Diving into Marketing General Incorporated’s latest Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey reveals a masterclass on how associations have brilliantly adapted in a post-pandemic world, carving a path to impressive membership growth. At Cuseum, our mission is amplifying member engagement and loyalty for associations. To supercharge your strategies, we've handpicked and streamlined the 2023 report's crucial takeaways.
Ready to unlock the top 5 transformative insights? Let's dive in!
In the digital era, alumni associations face challenges like budget constraints, limited staffing, and declining member engagement. With 72% of members reporting higher levels of satisfaction and connection with associations that adopt emerging technologies, many alumni organizations are turning to cutting-edge digital tools to manage member operations, drive engagement, and unlock new revenue streams while meeting public expectations for technological offerings.
One avenue that holds particular potential is generative AI software like ChatGPT, which can process complex data, generate human-like results, and engage audiences in novel ways. From creative content marketing, to event promotion, to personalizing member communications, here are 8 ways ChatGPT can help boost acquisition, retention, engagement, and revenue for alumni associations:
Two weeks ago, we convened with more than 3,000 colleagues, partners, and museum professionals at #AAM2023, this year’s American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference in Denver. The annual gathering was teeming with lively debates on an array of critical issues pertinent to museums, art, and culture - spanning areas like membership growth, development strategies, education, digital engagement, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
Here we’ve identified a few key takeaways from #AAM2023 that will help equip museums and cultural organizations to meet rapidly shifting demands and confront emerging challenges of the digital era. Let’s dive in!
It’s just been one week since we joined over 3,000 peers, partners, and museum professionals at #AAM2023, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference in Denver. The annual meeting was abuzz with riveting conversations touching every corner of the museum landscape - membership, education, digital engagement, sustainability, and even artificial intelligence. Among these enriching dialogues, the session titled "The Power of Data-Driven Member Research to Drive Growth and Build Resilience" stood out, generating excitement throughout the conference. Read on for some key highlights from the session (and an invitation to dive deeper into trailblazing member research)!
Whether you've just launched or are trying to find fresh ideas, improving adoption is an essential strategy for streamlining services, providing an improved member experience, and ultimately increasing engagement and retention. Luckily, there are lots of tips and best practices that can make a big difference in improving adoption rates. In this blog post, we'll discuss simple strategies and lessons learned from organizations like yours that have successfully boosted their own digital card adoption rate.
Read on for the complete rundown!
In the digital era, museums and cultural organizations face challenges like budget constraints, limited personnel, and declining visitor numbers. As 80% of museums view emerging technologies as critical success factors, many are turning to digital solutions to manage collections, engage audiences, and unlock revenue streams.
One avenue that holds particular potential is generative AI software like ChatGPT, which can process complex data, generate human-like results, and engage audiences in novel ways. From creative content marketing, to event promotion, to personalizing member communications, here are 9 ways ChatGPT can help boost acquisition, retention, engagement, and revenue across cultural organizations:
At Cuseum, we’re committed to streamlining membership operations to help you save time and cut costs – and so we’re thrilled to announce the rollout of our integration with Zapier to connect with even more CRMs and member management systems.
With Cuseum’s new Zapier integration, launching a Digital Membership Card program at your organization will be easier than ever. Streamlined CRM integration means that tasks like importing member information, generating digital cards, and delivering cards to members is simple and effortless, saving you and your staff the time and headache of completing these processes manually.
In this post, we want to show you why we’re so psyched up about this new integration.
By leveraging Cuseum’s suite of digital tools, ballets, operas, theaters, and performing arts centers from the Tessitura ecosystem and of all types can streamline their processes, boost their revenue, and provide audiences with the ultimate experience.
In this blog post, we'll be exploring some amazing organizations that have successfully implemented our solutions to modernize their operations, increase engagement among members, and cultivate loyalty among their patrons.
Due to COVID-19, many museums and cultural organizations are facing significant disruptions to revenue with the absence of gate attendance and on-site purchases. From membership extensions, halted acquisition campaigns, canceled events, to public funding cuts, many other traditional revenue streams have also been interrupted. Even as organizations prepare to reopen and welcome members back, traditional events and other common revenue sources may be diminished or even off the table entirely for quite some time.
Despite the challenges, by rethinking the membership business model, initiating virtual events, and seeking out new revenue opportunities, membership departments and cultural institutions have the potential to bounce back, and membership can continue to be a primary revenue stream.
Over 2,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Claire Byfield (Membership Manager: Engagement @ British Museum), Tom Knowles (Membership Events Manager @ British Museum) & Rosie Siemer (Founder & CEO @ FIVESEED Membership Consulting) as they discussed how membership, revenue, and events can be reimagined to bolster museums and ensure their financial health going into the future.
Over the past several months, museums have been occupied with adapting to widespread coronavirus closures. Membership professionals have worked hard to adjust their communication, messaging, and membership fulfillment strategies, while continuing to reinforce the value of membership while physical sites are closed. Now, approaching two months into closures, many cultural organizations are beginning to think about plans for reopening, and some have already begun. What strategies, workflows, and policies can help facilitate a safe and successful reopening?
On May 4, 2020, over 2,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Meghan McCauley (Director of Membership and Visitor Services @ Perez Art Museum Miami), Aidan Vega (Director of Membership @ Philadelphia Museum of Art), Laura Schmid (Membership Manager @ Cincinnati Nature Center), & Kristi Masterson (Director of Engagement and Operations @ Cincinnati Nature Center) as they discussed the steps and process of reopening. This conversation included voices from organizations that have already opened to members, as well as those planning to do so in the coming weeks and months!
Over the past several months, museums have been occupied with adapting to widespread coronavirus closures. Membership professionals have worked hard to adjust their communication, messaging, and membership fulfillment strategies, while continuing to reinforce the value of membership while physical sites are closed. Now, approaching two months into closures, many cultural organizations are beginning to think about plans for reopening, and some have already begun. What strategies, workflows, and policies can help facilitate a safe and successful reopening?
On May 4, 2020, over 2,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Meghan McCauley (Director of Membership and Visitor Services @ Perez Art Museum Miami), Aidan Vega (Director of Membership @ Philadelphia Museum of Art), Laura Schmid (Membership Manager @ Cincinnati Nature Center), & Kristi Masterson (Director of Engagement and Operations @ Cincinnati Nature Center) as they discussed the steps and process of reopening. This conversation included voices from organizations that have already opened to members, as well as those planning to do so in the coming weeks and months!
The coronavirus crisis continues to keep museums and cultural organizations closed to the public, and closures are predicted to continue for weeks to months more. As a result, many institutions are facing disruptions to their revenue streams and finding it hard to connect with their members, donors, and constituents without in-person interactions and events that allow members to gather.
This week over 1,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Elizabeth Epley Sheets (Chief Advancement Officer @ Cheekwood Estate & Gardens) & Bradford Talley (Membership Manager @ Museum of Pop Culture) as they discussed the ways they’ve been honing their communication and messaging to connect with their members and donors during this difficult time. They discussed the potential of “virtual events” and gatherings that can help members stay connected to your organization and with each other.
The coronavirus crisis continues to keep museums and cultural organizations closed to the public, and closures are predicted to continue for weeks to months more. As a result, many institutions are facing disruptions to their revenue streams and finding it hard to connect with their members, donors, and constituents without in-person interactions and events that allow members to gather.
This week over 1,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Elizabeth Epley Sheets (Chief Advancement Officer @ Cheekwood Estate & Gardens) & Bradford Talley (Membership Manager @ Museum of Pop Culture) as they discussed the ways they’ve been honing their communication and messaging to connect with their members and donors during this difficult time. They discussed the potential of “virtual events” and gatherings that can help members stay connected to your organization and with each other.
It’s been over a month since many museums, zoos, and aquariums first closed down their physical sites due to coronavirus. This “new normal” has presented certain challenges, and many organizations are working to adapt their workflows to the current reality. In particular, many membership professionals are struggling with managing membership fulfillment, renewals, and reduced budgets from their home offices.
Over 1000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Partnerships @ Cuseum), Alice Stryker (Director, Individual Giving @ Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum), & Kimberly Kirkhart (Director of Membership @ Santa Barbara Zoo) as they discussed how they are adapting workflows and reallocating resources to stay on top of essential membership operations during this time.
Right now, many museums, zoos, and cultural organizations have been closed for nearly a month and are predicted to be closed for more weeks to months to come. This “new normal” has presented new challenges, and many museums are working to adapt their workflows to the current reality.
In particular, with the majority of membership departments currently working remotely, it is becoming increasingly difficult to adhere to the traditional methods of membership outreach. Membership departments are working harder than ever to fulfill membership cards, send out renewals, stay on top of gift processing and acknowledgment letters, and maintain a line of communication. At the same time, the lack of access to printers and materials, combined with the uncertainty around membership expiration dates, is making it nearly impossible for membership professionals to effectively execute the fulfillment process from home.
Digital Membership is one way to remove the burden from the membership fulfillment process while also providing institutions with a channel to quickly and easily distribute information to their constituents.
As museums continue to prolong their physical closures due to coronavirus, membership and development professionals are encountering new challenges. Now that in-person visits and special exhibition tickets can no longer serve as a primary benefit to members, how do membership professionals expand, augment and/or transform the member experience?
This week over 800 museum professionals joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Partnerships @ Cuseum), Jennifer Stone (Membership Manager @ Denver Museum of Nature & Science) & Chelsea Graham Jackson (Assistant Director of Membership @ Cleveland Museum of Art) as they discussed how the member experience might be expanded, especially through digital offerings, during coronavirus closures.
Watch the full video recording.
View the top takeaways below!
As the perpetual state of Coronavirus uncertainty continues to loom over us, cultural organizations have never faced prolonged, unplanned, closures in the way we are now. Historically, the majority of closures are brief, lasting for a few days or even weeks. Yet with no end in sight, cultural organizations are facing an entirely new, unprecedented challenge.
For many organizations who depend on income from on-site purchases like admission tickets, special exhibitions, and gift shop sales, the membership department is one of the only sources of income at the moment. In a time, however, when members cannot physically come on-site, the question becomes, how do we reinforce the value of being a member?
This past Monday, over 700 membership and museum professionals joined Ash Harris (Vice President of Guest Experience @ San Antonio Zoo), Kelli Buchan (Director of Membership @ The Franklin Institute) and Dan Sullivan (Head of Partnerships @ Cuseum), as they discuss ways that you can continue to reinforce the value of your membership, even when members cannot visit on site.
With the growing uncertainty around Coronavirus and its duration, museums and cultural organizations are wondering the best ways to navigate these uncharted waters. In the face of closures, requests for membership extensions, and member turnover, many cultural organizations are all experiencing the unprecedented challenge of maintaining their membership bases. During this unusual time, communication with those members is critical - but where do we start, and how do we stay relevant in members’ eyes when nobody can actually see us?
If you couldn’t make it you our special webinar this week, How Membership Departments Can Prepare for the Impact of Coronavirus, we have the next best thing. Dan Sullivan (Head of Partnerships at Cuseum) and membership experts Dana Hines (VP, Membership Marketing, Gabriel Group) and Alicia Lifrak (EVP, Fundraising, Gabriel Group) came together, and you can see a transcript of their conversation below. You can also check out a recording of the entire discussion.
With the ever-growing concerns around Coronavirus and its ripple effect on the global economy, many museums and attractions are wondering how they will be impacted. Membership professionals are specifically concerned about how this will impact their membership bases in the coming months or years.
To address these concerns, Dan Sullivan (Head of Partnerships at Cuseum) and membership experts Dana Hines (VP, Membership Marketing, Gabriel Group) and Alicia Lifrak (EVP, Fundraising, Gabriel Group) came together in a special webinar earlier this week to talk about steps membership-based organizations can take to prepare, and respond to this impending crisis.
To learn more, you can view the webinar recording online.
In the meantime, here are the top five tips and takeaways from the discussion: