Words that Wow: 12 Days of Christmas, Day 3

Show Notes

Welcome back to the Modern Museum Education Podcast!

Today is Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas Museum Education Edition, a special holiday series packed with actionable tips to elevate your museum education programs.

In this episode, we dive into the art of creating magnetic marketing copy that turns potential audiences into engaged participants.

• In this episode, you'll learn how to:
  Write enticing program descriptions that grab attention and convey value.
• Use action-oriented, inclusive language tailored to your audience.
• Adapt your message for different platforms, from snappy social media captions to detailed email campaigns.
• End with a compelling call-to-action that drives attendance.

Ready to transform your program blurbs into must-see invitations? Tune in and learn how to make your programs stand out!

For more resources or to connect, visit modernmuseumeducation.com. 

Creators and Guests

Host

Rachel Gibson

Museum Education Consultant | I help museum educators create sustainable, strategic, and pedagogically sound museum programs for children and families through 1:1 consulting, museum program evaluation, educator professional development workshops, and online content, sourced from my unique experience as a long-time museum educator and academic researcher.

What is Modern Museum Education?

Rachel Gibson is a museum education researcher, consultant, and former frontline educator helping museum professionals create engaging, sustainable programs for children and families. On the Modern Museum Education Podcast, she explores topics like family learning, audience engagement, museum strategy, program design, intergenerational learning, and the real-world challenges museum educators face every day.

Part conference session and part coffee shop chat, each episode blends research-backed insights with practical strategies you can actually use—whether you're planning field trips, designing family programs, leading education teams, or trying to keep your creativity alive in a stretched-thin museum world.

If you believe museum education matters deeply—and that your work isn’t childish just because you work with children—you’re in the right place. Discover more at modernmuseumeducation.com!

Hi, I am Rachel, a resource expert and
career coach for museum educators who

are stretched thin, but long to fall
in love with their world-changing work.

After over 15 years with my own hands
in the glitter, I know how it feels

when your Board thinks your work is
childish because you work with children.

I know how hard it is to lead a
tour on a difficult subject, and I

know the frustration of waiting on a
school bus that is 20 minutes late or

worse, 10 minutes early as I'm heading
towards the second half of my career.

I find myself with a passion to
help my fellow educators reverse the

chronic state of being overworked and
underappreciated so that they can reclaim

their creativity and emotional energy.

Join me and my museum buddies as
we share our best tips, tricks, and

techniques for modern museum education.

Hi everyone, and welcome back to
the Modern Museum Education Podcast.

I'm your host, Rachel, and this is
day three of the 12 Days of Christmas

Museum Education Edition, my holiday
gift to the museum educator community.

Over the next few days, I'll be releasing
short podcast episodes stuffed with

actionable tips to help you level
up your museum education programs.

So today we're talking about words that
wow, how can you elevate your museum

programs with magnetic marketing copy?

Have you ever stumbled upon a program
description that was so enticing it

felt like it was calling your name?

That is the magic of a well crafted blurb.

In the bustling world of museum
education, where every exhibit and

workshop and program and event are
vying for the audience's attention,

standing out is non negotiable.

So how do you transform your program from
just another event on the calendar to

the must see experience of the season?

Well, let's dive in to the art of
writing blurbs and marketing copy that

will turn heads and fill up rooms.

So, To be completely honest with you,
when I first became a director of

education, there were so many things
that I didn't know, I didn't know.

And how to write marketing copy
was definitely one of those things.

I had absolutely no idea how to
write a program description that

was both informative and also
enticing because I'm not a marketer.

I don't come from a marketing background.

I'm a historian and an educator
and I had absolutely no idea

how to write short to the point,

enticing and informative marketing copy
to tell people what they would experience

when they came to the program, why they
should want to do it, to convince them to

do it, and to fit all of that into, you
know, two or three, maybe four sentences.

I, I literally had no clue where to start.

So over the years, I, I
learned how to do that.

And I want to help you sort of jump
to the end and not have to go through

the long, windy journey of learning
how to write a marketing copy.

So to start, the first thing
that you need to understand is

that a good program blurb, a good
program description is, it's vital.

It is so important.

Imagine your program is like a rare jewel.

A good blurb is not just about
putting that jewel on display.

It is about lighting it up so well
that nobody can walk by without

stopping to take a closer look.

It is not just an introduction.

It is your first and sometimes your
only shot at convincing potential

visitors that what you're offering
is worth their time and attention.

But, before you put pen to paper, you need
to ask yourself, who am I trying to reach?

Understanding the audience for your
program, just like how understanding

the audience for your program is
important before you write the program.

Understanding the audience for your
program is important when you're

actually writing the marketing copy.

Are you targeting parents who are looking
for educational outings for their kids?

Are you targeting teens who are
interested in an after school experience?

Are you targeting teachers who are
trying to convince their principal

that they need the bus on Friday?

Each demographic has its own desires
and pain points, and tailoring your

message means speaking directly to what
excites that person, using language

that they resonate with and addressing
why your program is the solution

that they didn't know they needed.

So what you need to do when you're writing
marketing copy for your programs is to

use the same tools that marketers use when
they're convincing you to buy something.

So let's talk about the
anatomy of an effective blurb.

A compelling blurb has
a few key ingredients.

The first is that it offers
a clear value proposition.

It states the main benefit of the program.

Right?

So like, in the same way that if you were
going to, okay, so it's December, right?

January is coming.

New Year's resolutions.

So if you want to go back to the gym
in January, you're going to be really

susceptible to marketing messages that
promise to build muscle or boost your

metabolism or peak your performance.

So in the same way, your marketing copy
for your program needs to specifically

call out the main benefit, not just
what people are going to do, but the

benefit that they're going to get.

Secondly, it needs to
have intriguing details.

You need to briefly highlight some key
features that set your program apart.

These are details that
paint a vivid picture.

of the experience.

And lastly, a compelling
blurb uses concise language.

Keep it short, to the point.

It needs to be impactful and
grab attention really quickly.

So you want to think about writing a
blurb as telling a very short story

where your program is the hero.

What challenge does it
help the audience overcome?

How are they going to be
transformed in the end?

And most importantly, why
should they even care?

So sometimes when you're writing a
blurb, depending on where the blurb

is going to be used and the platform
that it's going to be on, and we'll

talk about this in a second, you
might have a little bit more space.

And if you have some space, really
leverage those first few sentences.

They can be make or break.

You might consider starting
with a question or a statement

that sparks curiosity.

So, for example, you might say, Have
you ever wondered how dinosaurs would

interact with today's technology?

Suddenly, that's very attention grabbing.

Someone who has never pondered time
traveling dinosaurs might be like, Ooh.

Time traveling dinosaurs.

I'm interested in that, right?

Okay, so that's a kind of a ridiculous
example, but the point is what

can you hook the audience with?

Try to work that in especially
at the very beginning, okay?

Because that's where you're
gonna catch their attention.

The next thing you really need to
keep in mind is that a good blurb

conveys value and excitement.

Here is where you're going to gush
about what makes your program fantastic.

Is it a hands on experiment
with rocket science?

Is it an immersive journey
through an ancient civilization?

Highlight the unique selling
points and the benefits.

Make sure to weave in
the emotional appeal.

After all, remember, people
don't buy tickets to events.

They invest in experiences that
promise joy, knowledge, awe, social

interaction, time with their family.

Remember that people pay for
the feeling that they want.

They pay for the experience
they intend to have.

So don't always focus on
what they're going to learn.

Focus on what they're going to feel.

Focus on what they're going to experience.

When you're writing a blurb for a
museum education program, you really

want to use strong, engaging verbs that
convey excitement and purpose while

at the same time clearly outlining
the program's goals and activities.

So you only have a few words.

You need to make every word
count for as much as possible.

So let me give you a list of
some excellent verbs to consider.

And I sort of, categorized to them by
the, by the program type or experience.

So for example, if it was just
an educational program, so

you're going to learn something.

Don't just learn.

You might promise to engage
or explore or discover, maybe

investigate or participate or examine.

If your program is more creative
or interactive, consider using

words like create, design,
experiment, build, craft, develop.

If your program is more storytelling,
or maybe it's they're going to witness a

performance of some kind, you might use
words like listen, but you might also

use words like imagine or experience.

If the program is exploratory
in some way, maybe it's a tour

or something along those lines.

You might use words like journey,
or roam, like, you know, roam across

the galleries or something like that.

Uncover, navigate, view, encounter.

If the program's goal is, , a
social event or community program,

try words like connect,
collaborate, share, celebrate.

Or for special events or one of a kind
exhibits, you might, again, go back to

words like experience or join us, witness
and marvel are two of my favorites.

Now, the choice of verb that you
use depends on your program's tone

and the audience, and of course,
the actual program elements.

But focusing on action oriented language
will make your blurb more compelling.

The next thing I want to mention
is that inclusivity is not just a

nice thing to do, it is essential.

So make sure that you're using language
that welcomes everyone, regardless of

their background or their ability level.

You want to avoid jargon or terms that
might confuse newcomers or avoid specific

references that might alienate people
who don't know what you're talking about.

Remember, the goal is to make every
person who comes across this program

description feel like this program
was designed with them in mind.

And remember, not all platforms
speak the same language.

So if you're going to put your marketing
copy on social media, that caption should

probably be snappy and direct, while
an email allows for more storytelling.

You need to be prepared to adapt
your core message accordingly

without losing the essence.

And one thing that I learned the hard way
over years and years is the importance

of always including a call to action.

So make sure that you end your
marketing copy with an invitation.

Whether it's book now or learn
more or join us, make sure that you

tell your audience exactly what the
next step that they should take is.

And lastly, once you've put your
marketing copy out into the world,

keep tabs on how it's performing.

Which phrases bring in the most crowds?

What falls flat?

Gather insights to help you refine your
future marketing copy, making every

blurb more effective than the last.

If you enjoyed today's episode,
please take a minute to

subscribe, like, leave a review.

It helps other museum educators
to find this resource.

And as always, if you have questions,
are looking for some coaching

opportunities, or want to be a guest on
the show, visit modernmuseumeducation.

com for more information, and I'll
see you back here tomorrow for day

four of the 12 days of Christmas.

Thank you so much for joining us.

If this episode has been helpful to you
or interesting, please take a minute

to like subscribe and leave a review.

Which will help other museum
educators find this resource.

As always, if you would like to work with
me more directly, have any questions or

would like to be a guest on the podcast,
you can find links to all that and more

on my website, modernmuseumeducation.com.

I'll see you back here next time.

And in the meantime, please remember
that your work is not childish,

just because you work with children.