector during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This research has implications for museologists studying the impact of the pandemic on museums' digital activity, for museum social media professionals, and policymakers responsible for museum digital transformation strategies.
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