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Great Ideas to Welcome New Members

Great Ideas to Welcome New Members
welcome new members

Great Ideas to Welcome New Members

Making a great first impression is important for most situations in life, and museum memberships are no exception. Part of building perennial memberships, a key factor to the success of longevity of your institution, is by welcoming new members and letting them know that they’re valued.

Providing your new members with a warm welcome is the first step in increased membership retention, membership satisfaction, and greater member participation. Below are some great ideas to welcome new members and bolster your member-satisfaction rates. 

Welcoming New Members with an Email

Whether your memberships are being created on-site or online, you want a warm, informative, and welcoming email automatically sent out to each new member. Welcoming emails do a few things to your benefit:

  • They let new members know that they’re valued and appreciated.
  • They provide information to any upcoming events or membership benefits.
  • They provide important vital information, like contact information, for your members if they have any questions.
  • They provide a receipt and confirm the type of membership.
  • They make it easy for your members to become active and involved with the museum as early as possible.

So how do you write a successful welcoming email? Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re writing your letter.

  • Be personable. Your new member will appreciate the effort if you refer to them by their name and provide a warm welcome. 
  • Of course, you want to include links in the email to your website, schedule, and other information that might be useful to your new members. You should also, however, include a calendar for the upcoming events within the email. Getting your new members involved with the museum as early as possible will lead to greater retention rates.
  • Every welcoming email should come with a list of all the membership benefits. Remember, they just paid to become a member at your institution. Remind them that their investment is worthwhile. 

Sample New Member Welcome Email

Dear [Member’s Name],

Welcome and thank you for becoming a member at [Museum’s Name]. Below is some  important information on upcoming events, membership benefits, and the status of your membership.

[Present a list of upcoming events, provide links to your online calendar]

Also, feel free to take a look at the membership benefits that come with your signing.

[List membership benefits and provide a link to website]

Here are the details to your membership: [List type of membership (Gold, silver, etc.), payment receipt, login information, etc.]

We’re so excited to get to know you better over the next year. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our membership support team at [Insert email and number].

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

Welcome New Members With a Membership Card Packet

Following the email, be sure to send a membership benefit card package within the first two weeks. This should include, of course, a membership card, but it can also have things like:

  • A well-made brochure with museum information.
  • A calendar of upcoming events.
  • A list of museum membership benefits.
  • The individual’s membership information (login information, receipt, membership type). 

A high-quality membership card and colorful, visually appealing forms and brochures all contribute to greater member satisfaction and member involvement. 

Welcome New Members With Membership Tours

Offering your new members a free membership tour is a great way to get them involved in the museum. Additionally, if you frame the tour as one of the membership benefits, it can often be the first membership benefit your new member will use, thus getting them into the habit of taking advantage of their benefits. 

Tours can provide:

  • A general tour of the museum with interesting information about the events, history, and mission of the museum.
  • Behind the scenes look into the museum. You can allow members to get a sneak peek at archivists or conservators going to work. 
  • You can have your tour guide introduce some of the benefits available to your members. 
  • Provide additional activities that aren’t usually part of a tour. 

Final Thoughts: Ideas to Welcome New Members

Whether your selling tickets or building memberships, ACME’s advanced ticketing technology has got your covered on all your software needs. 

Our cloud-based servers mean are maintained off-site, meaning you get automatic updates and online servers 24/7. Additionally, our flexible POS will allow you to take membership benefits from the booth to the floor, empowering your staff with the capacity to create members anywhere in your museum.

See the ACME demo today, and don’t let your software and technology be the thing that holds you back from building returning visitors and creating memberships.



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