Too often membership programs are siloed or do not get the internal support membership efforts deserve. Competing for internal resources, institutional email schedules, IT, and limited marketing resources can stifle membership’s full potential. Case Study: History Colorado The campaign integrated traditional direct mail and on-site sales with a series of social media contests, a mobile scavenger hunt, and an interactive Facebook tabs to expose audiences to History Colorado’s mission and membership messaging. Case Study: Museum of Science, Boston Leveraging digital marketing, the Museum acquired new gift givers and members from untapped sources. Successes included testing a set of messaging and offers, leveraging website retargeting and Facebook advertising, and reaching new audiences through an expanded email program and a partnership with a local parents magazine. Best Practices • Use social media contests to raise awareness, drive traffic to membership webpages, and capture prospect data • Invest in highly targeted advertising to reach new and existing audiences • Thread in mission-oriented messaging throughout • Capture member stories • Integrate online/offline • Support with PR • Ensure all touch points use the same message, creative, across channels • Email is a critical channel to tie everything together A Seat at the Table Membership should be involved in: • Shared goals, metrics, schedules, and reporting • Google Analytics for membership pages (traffic and conversion goals) • Google Grants 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

1. Membership and
Multi-Channel Acquisition
American Alliance of Museums 2015
Monday, April 27

2. • On-site Sales
• Direct Mail
• Email
• Online Advertising
• Social Media
• Telemarketing
• Mobile Marketing
Channels
No longer can an organization rely solely on a single
marketing activity to drive membership sales.

3. • Your team or another department
• Training
• Goals
• Incentives
On-Site Sales
The best audience for new members is right outside your
door!

4. • List of prospects
• Creative
• Offers and Testing
Direct Mail
Still the workhorse of the modern acquisition strategy.

5. • Timing with mail campaigns
• Creative and offers
• Testing
• Call-to-Action
• Images vs text
• Expanded email program
Email
Still the workhorse of the modern acquisition strategy.

6. • Advertising
• Cover photo
• Join tab
• Time-bound offers
• Target friends of current
members
• Retargeting
• Organic reach has been
greatly diminished
Social Media
Facebook is king.

7. • 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 Contests
Use social contests to generate rapid
visibility and email capture.

8. • SMS
• Member services
• Offers
• Surveys
• Engagement
• VIP experiences or Freebies
• Geo-targeted ads
• Push messaging via apps
Mobile for Membership
Mobile is no longer a trend.

9. • 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 Promotion
Gift membership is a vital part of a healthy membership
program.

10. • 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 Table
Membership should be involved in:

11. Keys to Success
• Consistent creative across channels
• Landing pages
• Testing
• Real-time optimization
• Data capture
• Matchback analysis
Multi-Channel requires:

12. 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

13. 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:

14. 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

15. A fully integrated, multi-channel approach:
• Direct Mail
• Social Media
• Mobile/Online
• Telemarketing
• On-site Sales

16. • QR codes
• Website
• Email append
• Branded Facebook “microsite”
• Facebook Contests:
Photo, Trivia, and Puzzler
• Mobile Scavenger Hunt
Digital Components:

17. STRATEGY
Create a space for Coloradans to be a part of the story and
discover the History Colorado brand.
Contests

18. STRATEGY
Create a space for people to discover and learn about the
new History Colorado Center and the value of membership.
Contests

19. STRATEGY
Create a campaign to drive traffic to the new Facebook
microsite, encourage word of mouth sharing, have some fun!
Contests

20. 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

21. Contests

22. • 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Creative

27. Components
Blogger
Giveaw
ay
Postcard
Website
Tent Card
On-Site
Poster
Box Office
Marquee
Facebook
Ads
Online
Ads
Omni Promo
EmailRetargetingOn-Site,
Online, and
Phone Sales
CONTENT
STORIES

28. Messaging: What’s more compelling?
Experience ConvenienceExperience

29. Offers: What’s more compelling?

30. Offers: The Cyber Monday Boost

31. Offers
Of the total gift memberships sold during
the campaign period, discounts represented
a very small percentage overall.

32. Gift Membership Sales

33. 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