For our Museum's digital and online products, we make sure our voice is human.
It helps people connect with us better.
Why?
It helps conversation
When you know who you are talking to, it makes it easier to understand what is being said.
Sometimes we communicate as if we are the WA Museum.
People know how to talk to people, but they don’t really know how to talk to omniscient and sentient organisations. This confusion can turn our potential conversations into one-way broadcasts.
We need to remember that even though our Museum is made up of tens of departments, hundreds of years of history, and millions of objects, people know there are humans working behind the scenes.
By having a human voice it means that even when we are talking with people who do not know us, we can connect with them better.
It is what our audience wants
Our biggest audience is Expression. People from this cultural segment are excited to explore their identity, learn about other cultures, and have conversations with real people from their community. On top of that, 90% of them like to do this online.
To make sure our digital spaces are connecting with this main audience we need to be more familiar, more human. This helps them do what they love to do—engage with us and our content online.
What we mean by ‘human’
Even though we may be using a digital tool, we are humans talking to humans.
Be genuine
- We do not pretend to be someone else and we do not talk in third-person.
- We do not copy and paste replies or use templates automatically. Every conversation we have is different.
Be approachable
- We consider who we are talking to by tailoring our language to help with literacy levels, language barriers, and personal interpretation.
- We let people speak for themselves. Instead of quoting someone, we see if they can join the conversation.
- We treat people equally and remain respectful of different opinions.
Be familiar
- We use language that people use in their everyday life. This includes cultural references and colloquialisms.
- We avoid jargon and office buzzwords.
- We take the time to include explanations when we use technical or academic terms.
Don't forget
- We are respectful. We do not swear or make inappropriate remarks.
- We take the time to listen and then think about what we are going to say.
- We check that what we are saying is accurate and truthful.