Marketing on a Shoestring Budget: A Guide for Small Museums and Historic Sites

by Deborah Pitel

Overview

Here’s a one-stop marketing guide just for small museums and historic sites. In an age when many local historical associations and museums take money from their marketing budget because resources are tight, which can start a vicious cycle of reduced marketing reach, lower visitation, and then even less money for marketing, this guide will help those who need it the most expand their marketing reach as inexpensively as possible.

Deborah Pitel covers the pros and cons of each promotional tool so they can judge what is best for their organization. She writes specifically for colleagues who have no formal marketing training and have to work off the “trial and error” method. She covers:

• Marketing Strategies for Museum Professionals or Anyone Promoting an Event
• Expanding Your Audience with Little Money
• Gaining Insight From Small Local Museums and Historic Sites
• Learning to Use Social Media and Other Free Services to Grow Your Promotional Reach
• Creating an Website on a Small Budget

Examples of successful marketing tools from small museums and historic sites accompany each chapter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442263512
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/08/2016
Series:	American Association for State and Local History
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Deborah Pitel has a Master’s Degree in Public History from Northern Kentucky University and is the Marketing Director for Heritage Village Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. During her years at Heritage Village Museum, Deborah has tried almost every marketing strategy available on the museums’ limited budget.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
List of Tables
Foreword
Preface

Chapter 1: Marketing Basics
Chapter 2: Lay the Foundation and Build a Brand
Chapter 3: Find Your Audience and Make a Plan
Chapter 4: Press Releases, Print Media, Radio, & TV
Chapter 5: Creating and Maintaining a Website
Chapter 6: Email Newsletters, Marketing, and Internet Advertising
Chapter 7: Social Media
Chapter 8: Social Media Platforms
Chapter 9: Blogging and Business Partnerships
Chapter 10: More Marketing Tips and Tricks

Bibliography

Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget: A Guide for Small Museums and Historic Sites should be required reading for professionals with communications responsibilities. Pitel begins with the basics of marketing: defining product, place, price, and promotion, continues with the importance of traditional media, and champions the valuable role your website, social media and digital partnerships can play when budget numbers are limited. At small museums and historic sites, resources are limited. Pitel’s work will assist professionals in creating a unique marketing and communications roadmap for their institution, complete with a flexible checklist and guidelines to meet the needs of your audience and meet the goals of your institution.

Jamie Glavic

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget will deliver to readers the basics of marketing with practical suggestions for expanding patron-age and improving the presence of libraries in an easy-to-understand format.

Journal of the Medical Library Association

Deborah Pitel has written an indispensable guide to marketing that is useful for any small-to-midsize nonprofit organization. It should be required reading for employees and board members alike. I tried and tested many of her suggestions, especially in terms of social media, and experienced phenomenal success. And I didn't have to reinvent the wheel or break the bank either. Her methods are genuine, easy, and straightforward.

Paul Tenkotte