Image-mediated online engagement: Instagram page as an engagement tool for the Hong Kong Museum of Art and M+ in a post-pandemic context

Location

Lingnan University / Online Session via Zoom

Start Date

21-5-2021 11:10 AM

End Date

21-5-2021 12:40 PM

Description

lnstagram (IG), as a popular social media, becomes an important digital marketing tool for museums to communicate with the public. Visitors like sharing photos of artworks and selfies on lnstagram after visiting cultural venues to illustrate their artistic self-image and aesthetic taste. Such a trend urged museums to review their photo-taking policy, or even include "instagramable" as a consideration in exhibition designs, in order to attract more attention from the public. Developing lnstagram strategy becomes a must for museums.

In early 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 sped up the digitization progress of museums. During the unexpected closing periods, online channels may become the only means for museums to keep connection with the public. The use of social media is a rapidly emerging topic in museum marketing. However, there is a research gap in how art museums in Asia select images for IG. Considering the above, this research paper will adopt quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the content strategy of museums, especially during the pandemic. The research presents case studies of the two leading art museums in Hong Kong, namely the Hong Kong Museum of Art and M+. Firstly, we will use the "Four Models of Public Relations" (Grunig & Hunt, 1984) and the model of "sites, modalities and methods for interpreting visual materials" (Rose, 2001) to analyze the posts and images. Secondly, we will examine audience engagement from a statistical perspective. The findings of this study will fill the gap and provide insights into the effective use of museum IG for educational and promotional purposes.

Recommended Citation

Chan, C., & Sin, S. (2021, May). Image-mediated online engagement: Instagram page as an engagement tool for the Hong Kong Museum of Art and M+ in a post-pandemic context. Presented at Then and Now: Collecting Art and Exhibiting Cultures in Asia Conference, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.

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May 21st, 11:10 AM May 21st, 12:40 PM

Image-mediated online engagement: Instagram page as an engagement tool for the Hong Kong Museum of Art and M+ in a post-pandemic context

Lingnan University / Online Session via Zoom

lnstagram (IG), as a popular social media, becomes an important digital marketing tool for museums to communicate with the public. Visitors like sharing photos of artworks and selfies on lnstagram after visiting cultural venues to illustrate their artistic self-image and aesthetic taste. Such a trend urged museums to review their photo-taking policy, or even include "instagramable" as a consideration in exhibition designs, in order to attract more attention from the public. Developing lnstagram strategy becomes a must for museums.

In early 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 sped up the digitization progress of museums. During the unexpected closing periods, online channels may become the only means for museums to keep connection with the public. The use of social media is a rapidly emerging topic in museum marketing. However, there is a research gap in how art museums in Asia select images for IG. Considering the above, this research paper will adopt quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the content strategy of museums, especially during the pandemic. The research presents case studies of the two leading art museums in Hong Kong, namely the Hong Kong Museum of Art and M+. Firstly, we will use the "Four Models of Public Relations" (Grunig & Hunt, 1984) and the model of "sites, modalities and methods for interpreting visual materials" (Rose, 2001) to analyze the posts and images. Secondly, we will examine audience engagement from a statistical perspective. The findings of this study will fill the gap and provide insights into the effective use of museum IG for educational and promotional purposes.