Across the world, we’re beginning to see museums, zoos, gardens, and other cultural sites reopen after coronavirus closures. Many are initiating phased reopenings, using timed-ticketing and contactless modes of entry, opening to members only, and/or creating special hours for different groups. As these organizations began to reopen in the era of social distancing, many are rethinking what the onsite member experience may look like without the close interactions, friendly encounters with staff, and other personalized experiences that make visiting your organization so special.
Last Monday, over 1,400 people joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), John Perell (Director of Strategy & Member Experience @ Smithsonian Institution), Melissa Dietrich (Associate Director, Membership @ Longwood Gardens) & Zach Winfield (Vice President @ Zoo Advisors) as they discussed what the onsite member experience may look like after coronavirus closures and going into the future.
Watch the full recording here.
Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from the conversation.
Add Member Benefits that Enhance the Onsite Experience
After a long period of closures, it is important for your members to feel like they are being prioritized. John Perell from the Smithsonian Institution expressed that this may be a challenge for free admission organizations like the Smithsonian. One idea he considered was giving members a code to bypass the line.
“How do we reward our members? We are trying to think that true to ensure that they are feeling loved, but the bigger question is how will the system support that.”
– John Perell
On creating a better onsite experience for members, Zach Winfield from Zoo Advisers also recommended training staff on communicating effectively with guests, even with a mask on. Personalized interactions can be the highlight of an onsite experience, so it's important to find ways to create positive interactions even under these new circumstances.
“When your face is covered, they don’t see you smile and you really lose the ability to have the subtle interactions with guests and make them feel welcome.”
– Zach Winfield
By training staff on body language and smiling with your whole face, you can continue to enhance the member experience and offer them the personal touches that make visiting your museum so special.
Consider a Soft Opening for Members
If you’re looking to make the member experience extra special, you may consider a soft reopening to members only. This can also serve as a way to test out new procedures with a limited audience, while also being a member benefit. Melissa Dietrich from the Longwood Gardens shared that they were preparing for a member-only reopening for the first two to three weeks.
“We were thinking of having around 300 people per every 30 minutes in the 400 acre gardens. If we see that members are not taking out the full capacity, we were thinking of opening to single ticket buyers.”
– Melissa Dietrich
Zach agreed that a soft opening could be ideal for both members and the organization.
“It gives members an early look at something the public doesn’t have access to yet. I would also say when calculating your new capacity, reserve tranches of that capacity just for members even when the general public is readmitted.”
– Zach Winfield
If your organization is choosing not to do a soft opening, other ideas include giving members access to the certain times of the day or special holidays.
Continue to Create Meaningful Virtual Member Experiences
As organizations have started reopening, new procedures like timed ticketing and virtual queues can help welcome visitors back in a safe way. However, in order to maintain engagement with members who may not feel safe or comfortable visiting after reopening, many organizations are continuing their virtual offerings to drive member retention and revenue.
Although onsite visitations are vital for membership renewals, creative virtual member engagement can also boost member retention. Melissa discussed their creative approaches during the pandemic.
“With a unique daily post on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, our social engagement has gone through the roof with 300-400% in engagement. This is a place where members and guests can connect to us and ask questions. We also quickly manned 7 days a week to have someone answering all of those questions.”
– Melissa Dietrich
They also created a Longwood Love Campaign for members to share their past images from the garden and hosted a virtual membership appreciation week.
By ramping up digital during the pandemic, John also saw a 25-30% increase in online fundraising. Developing virtual fundraising initiatives may motivate people to support the organization’s mission and assist financially.
As gradual reopenings occur, it is essential to think about enhancing the membership experiences in an onsite setting. Organizations can offer reopening member benefits like soft openings and continued virtual programming to keep the community engaged in the organization.
Looking for more information? Check out our Coronavirus Resources page.
Further Reading:
5 Things to Keep in Mind as You Prepare to Reopen your Museum
How Museums & Attractions Are Increasing Safety And Convenience With “Contactless” Experiences
How Mobile Apps Can Help With Social Distancing And Safety For Your Museum’s Reopening
Tips & Strategies For Reopening Museums After COVID-19 Closures
How Museums Are Leveraging Their Mobile Apps During COVID-19
How Museums Are Leveraging Digital Membership During COVID-19