Explore Your Archive Campaign was a #Success!
The launch of the Explore Your Archive campaign 2022 took place over nine days from the 20th to the 28th November 2021. Each day was allocated a specific theme (Small, Big, Handwriting, Going Digital, Archive Shelfie, Collaboration, Conservation Nightmare, Achievements and Watch this Space) and anyone with an interest in archives was encouraged to take part in any way they liked.
And take part they did! The campaign received more engagement this year than any other. Just some of the many highlights are detailed below:
The main hub of the campaign was the website with over 1,000 unique website views over the nine days. The explore your archive toolkit was downloaded at least twice each day in the month before the campaign and this number doubled during the launch itself. The blog was also well visited with at least half of each day’s visitors to the website reading more than one blog post.
Thousands of people, organisations and institutions from all over the world took part in the campaign across the EYA social media channels. The EYA Instagram channel, which has been active less than a year, reached over 43,000 people over the course of the launch and over 61,000 across the month of November. On Twitter each day’s activity reached millions of people with over 15 million impressions of the #ExploreYourArchive hashtag being logged. Over 300 campaign related posts went live on Facebook.
Although these numbers are fantastic, what they don’t show is the amazing range of stories, collections and records shared across the campaign. From the Royal Family account joining in on Instagram, to parody pictures of iconic Disney moments to the world’s tiniest books. Please do look back using the #ExploreYourArchive Hashtag to see some of the gems that were posted across all social media platforms.
The EYA team are now firmly focused on the 2022 campaign. With a brand-new yearlong campaign launching in January, the continuation of the monthly themes and Explore Your Archive Day and the addition of exhibition pages to the website all in store, there is so much to look forward and get involved with.
The team is currently recruiting for a Twitter Social Media Officer and a Blog Co- Ordinator. If you are interested in these roles please check out the Volunteer with the ARA page for more information.
Any questions or queries about these roles, the campaign generally or getting involved as a volunteer in other ways can be sent to eya@archives.org.uk