Artwork for podcast Love my Museum
Episode 51: Turn Your 2026 Priorities Into a 90-Day Plan
Episode 51 • 6th January 2026 • Love my Museum • Amy Kehs
00:00:00 00:18:10

Share Episode

Shownotes

In this episode, Amy helps turn your 2026 priorities into a realistic 90-day plan. Using the Love my Museum Method, she explains why focusing on one priority per month—brand messaging, visitor experience, and media relations—creates momentum without overwhelm. Designed for small teams and busy schedules, this episode offers a practical framework your museum can use to start the year with focus.

Links from the Episode:

Books mentioned. These are affiliate links. I earn a small commission when you use them:

More Free Resources for Museums:

About the host: 

Amy Kehs is a brand strategist and communications expert for museums. She has owned Kehs Communications since 2000 and has worked for the most renowned and well-loved museums in Washington, D.C. Her goal is to ensure that museums thrive into the next century and she hopes people will come to love museums as much as she does. Her proven process sets up proactive communication habits for museums, cultivating relationships with visitors who will want to return and bring a friend. Want to talk more? Click this link to book a call.

Transcripts

Amy:

Happy New Year.

2

:

Today we are taking those 2026

priorities from the last episode

3

:

and turning them into a 90 day plan.

4

:

Let's get started.

5

:

I.

6

:

Hello and welcome to the

Love My Museum podcast.

7

:

I'm your host, Amy Kehs

and I love museums.

8

:

I'm also a brand strategist

and communications expert for

9

:

museums, and I am so thrilled

to start this new year with you.

10

:

Happy New Year.

11

:

If you listen to the last episode of

:

12

:

you through the three priorities that

will strengthen your museum this year.

13

:

Brand messaging, visitor

experience, and media relations.

14

:

They're the three parts to the love

my museum method that I have been

15

:

teaching my clients and I wanted.

16

:

Really make sure that I talk more about

this method this year on the podcast.

17

:

So today we're going to take those three

priorities and we are going to turn them

18

:

into a simple, realistic 90 day plan.

19

:

This is one of my favorite ways

to start a new year because it

20

:

helps you move from just talk.

21

:

Just that inspiration that we

talked about on the last episode.

22

:

Into action, hopefully

without feeling overwhelming.

23

:

So why 90 days?

24

:

Well, a full year can feel like a lot.

25

:

12 months of projects and events

and board meetings and school

26

:

groups and all the unpredictability

27

:

that comes with Museum Life, but 90 days.

28

:

90 days feels manageable and

achievable and encouraging.

29

:

I have been doing 90 day planning

for about four years myself, for my

30

:

own business and my own life, and I

also for the last few years have been

31

:

teaching 90 day planning to my clients.

32

:

It helps you stay focused,

create momentum, and build.

33

:

Consistency, especially if you have

a small team like me, or limited

34

:

time, it lets you chip away at

long-term goals in a manageable way,

35

:

and that is exactly what we want for 2026.

36

:

Now for each of these priorities.

37

:

I'm going to give you three

possible action steps.

38

:

I'm doing it this way because every

museum is at a different starting point.

39

:

Some of you are brand new to

this work, others have already

40

:

started working on these things.

41

:

If you've worked with me before,

or if you've been listening

42

:

to the podcast for a while.

43

:

So instead of giving you just one

giant assignment that may or not,

44

:

may not be right for the work that

you're doing right now at your

45

:

museum, I want to give you choices.

46

:

I wanna meet you where you are

and make this a bespoke plan

47

:

for your work at your museum.

48

:

I really, really believe in

this, and that is why if you've

49

:

worked with me, you know that I.

50

:

Make sure everything is customized

to fit with your museum.

51

:

I also really try to make the

podcast and the other resources in my

52

:

resource library so that everything

is meeting you where you are.

53

:

So think of it like this.

54

:

If you are brand new to

this or you just want.

55

:

Uh, maybe you just wanna reset

or you wanna start from scratch.

56

:

Choose the option that I'm going

to give that will help get you

57

:

organized and sort of figure out

where you are in the process.

58

:

If you are already in motion, if you've

already started working on these things,

59

:

then choose the option that helps you

refine and strengthen and just take

60

:

that next step of what you're already

working on, and if you're ready to

61

:

level up, choose the option that is

going to give you that push forward.

62

:

This approach keeps.

63

:

Your plan, flexible and practical.

64

:

Okay, so let's build your 90 day plan.

65

:

We are going to take each of, of the

priority, and I want you, like I said,

66

:

to choose just one action that you can

complete in the first 90 days of the year.

67

:

Just one per category.

68

:

Three actions total.

69

:

That's it.

70

:

Okay, so priority one is brand messaging.

71

:

Your brand is the feeling that

people have when they think about

72

:

your museum, and your words play

a huge role in shaping that.

73

:

I think that there is a few misconceptions

out there when it comes to museums,

74

:

especially if you're a smaller museum

and your brand, the first misconception

75

:

is that your brand is just a logo or

the colors that you choose, and that

76

:

couldn't be farther from the truth.

77

:

Your brand is also the words you use.

78

:

It's your messaging, and like I said,

it's the feeling that people have

79

:

when they think about your museum.

80

:

The other misconception I think is they

think of big brands that, you know,

81

:

this only works for some of those bigger

companies, and that isn't true either.

82

:

Your museum can have and

should have a brand too.

83

:

So here are the three options.

84

:

Pick the one that fits

where you are right now.

85

:

Option A, do a messaging audit.

86

:

Look at your website, your

social media, brochures, event

87

:

descriptions, your email marketing.

88

:

Anywhere your museum uses

words is your message.

89

:

I call it the three C's.

90

:

Is your message clear,

consistent, and confident?

91

:

If you are stuck or this feels

overwhelming, I have linked in the show

92

:

notes, my museum digital assessment.

93

:

I will do this audit for you to get you

started, and then we meet up and we come

94

:

up with a plan if there are any gaps.

95

:

That's option A.

96

:

So option A, do a messaging audit,

either DIY, it, or you can check out my

97

:

Museum Digital Assessment to get help.

98

:

Option B, write a simple

visitor focused brand message.

99

:

One sentence that captures who you are.

100

:

Who you serve, why you matter, and this

becomes your anchor for everything.

101

:

My two favorite books to help

with this are by Donald Miller,

102

:

StoryBrand and Marketing Made Simple.

103

:

I have those linked in

the show notes as well.

104

:

And option C is to standardize

your message across platforms.

105

:

Take that message and

start using it everywhere.

106

:

Your email.

107

:

Social media, website, press

materials, consistency builds

108

:

trust, reuse your words.

109

:

We want to repeat ourselves

when it comes to our messaging.

110

:

Okay, so those are your three options.

111

:

Choose just one the one that

matches your starting point.

112

:

Okay.

113

:

Priority two, visitor experience.

114

:

This is where the trust is going

to become loyalty, and it's where

115

:

so many museums can make small

changes that lead to big impact.

116

:

Here are your three options for that.

117

:

Option A, do a full visitor

experience walkthrough.

118

:

Start from.

119

:

The digital door.

120

:

So your visitor experience is

in three parts before the visit,

121

:

the visit, and after the visit.

122

:

So start with before the visit,

start from that digital door,

123

:

your website, your social media,

124

:

and then next.

125

:

The actual visit.

126

:

So parking, greetings, signage, labels,

the flow of your exhibit, and even.

127

:

How do you stay in touch

with them afterwards?

128

:

How do you capture their feedback

and get them on your email list?

129

:

You could do this yourself, or you could

invite someone with fresh eyes to do it.

130

:

It could be a board member

volunteer or your friend.

131

:

Anyone who isn't in the daily

routine, ask what confused them.

132

:

What was great, what felt unclear.

133

:

That's option A.

134

:

Do a full visitor experience, walkthrough

option B, map this out into a visitor

135

:

journey and identify the touch points.

136

:

So take this audit and map it out.

137

:

What does a full visitor journey

look like for your guests?

138

:

From before the visit?

139

:

During the visit?

140

:

After the visit.

141

:

So let's.

142

:

Start from somebody just heard

that you exist and they're going

143

:

online to see what you're all about.

144

:

What do they find?

145

:

And then map it all out.

146

:

Identify those touchpoint A, option C is

identify one friction, point and fix it.

147

:

So look at that visitor

journey and fix it.

148

:

Maybe it's confusing signage

or a cluttered entrance, or

149

:

unclear ticketing on the website.

150

:

One improvement can transform

the whole experience.

151

:

Pick the one that you know will make

the biggest impact this quarter.

152

:

And put that on your list.

153

:

Priority three, media relations.

154

:

This is where the visibility and that

community trust can grow exponentially.

155

:

Here are three places you could begin.

156

:

Option A, build or update your media list.

157

:

Identify reporters, editors,

bloggers that cover your.

158

:

Museum's topic, option B, send an email.

159

:

If you haven't talked to the people

on your media list in a while, or if

160

:

you've never talked to the people on

your media list, send them an email.

161

:

Let them know what is coming up this year.

162

:

Let them know what experts

you have on your team.

163

:

Just a friendly, helpful check-in

that keeps you top of mind.

164

:

Option C, identify two or three stories

that you wanna pitch this spring.

165

:

Think about anniversaries, new programs,

exhibitions, partnerships, or themes that

166

:

are tying into national conversations.

167

:

if you have not downloaded the planning

calendar for museums yet, this.

168

:

Will help you so much.

169

:

So choose the step that fits

your bandwidth and your goals.

170

:

Media relations is my jam.

171

:

It is what I have been doing

for museums since:

172

:

So if you feel stuck or unsure, or

if this process seems mysterious or

173

:

scary, please book a call with me so

that we can talk and I can help you.

174

:

Okay, so now you have three things.

175

:

One thing for each of the three

priorities, one for brand messaging,

176

:

one thing for visitor experience,

one thing for media relations, and

177

:

no matter which three things you

picked, schedule some time on your

178

:

calendar over the next three months.

179

:

And each month we'll work

on one of these priorities.

180

:

So instead of working on all

three things together, we're

181

:

going to focus on one per month.

182

:

And this gives you space to breathe.

183

:

You can make progress.

184

:

You can build momentum without

feeling overwhelmed or overwhelming.

185

:

Your team, if you have help on

these things, I recommend starting

186

:

with brand messaging, no matter

which option you pick to work on.

187

:

A solid message becomes your compass

for the rest of the year, shapes your

188

:

social media, your press outreach,

your visitor materials, and the way

189

:

that your community talks about you.

190

:

In month two, we're going to

work on that visitor experience.

191

:

This lets you strengthen the way

people feel when they interact

192

:

with you, whether it's online or

in person, or after they've left.

193

:

And small improvements here

have really big ripple effects.

194

:

If you've been listening here for

a while, you know that one of my

195

:

favorite quotes is by Walt Disney.

196

:

Do what you do so well that they

want to come back and bring a friend.

197

:

And that's what month two is all about.

198

:

Month three, we will.

199

:

Tackle media relations.

200

:

So now you've worked on your brand

messaging, you've created an amazing

201

:

experience for your visitors, and

now you're ready for some visibility.

202

:

This is when you'll

update your media list.

203

:

Send that check-in email

that we talked about.

204

:

Identify stories to pitch this spring.

205

:

Now, why does this work?

206

:

You can avoid that overwhelmed by

focusing deeply on one priority

207

:

at a time, and each month is going

to build on the one before it.

208

:

So clear message, stronger experience,

and then stronger stories to share

209

:

with the media, and you can create real

measurable progress with a manageable.

210

:

Museum friendly workload

211

:

At the end of 90 days, you will have

strengthened all three pillars of the Love

212

:

My Museum Method, and you could come back

to this episode and then pick different

213

:

options to work on the next three months.

214

:

if you want support mapping this

out, I've got two tools that pair

215

:

beautifully with this episode.

216

:

One I've already talked about before,

download the free:

217

:

It's the perfect companion

for the 90 day plan.

218

:

You can map out these goals in your

events, have everything all in one place.

219

:

If you haven't grabbed it yet,

the link is in the show notes.

220

:

Second is to take a look at the

social media workbook and companion.

221

:

Workshop.

222

:

This is brand new.

223

:

It's at a very affordable price.

224

:

If social media is part of.

225

:

The one of your brand messaging goals

or one of your visitor experience goals

226

:

that you're working on this quarter?

227

:

The workbook and the companion workshop

teaches you my system for social media

228

:

planning that I developed for museums.

229

:

It's really perfect for small museums,

but if you're a larger museum or you

230

:

don't have a dedicated person on staff.

231

:

And you had somebody wearing the

social media hat, you might want

232

:

to have this framework to follow.

233

:

It gives you prompts, planning

templates, and clear steps

234

:

to plan a month of content.

235

:

Both of those resources are in the

show notes and also I have a few

236

:

consulting spots left in quarter one.

237

:

Book a call and we can talk

more about how I can help.

238

:

I hope this 90 day plan helps you start

the year feeling, feeling focused.

239

:

Grounded, excited.

240

:

Pick one action from each

of the three priorities.

241

:

Write it down, and let that

be your roadmap for the

242

:

first three months of 2026.

243

:

And remember, you do not need a huge

team or a big budget to build momentum.

244

:

You just need small, consistent steps.

245

:

Happy New Year.

246

:

I can't wait to see what

your museum does this year.

247

:

I'll see you next time.

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube