Abstract
SMM (social media marketing) aims to produce content that users share in their various social media applications in order to increase brand exposure and broaden customer reach. There are numerous marketing techniques to apply in social media in order to involve the customer, some of which have costs and others that do not. Digitization was a real challenge for any museum, requiring cautious and well-planned action to be successful. In this sense, the nature of social networks demands the adoption of a constructivist perspective, that is, a perspective that involves affirmations of knowledge based on individual and collective experiences. Presently, being present in social networks presents itself as a high value advantage, allowing the exposure of the brand, product, or idea at a low cost to a large audience. This chapter aims to systematize some relational marketing best practices that are identified in the museums and museum spaces in “Baixo Alentejo” (Portugal). Specifically, some examples of relational marketing in terms of communication will be identified and analysed.
TopTourism Segmentation And Museums
The study of consumer behavior has gathered particular interest in recent years in multiple contexts, notably with the development of the digital age (e.g. Pinto da Silva et al., 2019). Tourism is a multifaceted and geographically complex activity that increasingly generates new (and different) market segments with different individual interests. The term niche, in a marketing perspective, refers to two key interrelated ideas: that there is a place in the market for the product, and that there is an audience for that same product. This refers to a specific product capable of keeping up with the needs of a specific market segment (Sousa, Santos & Azevedo, 2020). Therefore, one should not look at the market in a simplistic and homogeneous way, since it represents a group of individuals with specific characteristics and needs.
In this way, niche markets emerge as a response to the growing demand for sophisticated and specialized tourism, such as museums. According to its classical meaning, the concept of heritage refers to the legacy we inherited from the past and that we transmit to future generations (Silva, 2000). Heritage is the “collecting” activity that results from the process of heritage formation. On the other hand, Faria and Almeida (2006, p. 124) consider that “heritage and identity are concepts that go hand in hand and whose diffusion runs in the same global channels”, underlining that the identity of a people is based on its history and heritage milestones, both material and immaterial. For instance, it is widely accepted that destination image is an integral and influential part of the traveler’s decision process and consequently travel behaviours (Vareiro et al., 2020).
In this context, trust has been studied for 30 years in several disciplines and continues to attract the interest of researchers in business-to-business (B2B) marketing (Akrout et al., 2016, p. 269). In relationship marketing, trust has been recognized as an important concept. According to some authors, trust is generally considered a fundamental to develop and maintain a long-term relationship (Sousa & Alves, 2019). This is an important concept in variety of relationships, whether interpersonal or interinstitutional, and consists of a factor to determine relationship quality. Trust is regarded as an essential key to maintaining continuity in the customer–provider relationship and trust likely leads to loyalty, irrespective of the magnitude of the level of the relationship between the company and its customers in specific tourism contexts (Yu et al., 2014).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Digital Marketing: Is the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium.
Museum: A building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.
E-Satisfaction: The contentment of a consumer with respect to his or her prior purchasing experiences with a given retail-oriented website.
Social Networks: Is a social structure composed of persons or organizations, connected by one or several types of relationships, which share common values and goals.
Social media: Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks.
Consumer Behavior Online: The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and all the activities associated with the purchase, use and disposal of goods and services, including the consumer’s emotional, mental, and behavioral responses that precede or follow these activities in the online environment.
Online Relationship: Is an integrative and multidimensional concept, such as relationship quality in an offline context.