My Secret Power for Mining Communication

Alright, I'll admit it – I'm a total mine tour junkie. You all know I'm NEVER one to miss out on a tour, especially the historic ones!

But these experiences aren't just fun adventures for my Instagram feed and YouTube channel.

They've become my secret weapon for understanding how to communicate about mining to the public.

From Tour Guide Nerd to Social Media Nerd

Before I was an underground geologist with my rock hammer and muddy boots, and waaaay before I ever thought about starting MineLife Media, I was a mine tour guide at the World Museum of Mining in Butte. (Go Orediggers!)

Those years spent explaining mining stuff to random visitors taught me something huge: people are actually super curious about mining, but they tend care about the HUMAN stories more than anything else.

This began to shape how I think about mining communication today. (And if I'm being honest, being a tour guide is the only reason I passed any class projects having to do with public speaking. Exposure therapy really works!)

What People ACTUALLY Ask About (Spoiler: Not Tonnage Reports)

When visitors show up at historic mines, they generally don't care a lot about technical specs, production numbers, or extraction methods. Trust me, I've given hundreds of tours (and participated in MANY around the world as a guest!)

Here's what they actually want to know:

• "What was daily life like for these miners?"

• "How dangerous was it? Did people die here?"

• "What kind of work & jobs were available?"

• "How did mining change this town?"

• "What did miners' homes look like? How much did they make?"

• "Did kids work in the mines too?"

• "What does xyz amount of metal compare to?"

• "How are things different in mining today?"

Does this sound familiar? These are generally some of the same questions the public has about modern mining operations! Yet how often do we actually answer them in our corporate communications?

People-First Mining Communication

This whole pattern reveals something super important: while we as industry nerds might geek out about technical stuff (guilty as charged – I get excited about rock bolts), it's the human stories that actually connect with the general public.

When we only talk about production numbers, technological innovations, or critical minerals without the human element, we're totally missing what people actually care about. No wonder people tune us out!

This is why I'm always bugging my clients to take a people-first approach on social media. Show your employees and their stories! Talk about your community relationships! Address safety concerns directly! Connect your operation to everyday life! Show how modern mining is different from the old days!

Learning From Those Old-Timey Mine Tours

Historic mine tours are like a perfect laboratory to understand what interests people about mining. These places have figured out how to make mining interesting and accessible – they've had to, or nobody would show up!

What can modern mining companies steal from them? Honestly, a lot:

• Tell stories instead of rattling off statistics – the tours people remember weave personal narratives through the facts.

• Show, don't just tell – when I'd demonstrate old equipment or let people feel the weight of a drill, they'd instantly get concepts that would take forever to explain.

• Make it relevant to everyday life – help people see how mining connects to their phone, car, house, etc. I recently heard an explanation of a heap leach pad in comparison to making coffee and I'm totally stealing it when I talk to my friends and family about mining!

• Don't dodge the tough stuff – the best tours directly address accidents, environmental impacts, and challenges. They also demonstrate how they are overcoming them (ahem, Berkeley Pit, ahem).

• Make it interactive – when people get to participate, they remember way more than when they just listen to someone talk. Invite people to ask questions, hold something, give them a pop quiz, intertwine some humor in your presentation, etc.

• Don't be afraid to be excited – when we as communicators get excited about something, it showcases our passion! It makes the communicator more relateable and it makes the content much more interesting to the people watching!

  
  

Connecting Past and Present

I think one of the coolest opportunities in mining communication is creating connections between historic mining and modern operations. Mining museums and historic sites can be awesome partners in telling a fuller story about how the industry has evolved.

I've seen some brilliant collaborations where modern mines team up with local history museums. They contribute to preservation efforts, provide context about how practices have improved, create joint educational programs, and show how mining has continuously shaped their communities. It's a win-win that builds goodwill while educating people.

MineLife Media client, the World Museum of Mining, partnered with the local operation in Butte to create educational content that shows mining's evolution. That kind of partnership is pure gold for public perception (pun totally intended).

The Challenge: Go Experience It Yourself!

So here's my challenge to every mining professional reading this: Go take a mine tour as a regular visitor. Don't tell them you work in mining. Just listen to the questions people ask and watch what gets them excited.

What you learn might completely change how you think about talking about your operation & communication.

Can't make it to a tour? Check out my YouTube channel "The Rock Record" where I've documented several historic mine tours. It's not the same as being there, but you'll still pick up some communication insights!

And if you CAN make a mine tour but not sure if there's one near you - here's my free list of mine tours that you can save directly to your Google Maps. I'm very proud of it.

I hope this has helped you start thinking about mining communication differently. Whether you're working at a mine, a supplier, or just interested in the industry, there's so much we can learn from how historic mine tours connect with the public and our stakeholders.

Of course, we at MineLife Media are always happy to help! We're passionate about bridging the gap between technical mining operations and engaging storytelling.

What's your favorite historic mine tour? Have you noticed anything interesting about how they communicate about mining? Share in the comments! We're always looking for good tours (modern or historic) to add to our list!