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There are many digital platforms that allow organizations to build their online presence in a variety of ways. But for those without previous knowledge of marketing, graphic design or video production, these tools may feel abstract and daunting. Here is a non-exhaustive list of free tools that can help you fulfill your organization’s needs without using up your budget.
For Videos
I discussed Youtube as a social platform (see Social Media and Communications), but it is first and foremost the Internet’s largest website for video streaming. There are no limits to how many videos you can upload, and once uploaded your videos will load with ease. This is one of the things that has made Youtube so successful. Youtube links are generally easier to find when searching the web; any videos you see populating in the ‘videos’ section of a Google search are on Youtube. If you document an event or performance and want more people to see it, Youtube is the best option. In addition to easier streaming and search accessibility, Youtube links are generally quite stable. One of the downsides of Youtube is that video quality might be sacrificed for an easy-to-load video.
Vimeo is another popular video streaming platform, though it is not nearly as widely used. This is likely because its streaming capability can be rather cumbersome compared to Youtube. It also sets a five-gigabyte limit on uploads (which is not very much storage for video) before they have to upgrade to a monthly payment plan. That being said, Vimeo does a better job of preserving video quality, so it is a good option for short, visually detailed videos, especially documentation of artists’ work!
For Visualizations
Canva is a free or subscription-based site that allows you to make posters, cards, email templates, and any other official communications for your organization. It is user-friendly and does not require background knowledge on graphic design or web development. It is somewhat limited in terms of font, format, and color palette, particularly in the free version.
Photopea is a free photo and graphics editor that is similar to Photoshop in its interface. Because of this it has more capabilities than other free photo editors, and it allows users more creative freedom than platforms like Canva. It is best to use Photopea if a staff member at your organization has experience with Adobe Creative Suite software or other more complex graphics programs, because it is not as beginner-friendly as other sites.
For Email Campaigns
Mailchimp is a free or subscription-based email marketing platform, and it’s a great place to build and maintain a list of email subscribers. While Gmail and other email applications have some basic group communication features, they cannot track engagement and they only allow a certain number of email addresses to be added, which becomes tedious if you want to email more than 100 people. Mailchimp allows you to add thousands of email addresses to a given message, and it also allows you to group different contacts based on different campaigns. For example, if 500 people registered to receive information about an upcoming exhibition, you can easily create a message for them and send it to their group. This way, subscribers are getting content that they are most interested in, and they are more likely to remain subscribed.
Perhaps the most important feature of Mailchimp is that it tracks engagement–you can see how many people clicked on an email to open it, and how many people click on the links within the message. Mailchimp summarizes all of this in a report, making it easier to stay organized.
While using the free version of Mailchimp can be sustainable for a long time, once you have more than 2,000 subscribers, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan. It seems kind of strange to pay for email, but it is a worthwhile investment. And Mailchimp is not the only email platform out there. In fact, there are many companies who make email marketing tools specifically for nonprofits. Many of these companies have former museum workers and community organizers on their staff, so they tend to be more sensitive to the particular needs of cultural arts organizations. Larger companies like Mailchimp can certainly provide good service as well, but they work with primarily for-profit companies, meaning that there is a greater risk of them misunderstanding your organization’s goals and structure when you are trying to get technical support.
For Long-Form Content and Data Presentation
ArcGIS StoryMaps is a web-based platform that allows you to create detailed presentations and narratives that live online. It has ArcGIS mapping technology built in, making it a versatile tool for scientists, historians, educators, and community activists alike. It is for presenting a long-term community revitalization project or a multi-site exhibition. ArcGIS StoryMaps has aggregated a wide variety of projects that demonstrate different ways organizations have utilized their technology.
College students majoring in archaeology, geology, history, or related fields will likely have some experience using ArcGIS StoryMaps. If your organization will be doing a project conducive to this type of content, then it might be a good idea to include this skill in a job description for future interns!
For When You Decide to Purchase Software
Starting with a free tool is not only a great way to save money, but also a great way to preview tools that may be worth investing in. If your organization decides to purchase any software, it is important to go over all the details of that purchase beforehand, preferably with a sales associate from the company. This includes cost over time, what the tool can do for your organization, and what you and your team will have to learn to get the best possible usage out of it. Software companies whose primary customer base is nonprofits are more likely to understand your organization’s specific needs (many customer-facing employees at these companies tend to have experience working in the arts and nonprofit worlds themselves!). While the process may feel tedious, it will be worthwhile in the long run.