As museums and cultural organizations begin to reopen, one of the biggest challenges membership professionals may be facing is how to re-engage and re-welcome members again. Organizations are concerned about how they can reconnect with lapsed or nonresponsive members, and are looking for strategies and tips to drive renewals.
This Monday, over 1,100 people joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Daniella Cabezas (Associate Director of Special Events & Corporate Relations @ Miami Children’s Museum), Amy Marks (Director, Membership & Development Services @ Space Center Houston) & Ann Meisel (Client Services & Membership Manager @ Poster House) as they discussed strategies and plans for re-engaging with members after a long period of being closed.
Watch the full recording here.
Here are the major takeaways.
Keep Members Engaged Virtually!
Often, the first step to getting visitors re-engaged for an onsite experience is by engaging them digitally. For example, Daniella Cabezas at Miami Children’s Museum started hosting weekly membership events, which included weekly storytime sessions and guided art workshops. They have been overall very successful in their virtual events, with around a 77% participation rate from their members.
“To succeed, it’s not being afraid to communicate with them. Sometimes you get email shy that you don’t wanna overwhelm them with emails, but we’ve been pretty aggressive in getting that communication and following up with phone calls.”
– Daniella Cabezas
Another panelist, Ann Meisel at Poster House, has been working on new campaign projects for members. The gift membership campaign will be rolled out to members first, and members will be able to give Poster House’s memberships to others. They have also been working on innovative designs and effective marketing to engage members. The digital aspect can play a major role in engaging members at a time when people may be uncomfortable visiting your organization. In this way, digital can act as a great complement to the in person engagement going forward.
Consider Extending Membership Expiration Dates
For many members, free physical visits to the organization is the greatest benefit of a membership. However, with current circumstances with COVID-19, many museums have been unable to offer these onsite benefits. For this reason, many organizations have considered membership extensions. For example, Amy Marks at Space Center Houston, knew that the organization had to be closed for at least a few months. Consequently, her team extended all membership expiration dates an additional three months.
Ann initially gave a two month extension to memberships, but due to prolonged closures, they changed some of their policies. Existing members were all given an extension until the museum reopens while new members had their memberships start on the reopening date.
“We are fortunate to have the Cuseum cards. Therefore, it will take care of all updates when we have a reopening set date.”
– Ann Meisel
As a newer organization, she was able to save time and money through going digital with the Cuseum membership cards. Instead of mailing out new cards, she was also able to update the membership extensions through this platform. Additionally, she added all the COVID-19 updates and other information on their new membership website, which was newly created during their closure to provide extra value.
Repurpose Physical Events to a Virtual Setting
During this time with limited resources and budgets, teams should focus on creating programs that are unique and creative with existing resources. Daniella is very aware of the limited resources that will be available when reopening occurs. She plans to continue their institution’s virtual programming by switching themes and working with past partners.
“I’ve had a Star Wars Troops that did an onsite event for members that had been overwhelming. The kids liked it as much as the parents and we had that conversation with them[Star War Troops] on how to do that virtually. A lot of your partners have also had a transition and pivot, and it’s not something you have to figure out by yourself.”
– Daniella Cabezas
The Poster House was able to also continue various campaigns through virtual partnerships. Ann noted that they were able to partner with Print Magazine, Times Square Arts, and For Freedoms to launch a public art campaign called #COMBATCOVID. They worked with over 20 artists to feature art with PSAs and other supportive messages on billboards and digital screens in New York City.
Communicate with Members to Improve Engagement in Virtual and Physical Settings
After prolonged closures, it is vital to capture the attention of the members and community during reopening. While your institution is closed, this time could be utilized to be especially responsive to the community.
Daniella suggested collaborating with the marketing team to analyze past events and emails that did not perform as well as others. This could also be a great way to target those who may not be participating in the programming through phone calls or direct mail to understand how to improve future operations.
“It’s about finding what your members really love about your institution and how can you keep that alive for them even if capacity is limited.”
– Daniella Cabezas
She has already started looking into how to maximize re-opening engagement by sending our surveys and finding unique events like distanced character meet and greets while taking safety precautions.
Amy has also increased communication with her members by converting monthly newsletters to weekly emails. In thinking about reengagement, her organization was planning on holding a reopening for their new SpaceX Falcon 9 booster exhibit. Through this outdoor activity, the team planned to invite a representative from SpaceX to engage with members and a Kona Shaved Ice truck for a complimentary summer treat.
Ann was also able to set up diverse programming during this challenging time. They’ve also been developing programming in response to various causes, such as Instagram takeovers for Pride month, Verbal Tours for low vision and blindness, talks on AIDS activism, and more.
When reopening, it is especially important to reach out to members, including those who may be unresponsive, to drive membership renewals. Even if resources may be limited, we encourage organizations to collaborate with the entire team to analyze past high engagement events to recreate a reimagined and unique version to the community.