Membership and

Multi-Channel Acquisition

American Alliance of Museums 2015

Monday, April 27

• On-site Sales

• Direct Mail

• Email

• Online Advertising

• Social Media

• Telemarketing

• Mobile Marketing

ChannelsNo longer can an organization rely solely on a single

marketing activity to drive membership sales.

• Your team or another department

• Training

• Goals

• Incentives

On-Site SalesThe best audience for new members is right outside your

door!

• List of prospects

• Creative

• Offers and Testing

Direct MailStill the workhorse of the modern acquisition strategy.

• Timing with mail campaigns

• Creative and offers

• Testing

• Call-to-Action

• Images vs text

• Expanded email program

EmailStill the workhorse of the modern acquisition strategy.

• Advertising

• Cover photo

• Join tab

• Time-bound offers

• Target friends of current

members

• Retargeting

• Organic reach has been

greatly diminished

Social MediaFacebook is king.

• Expand reach and deepen engagement

• Increase the number of email subscribers

• Capture one-to-one contact info and create a path to

membership

• Expose member prospects and potential donors to

mission messaging

• Connect emotionally with audiences and capture

personal stories

• Garner media attention

Social Media ContestsUse social contests to generate rapid

visibility and email capture.

• SMS

• Member services

• Offers

• Surveys

• Engagement

• VIP experiences or Freebies

• Geo-targeted ads

• Push messaging via apps

Mobile for MembershipMobile is no longer a trend.

• Key giving times throughout the year

• Market to members, donors, and other target

audiences (e.g. grandparents)

• When could you create a special holiday?

• Goal: 5% of membership

Gift Membership PromotionGift membership is a vital part of a healthy membership

program.

• Shared goals, metrics, schedules, and reporting

• Google Analytics for membership pages (traffic

and conversion goals)

• Google Grant and display advertising strategy

• Email communications schedules and use of in-

house lists

• Landing pages, e-commerce systems, and

product packaging

• Social media strategy and content management

A Seat at the TableMembership should be involved in:

Keys to Success

• Consistent creative across channels

• Landing pages

• Testing

• Real-time optimization

• Data capture

• Matchback analysis

Multi-Channel requires:

Scenario:

- A State-run organization

- Transformational time in its own history

- Building a new physical and brand presence

- Overcoming a perception of need situation

- Creating a new reputation for an organization

The Traditional

Strategic Planning

Acquisition – direct mail, on-site sales

Lapsed recapture – direct mail and telemarketing

Membership upgrades – direct mail

Annual Fund – direct mail

The Social

Finding and engaging new audiences

Converting to visitors and members

Leveraging word of mouth

A Plan for Member and Donor Growth:

Goals:

• Grow membership by 50%

• Reach new membership audiences and

donors

• Lay the foundation for future outreach

• Change the way people perceive a

history museum

A fully integrated, multi-channel approach:

• Direct Mail

• Social Media

• Mobile/Online

• Telemarketing

• On-site Sales

• QR codes

• Website

• Email append

• Branded Facebook “microsite”

• Facebook Contests:

Photo, Trivia, and Puzzler

• Mobile Scavenger Hunt

Digital Components:

STRATEGY

Create a space for Coloradans to be a part of the story and

discover the History Colorado brand.

Contests

STRATEGY

Create a space for people to discover and learn about the

new History Colorado Center and the value of membership.

Contests

STRATEGY

Create a campaign to drive traffic to the new Facebook

microsite, encourage word of mouth sharing, have some fun!

Contests

STRATEGY

Raise awareness about the opening of the new Denver A to

Z exhibit; Registered 186 teams exceeding goal by 24%;

Reached 332 people who had never had a prior touch with

History Colorado.

Contests

Contests

• 739 unique participants

• 654 individuals engaged for the first time

• 91 became members

• 13% join rate overall

• 39% of QR respondents opted in for texts

• Facebook likes grew from 1,285 to 11,122 (766%)

• Media attention and primary driver to website

• Captured personal stories

• More kids visiting than seniors

• Leader among local cultural institutions

Overall Online Campaign Results

Contests

Outcomes Of Grand Opening Strategy

1,961 new members

595 recaptured members

888 upgraded members

235 donors

250% increase in target audience on Facebook

40% increase in membership BEFORE opening

89% increase in membership 6 weeks POST opening

121% increase in membership revenue FY2012

Results

Lessons Learned

• Social media is NOT free: Requires budget, time,

and the right partners

• Prizes are critical to success

• PR is a must!

• Email is your secret weapon

Campaign Goals

Holiday Gift Membership

• Establish a baseline for using digital marketing for

membership

• Acquire new givers from untapped sources - social

media and online

• Test a set of messaging and offers

• Build on the successes of an already thriving gift

membership program

Creative

Components

Blogger

Giveaw

ayPostcard

Website

Tent Card

On-Site

Poster

Box Office

Marquee

Facebook

Ads

Online

Ads

Omni Promo

EmailRetargetingOn-Site,

Online, and

Phone Sales

CONTENT

STORIES

Messaging: What’s more compelling?

Experience ConvenienceExperience

Offers: What’s more compelling?

Offers: The Cyber Monday Boost

Offers

Of the total gift memberships sold during

the campaign period, discounts represented

a very small percentage overall.

Gift Membership Sales

Campaign Results

Successes

• Established a baseline for digital

• Demonstrated a capacity for growth and a clear

opportunity to reach new audience pools for acquisition

• Identified a compelling message and offer

• Successfully leveraged Facebook fans for membership

• Generated sales in previously slow periods

• Increased overall gift membership revenue and saw

positive return on investment