Case study | Podcasting at Merl

The Museum of English Rural Life (Merl) in Reading, Berkshire, has been producing successful short-form content for years, with a reputation for punchy and personable social media posts.

Given the fragility of social media platforms, Merl wanted to create something new for its audience, to see whether people would travel with it on the journey to a new medium. Before starting, the aim was for 10% of online followers to download the podcast.

The podcast title, Absolute Units, is a nod to Merl’s social media post in 2018 that went viral, featuring black and white photography of a stocky ram and the accompanying text “look at this absolute unit”.

The format is simple. Curator Ollie Douglas takes a deep dive into a story from the museum, alongside a colleague and a special guest.

Joe Vaughan, Merl’s marketing manager, says: “We realised that we already had the resource we needed in the expertise of our staff.

“The podcast grew from the desire to reach more people to hear the stories we were already sharing to physical visitors on tours.”

Students from the University of Reading helped to produce the first batch of episodes, which alleviated pressures on resources and brought in new expertise.

“The artwork, music and consultation of others can also set off a ripple of advocacy for the work that you’re about to release,” says Vaughan.

The potential reach and depth of engagement of podcasts can be intimidating, while the pursuit of perfection can get in the way. But podcasts can be adapted as you learn what listeners like.

Merl offers open dialogue with listeners by inviting them to send in fan mail, and it also features a survey in its podcast description. The first episode of Absolute Units hit the Apple Podcasts Top 100 within two weeks of being released, with 2,000 downloads (from a modest target of 50).

“The podcast has helped us develop a sense of ourselves,” says Vaughan. “Not everyone in the organisation has TikTok, but most know what a podcast is and how to listen to one.

“It feels like a higher-profile thing that we’re all working on and everyone can get behind.”

Absolute Units is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Megan Jones is a freelance writer and digital content manager at National Museums Scotland