World News – UK – How the Black Country Living Museum took TikTok by storm

The Black Country Living Museum has become a TikTok sensation during the coronavirus pandemic – and is now in the top 100 in the UK.

Tipton Road attraction had to close its doors to visitors twice during the national lockdowns and, when open during the summer months, had to accept fewer visitors through the doors due to social distancing.

Abby Bird, the museum’s communications manager, was eager to find a virtual way to further share the history of the Black Land – especially for a younger generation who are connected online but are often underrepresented when visiting the museum physically.

That’s why the museum set up its own TikTok account in August – and has since produced a wide range of engaging, educational and fun content to encourage audience engagement.

In just four months, the account has reached more than 10 million viewers and has gone from zero to more than 300 in this time. 000 followers grew. This makes it the most visited museum in the world in the TikTok app.

Every video is now viewed by at least tens of thousands of people, with posts routinely reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers and many in the millions.

And this month it reached new heights by being added to the UK’s official TikTok 100 list.

Many of the museum’s characters have also adopted their own version of TikTok’s fame – from the 1920s grandpa giving his calming way to the 1940s girl who shares the vital roles of women in Britain during WWII of advice for life in the Black Land.

The museum also launched playful trends and launched #MuseumBeef to encourage other organizations to join in on educational challenges. Museums in the UK and beyond have continued to respond, including the Museum of London, Beamish and Old Salem Museums in & Galleries, North Carolina.

Ms. Bird said, « We are now officially in the top 100 TikTok accounts in the UK and are currently the most visited museum in the world on the platform.

« Worldwide pandemic or not, it would be impossible for this not to have a positive effect on us as a museum.

« Due to Tier 3 restrictions, we can currently only physically welcome visitors to the website on limited days for our offer only on the premises. Therefore, the type of impact we make with TikTok is a free way to ensure we continue to build long-term relationships with our audiences and through digital channels such as website visits and social media reach and engagement. We will be able to nurture that relationship that puts us in a good position to fuel physical visits for the future.

« Our success at TikTok allows us to increase brand awareness and highlight potential new visitors, which is a huge asset. We are a museum and charity and not only financially independent, but also here to tell the history of the Black Country and the national history of Britain in a way that is accessible, meaningful and engaging. ”

Natasha Eden, Chief Operating Officer at the Black Country Museum, added, “I’m absolutely thrilled with the museum’s success on TikTok. It has provided us with an incredible opportunity to meaningfully engage with a younger audience and showcase our wonderful museum and historical figures.

« As a museum and charity, our fundamental goal is to tell the story of the Black Land in an engaging and accessible way. The pandemic has made this clearer than ever.

« At a time when many of us are physically unable to visit museums, it is so important to occupy digital spaces in a way that attracts people’s attention and imagination.

« This partnership will allow us to continue to do this in new and creative ways and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. ”

Black Country Living Museum, TikTok