School holidays are the life blood for much of the leisure and tourism sector, and with the weather in the spring term offering no guarantees, February and Easter half-terms pose a big opportunity for museums and venues to engage families.
This half-term, the tourism sector can learn a lot from three organisations who superbly maximised engagement to boost visitors during February half term.
This year, Kew Gardens, the Science Museum, and the Young V&A all used social media videos to promote their attractions. But who did it best? While all three deserve credit, the Science Museum stood out with its multi-platform video strategy, demonstrating a masterclass in audience engagement.
Kew Gardens: Visual but long
Kew Gardens launched a visually beautiful video over ten days before half term to showcase its Orchid Festival, themed around Peru. The video, featuring florist Henck Röling, took viewers on a tour of floral installations depicting Peru’s biodiversity. While undeniably eye-catching, the 90-second runtime may have been too long for Instagram’s fast-scrolling audience.
Despite this, Kew Gardens’ and Röling’s combined reach helped the video amass 540,000 views in three weeks – a respectable result, though one that might have been even stronger with a snappier edit.
The Science Museum: Targeted and engaging
The Science Museum’s Versailles: Science and Splendour exhibition highlighted how science shaped the French royal court. Rather than relying on a single promotional video, the museum crafted content tailored to different audiences across platforms:
- For adults (YouTube & website): A one-minute historical drama-style trailer, featuring classical music, a fast-paced montage of artefacts, and sharp, concise captions like “A royal court with science at its beating heart”. This ensures engagement without overwhelming viewers.
- For children (Instagram): A 53-second vertical video, featuring a curator standing in front of a preserved Versailles rhinoceros, asking, “What was an 18th-century rhino doing at the Palace of Versailles?” The unexpected question, paired with playful string music, instantly hooks younger viewers.
- Collaboration with History Hit: A 50-second clip featuring historian Dr Maddy Pelling, bridging the gap between the adult-focused YouTube trailer and playful Instagram content.
By tailoring content for different platforms and demographics, the Science Museum maximised reach and engagement, setting a gold standard for social media marketing.
Young V&A: Short and effective
The Young V&A’s Making Egypt exhibition took a minimalist but impactful approach. Instead of a traditional promotional video, they released a 10-second animated clip featuring an Ancient Egyptian figure raising his arms, followed by a bright orange screen promoting free entry for members.
Despite having far fewer followers than the Science Museum, this punchy and shareable video attracted similar engagement levels – proving that brevity and clarity can be just as effective as high production value.
Lessons for Easter
While all three venues executed strong strategies, the Science Museum was the clear winner. Its multi-platform approach, engaging storytelling, and audience targeting made it the standout example.
The key lesson for any trying to maximise the Easter break is that tailored content is essential – what works for one audience may not engage another, so adapting videos for different platforms and demographics is crucial.
Concise messaging is just as important. Lengthy text or slow pacing can lose viewers, whereas snappy, direct statements hold attention. A strong opening hook – whether a question or a compelling visual – immediately draws in the audience and increases engagement.
Finally, brevity is key. As the Young V&A demonstrated, even a 10-second video can be highly effective if it delivers a clear and engaging message.
This Easter, venues should begin planning their video strategies now, ensuring they follow the Science Museum’s strategic approach or the Young V&A’s short-form impact to maximise their reach and engagement.
