subject: Museum Marketing: Taking The Direct Approach [print this page] It's no secret that museums are at the mercy of an engaged and interested public in order to thrive. As next generation of knowledge-seekers may be less likely to visit a live exhibit, it will become more important than ever for museum marketing strategies to utilize available demographic data to ensure a sustainable level of new donor acquisition and ensure a new generation of museum membership.
Increasingly, museum marketing efforts initiate the process of acquiring and cultivating new members by partnering with a direct marketing agency that is well-equipped to assess existing membership data and establish a multi-channel outreach strategy.
The advantages here are numerous; along with handling the day-to-day management of donor acquisition, a direct mail agency can provide accurate response analysis, and strategic results-based improvements to message development. Online marketing services and management may also be provided by a direct mail agency, which only improves the return on the museum's investment - no small feat, given the restrictive nature of many museum marketing budgets.
Because museums may also send gift catalogues, or partner with local or regional organizations, they have access to additional data and outreach avenues for the purposes of donor acquisition. By working with a direct marketing agency, museums have an opportunity to convert previously dormant or under-valued information into new members for years to come.
A direct marketing agency will help to ensure a holistic approach to the museum's marketing efforts is established and maintained. Some of the common tactics used are traditional direct mail, email marketing, and online communications through avenues such as Facebook and Twitter.
Simply implementing a marketing campaign is not enough. It is crucial that the direct marketing agency provides in-depth reporting and analytics on the performance of all the marketing channels. This will help the museum better allocate their funding to the channels that provide the best return on investment. And when the museum wins, the public benefits.
