Platform guides

There are ten platform guides included in the toolkit, which explore how to use a particular platform to tell engaging stories online. The focus is on storytelling and whilst not a how to step-by-step guide for using a platform, included in each guide are links out to existing resources that will help readers if they are unfamiliar with the platform.

Some platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, are already well established within the sector, however others, such as podcasts, YouTube and TikTok are relatively underutilised. Each platform guide will help you understand how they can be used to engage audiences, which demographic are likely to be the target audience for the platform and showcase examples of excellent digital engagement using the platform.

Blogs

Blogs are webpages that communicate stories, ideas and information in a conversational style.

Digital events and livestreaming

More audiences are tuning into digital events and livestreams as a way to connect with organisations and events that interest them.

Digital exhibitions

Digital exhibitions are a selection of digital representations of items from your collection, and there are many innovative ways to do this.

Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site where users can create posts, share photos and videos, leave comments, and chat live.

Google Earth and My Maps

Google Earth and My Maps are mapping software that can be used to create engaging location-based stories using items from your collections.

Instagram

Instagram is a social media platform based on sharing quality imagery and photographs.

Podcasts

A podcast is audio content on demand and is predominantly interview and discussion-based but this is not all a podcast can be.

TikTok

TikTok is a video-sharing platform where users scroll through short-form videos made by other users.

Twitter

Twitter is a social media platform and is sometimes referred to as a microblogging platform due to the 280-character limit of a tweet.

YouTube

YouTube is the home of video content on the web and what started out as a place for uploading home videos has become a social platform.