Kelly Klobucher is a museum executive and cultural tourism strategist focused on heritage preservation, audience engagement, and place-based storytelling.
For years, museums approached social media primarily as a marketing tool.
Post an event flyer. Promote a new exhibit. Share operating hours.
But audiences today—especially younger audiences—experience the world differently. They discover destinations through short-form video, immersive storytelling, personality-driven content, and visual experiences shared in real time.
In many ways, travel influencers have fundamentally reshaped how people choose where to go and what feels worth experiencing.
Museums have an opportunity to learn from that shift.
Not by abandoning scholarship or becoming entertainment-driven, but by recognizing something important: people connect emotionally before they engage educationally.
And social media is increasingly where that connection begins.
Travel Influencers Understand Experience
Successful travel creators rarely focus only on logistics.
They do not simply tell audiences where to go.
They tell audiences:
- what it feels like to be there
- what surprised them
- why the place matters
- what story the destination tells
They create anticipation and emotional connection before someone ever arrives.
Museums can do the same.
Too often, museums market exhibits as collections rather than experiences. Social media offers an opportunity to shift that approach by focusing less on objects alone and more on the stories, emotions, and moments that visitors will encounter.
Storytelling Over Promotion
The most effective museum social media content rarely feels like advertising.
It feels like storytelling.
A curator explaining the hidden history behind an artifact. A behind-the-scenes glimpse of exhibit installation. An oral history clip from a community member. A short video walking through a historic room before opening hours.
These moments humanize museums.
They make institutions feel active, accessible, and connected to real people rather than distant or static.
Travel influencers succeed because they create narrative and curiosity. Museums already possess incredible stories—they simply need to present them in ways that feel immediate and engaging.
Museums Already Have What Influencers Need
Ironically, museums already possess many of the qualities that successful influencers try to create:
- authenticity
- unique experiences
- compelling visuals
- emotional storytelling
- strong sense of place
Museums hold real stories tied to real communities, histories, and identities. That authenticity is increasingly valuable in a digital environment saturated with highly curated content.
Travel audiences today are searching for experiences that feel meaningful and grounded. Museums are uniquely positioned to provide exactly that.
The challenge is not the content itself.
The challenge is how it is shared.
Short-Form Video Is Changing Expectations
Platforms like entity[“mobile_app”,“Instagram”], entity[“mobile_app”,“TikTok”], and entity[“mobile_app”,“YouTube”] have changed audience expectations around communication and storytelling.
Visitors increasingly expect:
- visual engagement
- personality
- immersion
- immediacy
Museums do not need massive production budgets to participate effectively.
In fact, some of the strongest museum content is remarkably simple:
- a staff member sharing a favorite object
- a quick exhibit walkthrough
- time-lapse installation footage
- a preservation demonstration
- a story connected to a local landmark
These kinds of posts help audiences feel connected before they ever walk through the door.
Social Media as Cultural Invitation
At its best, museum social media is not simply promotional—it is invitational.
It invites audiences into stories, conversations, and experiences they may not have previously considered relevant to them.
This is especially important for museums working to reach younger and more diverse audiences. Social media can lower barriers and make institutions feel more approachable, personal, and community-centered.
People are more likely to visit places where they feel welcomed and emotionally engaged.
Travel influencers understand this instinctively.
Museums can too.
The Rise of Cultural Tourism
This shift also intersects with the growth of cultural tourism.
Increasingly, travelers are building trips around:
- museums
- historic sites
- architecture
- local food
- cultural experiences
- storytelling-driven destinations
Travel decisions are often made online long before tickets are purchased.
Museums that create strong digital storytelling can position themselves not only as educational institutions, but as essential components of meaningful travel experiences.
A compelling Instagram reel or short video can become the first step in a visitor’s journey.
Authenticity Matters More Than Perfection
One reason influencer culture resonates is because it often feels personal and immediate.
Museums do not need to compete by becoming polished lifestyle brands. In fact, overly corporate or overly scripted content can feel disconnected from modern audiences.
Authenticity matters more than perfection.
Audiences respond to:
- passion
- expertise
- personality
- honesty
- curiosity
Museum professionals already possess deep knowledge and enthusiasm for their work. Social media simply provides another avenue to share that energy with broader audiences.
Museums as Storytellers
Ultimately, museums and travel influencers are trying to accomplish something surprisingly similar: they are helping people experience place.
The difference is that museums often hold deeper layers of historical, cultural, and community context that can transform tourism into understanding.
That is an enormous opportunity.
The museums most likely to thrive in the future may not simply be those with the largest collections or the biggest marketing budgets. They may be the institutions that best understand how to tell stories across platforms and connect emotionally with audiences before visitors ever arrive.
Because in today’s world, storytelling does not begin inside the museum.
It begins the moment someone discovers it online.
Kelly Klobucher is a museum executive, public historian, and cultural tourism strategist with more than 20 years of experience leading museums, nonprofit organizations, and destination marketing initiatives. She writes about museum leadership, governance, public history, visitor experience, historic preservation, and heritage tourism. Kelly believes museums are among our nation’s most trusted institutions and is passionate about helping them strengthen communities through honest storytelling, exceptional service, and thoughtful leadership. She is also the creator of The Backyard Tourist, where she inspires culturally curious travelers to explore America’s museums, historic sites, and scenic backroads.
Enjoyed this article? Follow me on Medium for more insights on museum leadership, public history, governance, and heritage tourism. You can also explore my travel writing at The Backyard Tourist and learn more about my consulting work at KellyKlobucher.net.
Kelly Klobucher | Museum Executive | Cultural Tourism Strategist | Non-Profit Leader 
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