Frequently asked questions

My core services are:

• Marketing strategy and audience development strategy creation

• Online and in-person training delivery on a range of marketing, audience development and freelancing topics

• Research, consultation and evaluation to support marketing and audience development

• Workshop facilitation, for example to develop an organisational mission, to achieve consensus about a strategy, or to generate ideas for a marketing plan

• In-person and online speaking and lecturing opportunities on marketing, audience development and freelancing topics. This can be linked to my book Marketing Strategy for Museums.

I am used to work on funded projects, for example National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and regional museum development organisation-funded projects.

I specialise in working with museums, heritage sites, cultural organisations, arts venues, libraries and archives.

I also have experience in working in the public sector, with charities, education and membership.

Absolutely. Much of my experience is with smaller and volunteer-run organisations. I have previously worked as communications manager for a small heritage charity, so I understand the pressures, plate-spinning and limited time and budget small organisations have to work with. Most commonly, smaller organisations will work with me as part of funded projects.

Yes, I also love working with larger organisations. I have worked with organisations such as the Science Museum Group and Art Fund, and many sector support organisations with national remits such as the Arts Marketing Association, the Association of Independent Museums and The Exhibitions Group.

That’s up to clients. Sometimes I am asked to deliver a half-day workshop, provide a few hours of mentoring time or be a critical friend for a day. Other projects last for several months.

Both. I’m based in Norwich and day-to-day I work from home, with opportunities for frequent Zoom or Teams meetings with clients and online file sharing to suit clients (eg Google Docs, Sharepoint, WeTransfer, emails).

But I love travelling to see clients in-person, for meetings, training and workshop facilitation and also to have a look around their venues and gain a better understanding of them. I’ve worked with clients across England and in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Where feasible my preference is for travelling by train.

This varies from project to project. I can work to a fixed-rate project fee or on a day rate. I can provide ballpark budgets to feed into early conversations, as well as develop detailed proposals and costings in response to a brief or for a funding application.

This depends on the client and project’s aims. Success could be outcome or output based, for example:

• increased understanding of audiences or non-users, with actionable recommendations following research or consultation

• staff confidence and knowledge from training

• improved audience data eg increased visitor numbers, more return visits, more income, improved audience diversity

• team consensus around a clear set of objectives and evaluation methods

• completion of an audience development strategy or marketing strategy that the client can use

• other benefits such as client time and headspace freed up, strategic priorities identified, team empowerment and motivation achieved.

Absolutely. I have a few testimonials from clients and training delegates scattered across my website and can also provide more extensive testimonials and named referees on request.

Of course! You can send me some more details via my website and we can have a call to discuss what you need, even if you’re in the early stages and don’t yet have a fully formed brief or plan. Some clients also want to explore whether ways of working and values are aligned, and whether there’s a chemistry fit.

A clear brief is a great starting point, which will allow me to understand what support you need, what you’re looking for, the context, and the practicalities like timescales and budget. I can then develop a proposal in response for you to consider.

But I’m also happy to have a chat about all of this and then develop a proposal off the back of that. Get in touch and we can take it from there, I look forward to hearing from you!