June 15, 2023

Tips & Trends

8 Ways ChatGPT Can Empower Alumni Associations in the Digital Age

June 15, 2023

Tips & Trends

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:

Cuseum Associate

May 2, 2023

Tips & Trends

Boosting Digital Membership Card Adoption: Tips for Cuseum Customers

Cuseum Associate

May 2, 2023

Tips & Trends

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!

Cuseum Associate

April 13, 2023

Tips & Trends

9 Ways ChatGPT Can Empower Museums & Cultural Organizations in the Digital Age

Cuseum Associate

April 13, 2023

Tips & Trends

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:

Cuseum Associate

March 9, 2022

Tips & Trends

Will Museums & Cultural Institutions Find a Place in the Metaverse?

Cuseum Associate

March 9, 2022

Tips & Trends

The metaverse is not just an object of interest for Silicon Valley tech visionionaries. Indeed, in the world of entertainment, arts and culture, and museums, the metaverse hype has, too, entered the chat. From the launch of “Sotheby’s Metaverse,” to the emergence of metaverse-native art galleries and the novel collaboration between Fortnite and the Serpentine, it appears that the metaverse may have growing relevance for artists, culture enthusiasts, and museums alike.

What is even is the metaverse? What potential does it hold for mainstream entertainment? How is the metaverse colliding with the art industry? And, what might the metaverse mean for traditional museums

Read as we examine the possibilities that this nascent technology may hold:

Cuseum Associate

March 2, 2021

Announcements

Introducing AI-powered Text-to-Speech for Audio Guides

Cuseum Associate

March 2, 2021

Announcements

Today, we’re happy to announce the unveiling of an exciting new Mobile Engagement feature: AI-powered Text-to-Speech. Aimed at enabling our mobile app customers to effortlessly serve their visitors better and faster, the launch of AI-powered Text-to-Speech means that all text-based app content can be instantly converted to a state-of-the-art audio format. In other words, even when no audio has been recorded and uploaded, audio content can be made available auto-magically, making every app a true audio guide.

Let’s learn more!

Cuseum Associate

July 22, 2020

Tips & Trends

How Museums Can Generate Revenue Through Digital Content and Virtual Experiences

Cuseum Associate

July 22, 2020

Tips & Trends

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic forced museums of all kinds to close their doors, many have responded by shifting their attention to engaging audiences through virtual and remote channels. Through social media initiatives, virtual tours, live-streamed events, and an array of digital content, cultural organizations have made substantial efforts to expand their digital offerings throughout the period of lockdown.

Now, more than three months later, many organizations are not only facing the ongoing question of how to engage audiences; they are also facing a significant loss of revenue. Although many are beginning to open their doors to visitors once again, they are operating at reduced capacity and may be facing restrictions on physical events, summer camps, and other types of special gatherings. Organizations are also preparing for the possibility that a second wave of the coronavirus may push them towards temporary closures once again. Consequently, even as they reopen, many are recognizing the critical importance of digital content and engagement tools to not only to engage, educate, and inspire audiences, but also to serve as a new source of revenue.

As museums look to generate revenue through virtual initiatives, here are six ideas to consider:

Cuseum Associate

June 24, 2020

Tips & Trends

Coronavirus: The Unexpected Driver of Digital Innovation at Museums and Cultural Attractions

Cuseum Associate

June 24, 2020

Tips & Trends

COVID-19 brought much of the world to a standstill. As the government implemented stay at home orders, museums and tourist attractions dutifully closed their doors. After the initial days and weeks of closures, what seemed like a temporary situation began to set in as a new reality, and new concerns seized the attention of the entire cultural industry – what will the future hold?

Cuseum Associate

May 22, 2020

Tips & Trends

5 Things to Keep in Mind as You Prepare to Reopen Your Museum

Cuseum Associate

May 22, 2020

Tips & Trends

In the past few weeks, we’ve examined tips and strategies for planning for reopening, how to create a “contactless” museum experience, and how leveraging a mobile app can help museums engage their visitors in a safe way upon reopening. Although there still isn’t any one-size-fits-all approach, by learning from the triumphs and challenges of organizations that have already reopened, museums can equip themselves to initiate smooth reopenings.

Read on to get the latest tips on reopening:

Cuseum Associate

May 15, 2020

Webinar

Webinar Transcript: Experimenting with New Digital Revenue Streams On the Road to Reopening

Cuseum Associate

May 15, 2020

Webinar

Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced museums, zoos, and cultural attractions to close their doors, many have admirably turned their attention to new digital content projects, virtual public programs, and online events to help keep audiences engaged. Now, after two months of closures, many organizations are also beginning to monetize these digital initiatives through entrance fees, “pay what you wish” models, and other methods. Even as organizations open their doors (or plan to open their doors) to visitors once again, many are finding that the reduced capacity and restrictions on physical events and summer camps are placing greater importance on generating revenue through digital engagement initiatives.

On May 13, 2020, over 3,300 museum professionals joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Michelle Mileham (Director of Education @ Tracy Aviary), Christian Ramirez (Public Programs Manager @ Phoenix Art Museum) & Laura Houston (Director of Education @ Elmwood Park Zoo) as they explored various ways to monetize virtual programming and digital offerings. This webinar explored ways to monetize traditional programming that has been shifted to digital platforms, as well as creative ideas that have generated new revenue streams. This discussion also addressed some of the challenges related to reopening that cultural organizations are continuing to face.

Watch the video recording here.

Read the full transcript below:

Cuseum Associate

May 7, 2020

Tips & Trends

How Museums & Attractions are Increasing Safety and Convenience with “Contactless” Experiences

Cuseum Associate

May 7, 2020

Tips & Trends

Before the vast majority of the world’s museums and attractions were forced to temporarily close due the COVID-19 pandemic, visiting a museum was often a very social experience, involving various person-to-person interactions. From exchanges at the admissions and membership desks, interactions with fellow patrons, and special experiences involving touch screens or hands-on activities, moving through a museum previously put guests in close contact with shared devices as well as other visitors and staff.

Now, as we enter an era of social distancing, institutions are rethinking various aspects of the museum experience. New statewide regulations on sharing materials such as maps and traditional audio guides are affecting the traditional standards in which museums will operate in the upcoming months and years. As the shift to a “contactless” approach emerges, institutions are looking at ways to leverage technology to continue to bring modern conveniences and a safe experience to their visitors.

Cuseum Associate

May 6, 2020

Webinar

Webinar Highlights: Supporting Communities With Digital Programs During Coronavirus

Cuseum Associate

May 6, 2020

Webinar

As museums face ongoing challenges associated with the prolonged closures of their physical sites, communities are facing challenges of their own. Organizations are striving to produce vibrant, mission-driven content and programming, while also supporting the diverse needs of community members and constituents. How do you assess the needs of your community? How can your organization deliver content and resources that support the community? And how can museums imbue their mission into digital resources and programming?

On April 29, 2020 over 1,500 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Terri Freeman (President @ National Civil Rights Museum) & Mara Kurlandsky (Director of Digital Engagement @ National Museum of Women in the Arts) as they discussed how museums can serve their communities and further their own missions through digital initiatives. This webinar strived to address aspects of community engagement, digital programming, creating educational content, and more.

Cuseum Associate

May 6, 2020

Webinar

Webinar Transcript: Supporting Communities With Digital Programs During Coronavirus

Cuseum Associate

May 6, 2020

Webinar

As museums face ongoing challenges associated with the prolonged closures of their physical sites, communities are facing challenges of their own. Organizations are striving to produce vibrant, mission-driven content and programming, while also supporting the diverse needs of community members and constituents. How do you assess the needs of your community? How can your organization deliver content and resources that support the community? And how can museums imbue their mission into digital resources and programming?

On April 29, 2020 over 1,500 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Terri Freeman (President @ National Civil Rights Museum) & Mara Kurlandsky (Director of Digital Engagement @ National Museum of Women in the Arts) as they discussed how museums can serve their communities and further their own missions through digital initiatives. This webinar strived to address aspects of community engagement, digital programming, creating educational content, and more.

Cuseum Associate

May 1, 2020

Tips & Trends

How Museums are Leveraging their Mobile Apps during COVID-19

Cuseum Associate

May 1, 2020

Tips & Trends

Over the last two months, the demand for digital content has increased dramatically. Many museums have worked hard to translate their physical offerings into the digital space and have experienced a sizable growth in online reach and engagement. With the vast majority of museums remaining closed for the foreseeable future, organizations are looking to leverage their digital channels to bring the museum experience into people’s homes. Many institutions have learned during this time that digital content can transcend geographical barriers and can be used as a permanent extension to a museum’s reach. Research has shown that smartphones are also the most accessible digital tool for accessing information, with the vast majority of Americans owning a smartphone.

Cuseum’s Mobile Engagement platform is one way that institutions can effectively deliver digital content and provide a convenient one-stop location for their audience to view digital tours with interactive elements such as videos and audio.

Cuseum Associate

April 27, 2020

Webinar

Webinar Transcript: Collaborating on Virtual Educational Programs During Coronavirus

Cuseum Associate

April 27, 2020

Webinar

As museums and cultural organizations push forward in their efforts to adapt to coronavirus closures, many are striving to redesign programming and educational resources for digital platforms, stay community-oriented, and embrace digital transformation across all departments. At this moment, many museum leaders, educators, curators, and other professionals are working collaboratively with their colleagues in digital and social media to usher in a new digital era at their institutions, and many may be in search of guidance and best practices to help navigate these changes.

This week over 3,000 guests joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), Marie Vickles (Director of Education @ Perez Art Museum Miami) & Liz Neely (Curator of Digital Experience @ Georgia O'Keeffe Museum) as they discussed the ways that organizations can implement digital changes in education, programming, curation, and other departments. This webinar addressed sustainable digital transformation, as well as best practices for engaging and supporting your community in light of coronavirus.

Cuseum Associate

April 13, 2020

Webinar

Webinar Highlights: How to Craft Meaningful & Mindful Digital Content in the Age of Coronavirus

Cuseum Associate

April 13, 2020

Webinar

Due to the spread of coronavirus, museums and cultural organizations across the country are extending their expected lockdown periods and bracing for prolonged closures. As they remain physically closed to visitors, many museums are encountering new challenges around communicating and engaging their audiences. What outreach channels should you use? How do you overhaul your content calendar? And perhaps, most importantly, what kinds of content will resonate with your audiences?

This week, over 3,000 museum professionals joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), Ryan Dodge (Head of Digital Experiences @ Canadian Museum of History), and Kat Harding (Public Relations & Social Media Manager @ North Carolina Museum of Art) as they discussed how to develop effective content and messaging that aligns with your organization’s mission while resonating in the hearts and minds of audiences.

Watch the full video recording.

View the top takeaways below!

Cuseum Associate

April 12, 2020

Webinar

Webinar Transcript: How to Craft Meaningful & Mindful Digital Content in the Age of Coronavirus

Cuseum Associate

April 12, 2020

Webinar

Due to the spread of coronavirus, museums and cultural organizations across the country are extending their expected lockdown periods and bracing for prolonged closures. As they remain physically closed to visitors, many museums are encountering new challenges around communicating and engaging their audiences. What outreach channels should you use? How do you overhaul your content calendar? And perhaps, most importantly, what kinds of content will resonate with your audiences?

This week, over 3,000 museum professionals joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), Ryan Dodge (Head of Digital Experiences @ Canadian Museum of History), and Kat Harding (Public Relations & Social Media Manager @ North Carolina Museum of Art) as they discussed how to develop effective content and messaging that aligns with your organization’s mission while resonating in the hearts and minds of audiences.

Watch the full video recording.

View the full transcript below!

Cuseum Associate

April 8, 2020

Tips & Trends

Tips for Choosing a Webinar Platform for your Museum or Organization

Cuseum Associate

April 8, 2020

Tips & Trends

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep museums closed to the public, many cultural organizations have begun to produce a variety of digital content to keep their audiences engaged. One approach to engagement that is swiftly growing in popularity is webinars and virtual events. As the crisis continues, we are taking note which webinar platforms are being adapted by the museum, arts, and cultural attractions community, and which of these software giants are supporting the sector through cost-effective, and in some cases, free platforms to host webinars.