Can museums make any money from online content? In this session we hear from three very different museums about the ways in which they have responded to the Covid crisis by creating new virtual offers. We also find out how they have been able to generate income on the back of those offers. We hear how Southampton City Museums have developed charged-for virtual schools, adult and families workshops. We discover how Chawton House worked with a shoe-string budget to create a series of popular online ticketed festivals. And we also find out how the Tank Museum were able to use their online events to drive donations and shop sales.
This is an opportunity to hear from those on the ground about the successes and pitfalls of generating income from new online content.
This session is particularly aimed at those interested in developing their online learning and events provision in museums across the south east, and those keen to explore how to monetise those offers.
Data on current and future audience engagement with digital:
- Culture Restart audience tracker January data https://www.indigo-ltd.com/blog/culture-restart-audience-visitor-tracker-january-update
Links to relevant articles on making money from online content:
- Discussion around the things that might be holding museums back from charging for online content https://www.franklygreenwebb.com/museums-making-money-from-online-content-might-our-beliefs-be-holding-us-back/
- Ideas for museums on generating revenue through online content https://www.culturehive.co.uk/resources/how-museums-can-generate-revenue-through-digital-content-and-virtual-experiences/
- Eventbrite article with examples of pricing for a wide range of online events https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/is-the-price-right-how-event-creators-are-pricing-their-events/
- Advice on developing a charged-for model for Zoom events https://www.youarethemedia.co.uk/when-can-you-charge-for-zoom-events/
Case studies on how to create online content:
- Case Study from a theatre company setting up online events with the help of the Digital Culture Network https://digitalculturenetwork.org.uk/knowledge/case-study-open-skys-digital-journey-from-content-to-ecommerce/
- Case studies of charged for exhibitions https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/national-gallery-artemisia-gentileschi-virtual-tour-charges-8
- Online murder mystery and other events at The Newark Musuem of Art, USA https://www.newarkmuseumart.org/nmoaathome
Examples of good online content from museums:
- A variety of webinars, including several digital engagement case studies, shared online as part of the autumn Museums & Heritage Show. https://show.museumsandheritage.com/the-autumn-series-2020/
- Best online exhibitions (museum crush) https://museumcrush.org/the-best-uk-online-museum-exhibitions-to-enjoy-from-home/
- Examples of family friendly online programming from Kids in Museums https://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/what-we-do/family-friendly-museum-award-from-home/
- Examples of immersive online experiences from across the world https://econsultancy.com/how-museums-are-using-immersive-digital-experiences/