We were thrilled to welcome Meg Edwards, marketing manager at HdK associates to episode 28 of the Arts and Everything in Between. We met Meg back in July at the Arts Marketing Association in Leeds, where HDK gave an excellent session “How to Connect with Audiences on TikTok” that we were lucky enough to attend.
Meg has extensive experience working with arts, culture, heritage and non-profit organisations, helping them to connect with their audiences online and build lifelong connections.
She joined Lucy on the podcast to discuss how audience behaviour and preferences are rapidly changing, especially among younger demographics like Gen Z, and how arts and heritage organisations can adapt their social media strategies accordingly.
Give the podcast a listen for her full analysis, as well as actional tips and suggestions.
By way of a sneak peek, here were some of Meg’s key takeaways: 
➤ Attention spans are decreasing rapidly, down 2 minutes in the last 10-20 years. People expectshort, engaging content that provides quick hits of joy and humour. This favours platforms like TikTok and Instagram over long-form content.
➤ Younger generations like Gen Z are digital natives who crave authenticity and realism, not exaggerated marketing claims, so self-deprecating humour performs well.
➤ Social media is now the top search engine for many, especially younger demographics. Arts organisations need strong social media presences to be discoverable.
➤ Storytelling remains essential - arts organisations are inherently selling experiences and emotions. Leverage social platforms like TikTok for bite-sized storytelling.
➤ Keep honing social media skills and be ready to adapt to constant platform shifts. Follow platform algorithm updates closely.
➤ Short videos focused on one story angle tend to perform best. Maintain community engagement with likes and comments.
➤ Audit marketing content regularly to ensure it aligns with brand mission and values. Be willing to shape branding to genuinely connect.
Thank you so much to Meg and HdK for taking the time to appear on our podcast, and sharing your expertise (and excellent quotes!)
About HdK: HdK brings together 25 years of experience with a team of specialists including web designers, social media experts, web programmers, animators and a film maker to offer solutions in all aspects of digital marketing to arts, cultural, heritage and non-profit organisations.
