Sacramento museum docent beneficial properties TikTok fame utilizing printing press
As the pandemic progresses, a museum would hardly be an issue – and probably not open to most people who want to visit – either. Somehow, one in Sacramento has grown in popularity nationwide because of social media. “I still don’t get it,” lecturer Howard Hatch said on the museum’s TikTok videos while working on a 1902 printing press. “Maybe it’s the power of the press!” Then he held back and revealed what he was working on: A headline-style newspaper that read, “SACRAMENTO HISTORY MUSEUM REACHES 86,000 TIKTOK FOLLOWERS.” Of course. The TikTok account has grown into a much larger following since then, roughly 1 million at the time of this writing. Jared Jones, a museum employee who does the publishing for the social media account, said fandom about the museum, especially Howard, had seen an increase in visitors. The timing couldn’t be better either, as the move from Sacramento County to a less restrictive tier allows for limited indoor capacity in select businesses, including museums. The Museum Next Door’s online advertising helped, which Jones said is big as tourists in Old Sacramento visit the California State Railroad Museum more often. Despite the subway tours and educational programs the Sacramento History Museum offers, Jones said people usually come in and ask if they’re at the Railroad Museum. “It certainly just helped create awareness that we were there,” said Jones. “That’s the greatest.” Jones said people would visit the museum just to see Howard. Demand has reached a point where on days when Howard is away from the museum, a cardboard cutout of him is cut out for people to use to take pictures with. How It Started The idea of reaching a younger audience started with a Zoom webinar Jones said he attended. The recommendation was to give social media – around TikTok – a chance to draw in youth. So he did. At first, Jones said he wasn’t having much success. Nothing ended up being a hit with him until he enlisted the help of a particular instructor with a penchant for printing presses. They started posting, and Jones noticed the videos were well received. After the videos hit the history museum with 86,000 followers, he let Howard know, to which he responded with a now iconic response. “I just don’t get it.” That initial explanation of confusion would soon become a buzzword as they continued to hit milestones in the popular app. Whenever they got a remarkable number of followers, Howard did what he did best and ended the video showing a newspaper-style front page showing the new number of followers. The video they made to celebrate 86,000 followers resulted in a whopping 17 million views. Jones said the following jump rose to nearly 300,000. “I think it really attracted people that we have an older man here who uses something even older to do something new and then put it on a platform that is so incredibly new,” Jones said. Before becoming an online personality, Howard was a volunteer who devoted over 20 years of service to the museum. Jones said he would get involved in school programs, talk about the history of printing and how the presses work. He’s still volunteering to create the videos. How It Works The videos have attracted attention outside of the Sacramento area as well. NPR aired a segment on All Things Considered, and Jones said the museum had interviews with other national outlets. The duo is now looking forward to the videos and makes three to four videos a day when both are in the building. Aside from the announcement of the following milestones, Howard and Jones would be working on various videos, all of them including the press of course. For the past few days, Howard has been creating prints for Draw A Bird Day and the Masters Golf Tournament. They also accept special requests from TikTok commentators, such as: E.g. a video in which Howard rolls out ink. And like in a history museum, there are plenty of history lessons scrolling through the feed. “It’s just grown and grown, and my boss keeps asking, ‘When will it end?’ And Howard says, “We just scratched the surface in this shop,” Jones said.
SACRAMENTO, California –
As the pandemic progresses, a museum would hardly be an issue – and probably not open to most people who want to visit – either. Somehow, one in Sacramento has gained national popularity due to social media.
“I still don’t get it,” lecturer Howard Hatch said on the museum’s TikTok videos while working on a 1902 printing press. “Maybe it’s the power of the press!”
Then he held back and revealed what he was working on: A newspaper headline-style newspaper that read “SACRAMENTO HISTORY MUSEUM REACHES 86,000 TIKTOK FOLLOWERS”.
Of course, the TikTok account has grown into a much larger following since then, roughly 1 million at the time of this writing. Jared Jones, a museum employee who does the publishing for the social media account, said fandom about the museum, especially Howard, has resulted in an increase in visitors.
The timing couldn’t be better either, as the move from Sacramento County to a less restrictive tier allows for limited indoor capacity in select businesses, including museums.
The museum next door
The online advertising has helped, which Jones says is big because tourists in Old Sacramento are more likely to visit the California State Railroad Museum.
Despite the subway tours and educational programs the Sacramento History Museum offers, Jones said people usually come in and ask if they’re at the Railroad Museum.
“It certainly just helped create awareness that we were there,” said Jones. “That’s the greatest.”
Jones said people would visit the museum just to see Howard. Demand has reached a point where on days when Howard is away from the museum, a cardboard cutout of him is cut out for people to take pictures with.
Sacramento History Museum
How it started
The idea of targeting a younger audience started with a Zoom webinar that Jones attended. The recommendation was to give social media – to give TikTok – a chance to draw in the youth.
So he did.
At first, Jones said he wasn’t having much success. Nothing landed but a hit for him until he enlisted the help of a particular lecturer with a penchant for printing presses.
They started posting, and Jones noticed the videos were well received. After the videos drew 86,000 followers at the history museum, he let Howard know, to which he responded with an iconic response.
“I just do not understand”
That initial explanation of confusion would soon become a buzzword as they continued to hit milestones in the hugely popular app. Whenever they got a remarkable number of followers, Howard did what he did best and ended the video showing a newspaper-style front page showing the new number of followers.
The video they made to celebrate 86,000 followers resulted in a whopping 17 million views, which Jones said made their next jump to nearly 300,000.
“I think that really pulled people in because we have an older man here who uses something even older to do something new and then put it on a platform that is so incredibly new,” said Jones.
Before turning into an online personality, Howard volunteered and dedicated himself to the museum for more than 20 years. Jones said he would get involved in school programs, talk about the history of printing and how the presses work.
He’s still volunteering to do the videos.
How it goes
The videos have also attracted attention outside of the Sacramento area. NPR aired a segment on All Things Considered, and Jones said the museum had interviews with other national outlets.
The duo is now looking forward to the videos and makes three to four videos a day when both are in the building.
Outside of follower milestone announcements, Howard and Jones worked on various videos, all including the press, of course. For the past few days, Howard has been doing prints for Draw A Bird Day and the Masters Golf Tournament.
Sacramento History Museum
They also accept special requests from TikTok commentators, such as: E.g. a video in which Howard rolls out ink. And like in a history museum, there are plenty of history lessons scrolling through the feed.
“It just kept growing and growing, and my boss goes on to say, ‘When will it end?’ And Howard says, “We just scratched the surface in this shop,” Jones said.
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