The Money List: How Museums Are Producing Digital Revenue
Long- and short-term ideas for a quarantined future
After weeks on lockdown, museums have had to face their financial uncertainty. In the past, institutions relied on admissions, educational programs, private event rentals, food courts and gift shops to maintain operations. Now we must consider new business models just to keep the lights on.
Adopting digital revenue models requires a lot of time and patience. Staff will fumble over cumbersome technology and digital audiences are trying to make sense of distanced learning. However, these small and steady changes will push museums in the right direction.
Digital Revenue from Presales
Despite numerous lockdown extensions, many museums are anticipating a time when business will return to normal.
Ticket Presales
Sell open dated tickets for future exhibits or events.
Future Rentals
Book space for the 2021–2022 wedding season.
Membership Drive
Promote membership benefits and sell them at a discount (i.e. two memberships for the price of one)
Digital Revenue from Social Content
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Youtube have built-in features for raising money. Institutions must verify their 501(c)(3) status before using these options. Learn more here.
Post On-Going Fundraisers
Start a fundraiser drive that displays as a post on your Facebook page.
Donation Button on Profile Page
Add “Donate” button in place of the “send message” or “learn more” button at the top of your profile page.
Donation Button on Live Video
Collect donations when producing live video content. Viewers can also donate after the live video is archived and published on the profile page.
Digital Revenue from Virtual Activities
Turn long form content into low-cost, virtual experiences via Zoom, Twitch and other streaming platforms. Set a schedule for upcoming events that require advance registration.
Virtual Classes
Repackage educational talks into a series of one hour lectures. Limit attendance to encourage signups for future dates.
Virtual Camps
Schedule live videos organized by age, activity or theme. Mix live experiences with hands-on-activities, guest speakers and educational videos.
Virtual Kits
Pair supply kits with live video for adult audiences. Great for activities like paint-and-sips, craft circles, cooking classes, etc.
Digital Revenue from Products
Ad Revenue
Make use of increased web traffic by selling ad space on your website.
Video Streaming
Partner with online movie distributors for access to culture / science-related documentaries, indie films and more.
E-books / Downloads
Make scholarly articles and books available as downloadable pdf’s or format them for e-book readers.
Museum Store
Create or transfer museum store to an e-commerce platform. Promote new items such as books, activity packets and prints on your website or join our marketplace to increase sales.
About the Author
Archaeological Analytics supports U.S. and Canadian cultural heritage on web and social media with platforms like American Artifacts Blog , Open Artifact and the American Archaeology Social Media Directory. Visit us at www.archaeological-analytics.com to learn more about our work.
