Brendan Ciecko
The Pioneer Museum Launches New Mobile App and ...

We’re excited to announce that The Pioneer Museum with the Arizona Historical Society has launched a new, mobile app with Cuseum! The launch coincides with the opening of their newest exhibit, Todos Unidos: The Hispanic Experience in Flagstaff.

Tips & Trends

How Your Museum Can Save by Switching to Digital Membership Cards

Across the world, museums and cultural institutions of all kinds are facing the financial ramifications of COVID-19. According to a study by the UNESCO, around 90% of the world’s cultural institutions had to temporarily close due to the pandemic. Months after closing their doors, some museums may just be entering into a phased re-opening period, and others may be closed for many more weeks or months longer. As a result, organizations of all sizes are bracing for a significant loss in revenue and looking for areas to cut costs and increase efficiency.

In this difficult time with limited financial resources, one way to reduce expenses is by switching from physical membership cards to digital membership cards. Along with a variety of benefits, including going green, adding value and convenience to members, and increasing membership renewals, a digital membership program can be a significant cost-cutting measure during these challenging fiscal times.

Tips & Strategies for Reopening Museums After COVID-19 Closures

As museums make the transition to reopening, many organizations are looking for guidance on what this process will look like, what policies they should enact to ensure the safety of their staff and visitors, and how to facilitate a gradual reopening.

Whether you’re an art or history museum, children’s museum, science center, aquarium, zoo, botanical garden, or nature center will affect what specific policies and guidelines you follow, since every organization is facing different challenges. Some organizations may already be in the process of reopening, while others may be planning for a “soft reopening” months from now.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reopening, the following guidelines offer up some of the best practices for museums and cultural organizations as they begin to plan and execute smooth and safe transitions into reopening.

How Museums Are Leveraging Digital Membership During COVID-19

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.

Tips for Leveraging TikTok at Your Museum

As museums face prolonged closures due to the coronavirus, the importance of engaging audiences inside their homes has become of growing importance. As museums and cultural organizations work to adapt their content strategy and reach audiences remotely, many may be finding that the “tried-and-true” social channels are no longer as effective as they once were. As a result, such organizations may be interested in experimenting with newer channels that will give them greater reach to different demographics.

Even though it has been around for several years now, TikTok is still considered an emerging and relatively untapped channel for many museums. It also has enormous capacity to help you connect with your audiences and community in new ways.

If you’re looking to get started on TikTok at your museums, check out some tips below:

4 Ways Museums Can Successfully Leverage Digital Content and Channels during Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In the age of coronavirus (COVID-19), museums are facing unprecedented difficulties and uncertainty. In the past weeks, three-quarters of museums have shut down, starting with behemoths like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Smithsonian’s museums. While these indefinite closures are presenting challenges, museum professionals have acted rapidly and creatively to keep their audiences engaged remotely.

How Membership Departments Can Prepare for the Impact of Coronavirus (Webinar Highlights)

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:

How Museums and Attractions are Preparing and Responding to Coronavirus

Museums are beginning to be affected by the fear and precautions taken in light of the spreading coronavirus. Across Asia and Europe, cultural organizations and tourist destinations are closing down to visitors. While this is taking its toll on the cultural sector, several museums have begun to devise creative strategies to make their collections and exhibitions available to the public through digital and virtual tools.

How Museums are Offering Special Events & Programs to Celebrate Black History Month

We’re halfway through February, and that means Black History Month is in full swing. Black History Month is recognized across the country and it serves as a “celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history.” For museums of all kinds, and particularly institutions that feature art, history, and science, Black History Month is an important time to pay tribute to the vital contributions, triumphs, and creativity of African Americans.

We’re thrilled to shout out some of our partners who are celebrating Black History Month with special exhibitions, events, and more. Read on to be inspired by various ways museums are honoring Black History Month.

Top Technology Trends for 2020: What it Means for Museums and Nonprofits

Technology is becoming increasingly essential to the operations of museums and nonprofits. From making things more efficient behind the scenes to improving the customer experience, new and long-standing technologies are transforming the way organizations operate and delight visitors. Each year, we look forward to reviewing the predictions published by major research firms and leading technologists. Gartner, a leading global research and advisory firm, recently put out their latest predictions for trends that will accelerate technological progress in years to come. 

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How Colleges and Universities Turn to Digital to Enhance Alumni Engagement

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More than ever before, ensuring alumni engagement and career success are top priorities for colleges and universities. Indeed, as higher education enrollments continue to fall and universities feel heightened pressure to bring in more revenue, active alumni networks not only help institutions of higher education cultivate a compelling brand, but also serve as a vital source of financial support for colleges. 

 According to the latest findings by Salesforce, “the advancement office is fundamental to institutional growth and development” at universities. Additionally, advancement and development staff rely heavily on the generosity and giving of alumni to achieve their fundraising goals and keep their institutions vibrant and afloat. 

5 New Technologies Unveiled at CES that Could Shape the Future of the Museum Experience

Earlier this month, Las Vegas and the tech world were abuzz about the 2020 Consumer Electronic Show (CES). According to Forbes, “CES is a celebration of creativity and the desire to make things smarter, faster, and better,” and it showcases the innovations from startups, tech giants, and manufacturers alike. For many, it’s a glimpse into what’s to come next.

5 Tips to Reduce Membership Turnover

Museums and cultural attractions spend a lot of time searching for creative and effective new ways to attract new members while retaining and engaging their existing constituents.

With everything that goes in to expanding your reach, sometimes it is easy to forget that keeping members in the long-term is just as important as getting new members to sign up (if not more)! Research shows that it costs five times as much to acquire a new member than to retain a current one. Additionally, over a five year period, the average total value of a renewed member was worth 35% more than that of the average total value of a newly acquired member. The numbers are clear: reducing membership turnover is well worth the investment.

Here are five ways to help reduce membership turnover at your organization!

4 Reasons to Go Digital with Membership Cards in 2020

We’re counting down the days until 2020, which promises to be the biggest year yet for the digital wallet. While mobile wallet payments accounted for $75 billion in 2016, this number is forecast to reach $500 billion going into 2020. And according to predictions by Visa, “By 2020, many people could be leaving their wallets behind” in favor of their mobile phones.

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