I remember my first visit to the British Museum as a child; it was one of those experiences you’ll always remember, the happiness of our family together having fun and learning about the stories of the diverse history that makes up the world around us.

Now, living in Australia and as a parent, I appreciate even more the crucial role museums play in shaping our future and cultural identity. They conserve our history, educate the public, and offer community facilities that provide access to diverse heritage collections. As a result, they facilitate debate helping us all explore complex issues such as national identity, diversity, and social justice.

But even though some things remain the same, times have changed significantly. Digital technology now reigns supreme, and it’s crucial for the arts sector to adapt and evolve. The New National Cultural Policy released early this year by the Australian Government emphasises this point outlining the need for the sector to evolve, enhance accessibility, and promote social inclusion. Simultaneously, challenges such as declining public funding and demographic shifts make it critical for cultural institutions to innovate.

Innovation is key to resolving many of these challenges and for museums to remain relevant, reach wider audiences, and achieve their mission more effectively. A scalable and agile technology platform is crucial in delivering these outcomes and provides future-proof capabilities in dramatically enhancing both operational efficiency and membership engagement.

Salesforce serves as an ideal platform for this purpose, and when paired with specialised applications like Veevart, museums are equipped with solutions that can provide ongoing agility to address their challenges effectively.

“Membership models in museums are evolving in the digital age. Technology allows us to create more personalized, interactive experiences for members, turning a transactional relationship into a collaborative partnership.”
– Elizabeth Merritt, founding director of the Center for the Future of Museums, an initiative of the American Alliance of Museum

Photo by John Torcasio on Unsplash

Memberships are the lifeline for institutions for several reasons. First, they generate a steady revenue stream that contributes to financial sustainability. Second, memberships cultivate an engaged community, encouraging repeated visits and long-term loyalty.

To develop a loyal membership base, institutions must prioritise personalised, tailored experiences for their members. In doing so, they transform occasional visitors into frequent attendees and casual donors into significant contributors.

Salesforce provides a world-class platform to deliver this outcome. From providing a 360-degree view of each member to enabling targeted, data-driven engagement the platform provides comprehensive capabilities to collect and act upon every touchpoint in the engagement lifecycle. Further through AI and the new Data Cloud, institutes can benefit from unprecedented capabilities to build their loyalty base through insights into past interactions and predict future behaviour. The platform also provides highly engaging membership portals tailored to membership needs offering new levels of engagement with the institute and other members of similar interest.

While Salesforce is the backbone for member engagement, it is equally beneficial in delivering significant improvements to operational efficiency. From fundraising, ticketing, POS, bookings, donations, collections and more. The end result is a more effective institution.

Incorporating digital solutions like Salesforce and Veevart isn’t just a nice to have; it’s essential for the future sustainability of the arts sector in Australia. As we navigate the ever-changing cultural and technological landscape, these tools significantly elevate the membership experience, ensuring a richer, more vibrant arts community for all.

As the Sales Director at J4RVIS, Chris Whitbread is our leading Salesforce and MuleSoft implementation partner. He has over 23 years of experience in CRM, BI, and digital transformation. Currently holding over 25 Salesforce certifications and, 10 Microsoft Dynamic Certifications his dedication to a human-centric methodology ensures our clients consistently receive outstanding value.

If you are interested in learning more about how J4RVIS can help your business, please get in touch with Chris Whitbread today.

To book a discovery call with Chris, CLICK HERE.

Header Photo by Fidel Fernando on Unsplash