In the digital landscape of museums and cultural institutions, effective organization and navigation are crucial for enhancing visitor engagement. This article explores advanced tagging techniques in Pladia, including the Tag Manager and Featured Tags, offering practical recommendations to optimize your tagging strategy. By mastering these tools, you can create a seamless and engaging experience for your visitors.
Building upon the foundational concepts covered in the basic Tags article, this advanced guide delves into deeper strategies to maximize the impact of your tags. We’ll focus on leveraging tags to enhance both visitor engagement and operational efficiency. Before we dive into advanced techniques, let’s revisit the core purpose of tags and their critical role in your Pladia setup.
What Are Tags?
Tags are flexible, customizable labels that serve as essential tools for organizing and connecting various objects, exhibitions, and themes within your institution's PWA. They enable operators to create meaningful narratives by categorizing content in ways that resonate with visitors. Beyond organizing objects and exhibitions, tags can highlight unique facets of your venue, such as special exhibits, architectural features, or lesser-known collections. This allows visitors to discover more personalized and meaningful experiences, whether through curated journeys or self-guided exploration. Additionally, tags can be featured—enhancing the visibility of specific collections on the PWA landing page, public—available through the All Themes button in the PWA, or private—used solely for internal organization without impacting public views.
Why Tags Matter
Enhanced Discoverability: Tags facilitate content categorization, enabling visitors to easily uncover related objects and exhibitions that align with their interests. This significantly enhances the overall exploration experience within the PWA.
Streamlined Content Management: Effective tagging allows staff to quickly identify objects that require updates or changes. By establishing a structured tagging system, operators can manage their collections more efficiently, ensuring that content remains relevant and accessible. Tags can also be used for internal organization, allowing staff to manage behind-the-scenes details efficiently, such as tracking updates to collections or identifying which objects need maintenance, without displaying this information publicly.
Dynamic Visitor Engagement: Strategically leveraging tags allows institutions to create targeted pathways for visitors. Tags can highlight thematic connections, promote special events, or curate collections that resonate with specific audience segments, ultimately enriching the visitor experience.
By strategically leveraging tags, you can guide visitors through exhibits, capturing their interest and deepening their understanding for a more engaging experience. Tags serve as gateways for seamless transitions between self-guided exploration and curated journeys, empowering visitors to navigate your venue effortlessly by selecting tags that resonate with their interests.
Below we’ll dive deeper into tagging by breaking it down into three categories: Tag Manager, Tag Usage, and Featured Tags
Tag Manager
Accessing the Tag Manager:
To access the Tag Manager, select Tag Manager in the left navigation.
From here, you can create new Tags, delete existing Tags, edit existing Tags, hide tags, and add new Tag groups.
Adding Tags
To create a new Tag, select Create Tag at the bottom of any Tag list (this includes the Ungrouped list)
Begin typing your Tag name, then hit Enter on your computer to save the new Tag.
Note: The capitalization used when you type the Tag out is how it will appear to your visitors in the PWA.
Deleting Tags
To delete an existing Tag, click the X to the right of the Tag.
Reconfirm that you wish to delete the Tag.
The Tag will now be deleted and you will be returned to the Tag Manager landing page.
Editing Tags
To edit an existing Tag, click the Tag you wish to update.
Update the Tag name, add a photo, add a description, or choose to make the Tag private by clicking on the Eye Icon.
Note: If a Tag is currently featured, you cannot make it private.
Once finished, select Save.
Strategic Tag Grouping
When building an effective tagging strategy, it’s important to group related tags to create meaningful connections. Here are some example tag groups and possible tags you could use within your institution:
Exhibitions: Tags could include Current Exhibit, Upcoming Exhibit, Past Exhibit, or even specific names like Impressionist Art.
Themes: Common themes might include Art Movements, Local History, Cultural Highlights, or Natural Science.
Visitor Segments: Use tags like Families, Educators, Art Enthusiasts, or Students to tailor experiences to different audience groups.
Events: Tags such as Workshops, Guided Tours, Special Events, Lectures can help visitors navigate event-based content.
Collections: Group objects under broader collection names like Sculptures, Contemporary Art, Historical Artifacts, etc.
Creating a Tag Group
To create a new Tag group, scroll to the far right of the Tag Manager screen and select Add a Group.
Begin typing the group name and add tags before hitting Enter to finish.
Once you have created a tag you can also change the group it is associated with by clicking on the tag and holding, then dragging that tag to the correct group and letting go of your mouse.
Hiding Tags for Internal Use Only
In Pladia, tags can be hidden from public view by marking them for internal use only. This feature is useful for organizing objects and exhibits behind the scenes, without displaying them in your PWA for visitors. Hiding tags can be particularly beneficial when you need to manage content internally, track maintenance tasks, or keep certain objects accessible only to staff members.
How to Hide a Tag
Open the Tag Manager from the left navigation.
Find the tag you want to hide from public view.
Click the eye icon next to the tag.
When a tag is hidden, the color will become more pale, and the eye icon will appear with a line through it. This ensures the tag is invisible to visitors on the PWA.
Once the tag is hidden, it will only be visible to staff in the Console and can be used for internal organization.
Why Hidden Tags are Helpful
Hidden tags allow institutions to organize internal processes without cluttering the public-facing experience. For example:
Conservation and Maintenance: Use hidden tags to track objects that are undergoing restoration or require content updates.
Internal Notes: Add internal notes or tags for staff reference, such as "To be Updated" or "Research Ongoing."
Private Collections: Hide tags that relate to objects not yet ready for public viewing, such as newly acquired pieces or archived items still being cataloged.
This strategy enables your team to manage your institution’s digital assets effectively without impacting the visitor's experience on the PWA.
Quick Tip
Are you looking to review a list of Objects associated with a specific Tag?
Select Objects from the left navigation in the Console.
Use the search bar in the upper left-hand corner to search for a Tag.
A list of all associated Objects will pop up for review.
Tag Usage
Understanding how to use tags effectively is crucial for maximizing their impact on visitor engagement. Tags associated with each object can be found in the Objects section in the left navigation of your Pladia console.
Selecting an Object: Navigate to the Objects screen using the Objects option in the left navigation, then choose the object you wish to review from the list.
Reviewing Tags: Scroll down the Object details page to the Tags section, where you can see all tags currently associated with that particular object.
For example, if you have an object like a historical painting, it might be tagged with terms such as “19th Century Art,” “Impressionism,” and “Local Artists.”
“19th Century Art”: This tag provides visitors with a temporal context, allowing them to understand when the painting was created. It situates the artwork within a broader historical narrative and helps them discover other pieces from the same era, enriching their understanding of art movements and societal influences during that time.
“Impressionism”: By tagging the painting with this term, you highlight its stylistic characteristics, informing visitors that it belongs to the Impressionist movement. This tag connects the painting to a specific genre, helping visitors explore similar works and understand the techniques and themes commonly associated with Impressionism, such as capturing light and everyday scenes.
“Local Artists”: This tag emphasizes the geographical relevance of the painting, suggesting that the artist is from the local area. It fosters a sense of community connection and encourages visitors to engage with other artworks by local artists. This tag can also serve to highlight cultural heritage and promote appreciation for regional talent.
Adding Tags: To enhance the categorization of your object, you can add more tags by selecting the Add Tag button. Start typing the new tag name, and when you finish, press Enter on your keyboard to save it. Consider using tags like “Special Exhibition” or “Family-Friendly” if the object is part of a particular event or targeted audience.
Saving Changes: After adding the necessary tags, click Save Draft Changes in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen to save your updates.
Quick Tip
To edit a current Tag or any of its associated details, you can navigate to the Tag Manager directly from the Tags section of any Object.
To do this, select Add Tag, and then select the Tag Manager option.
Featured Tags
Featured Tags are displayed on your Empower PWA landing screen, providing visitors with quick access to objects associated with each tag. Since you can designate a maximum of six featured tags, it's essential to choose those that will effectively engage your visitors.
Setting Up Featured Tags
To designate your Featured Tags, navigate to App Settings in the Console.
Select the Edit Config on the application where you want to add Featured Tags.
Go to the Featured Tags tab and click Add Tag to begin.
When a tag is marked as Featured, visitors to easily select a Curated Experience, which consists of Objects also using the same Featured Tag.
Note: Visitors can navigate to similar objects using any tag, but only Featured Tags will be visible on your landing page.
Once you've added your Featured Tags (up to six), click Done or Add Draft Changes in the bottom right corner of your screen.
Ideas For Feature Tags
Connected Artwork
A Featured Tag can be used to curate a grouping of objects intended to be enjoyed collectively.
By using a Featured Tag to tie Objects together into one guided experience, the group will be accessible on your PWA landing page.
In this scenario, the only prep work is creating a Featured Tag, and ensuring the Featured Tag is attached to the desired Objects.
Visitor Information
A Featured Tag can be used for organizing visitor information, making it immediately accessible on your PWA landing page.
In this scenario, an operator might have a Featured Tag called Visitor Information, and then several Objects that represent details of importance to visitors (i.e. Hours and Admission).
This allows the Content Blocks for the Object to be used as well, for housing more information and outside links (i.e. ticketing link, etc).
Kids & Families
A Featured Tag can be used to curate a grouping of objects intended for children and families.
By using a Featured Tag to tie all child-appropriate Objects together, the group will be accessible on your PWA landing page.
Implementing advanced tagging techniques can significantly enhance the visitor experience within your PWA. By utilizing the Tag Manager effectively, you can create and organize tags that connect various objects, exhibitions, and themes, guiding visitors through a more engaging journey. Featured Tags serve as a powerful tool to spotlight key collections and facilitate seamless access to curated experiences. As you refine your tagging strategy, remember that tags not only improve discoverability and content management but also empower you to highlight the unique aspects of your venue. By investing time in developing a thoughtful tagging approach, you set the stage for deeper visitor engagement and a richer exploration of your institution's offerings.
If you have any other questions about Tagging in Pladia, please feel free to reach out to the Customer Success team.