As a part of my masters thesis, I am implementing a pilot program of email
marketing for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where I am employed as the
manager of marketing and public affairs.  We'll promote the program in late
December and run it though February. It will be tied to the marketing of Art After Hours,
a wintertime social/art museum experience which held seven consecutive Thursday
nights.  Richmond.com, our city site, is a partner with us and is providing the database
services. I'll begin print advertising in late December. The ad campaign is
all about conversations overheard in the museum. It's humorous and very
accessible, and the call to action is to "join the conversation and win free
stuff" by subscribing to the mailing list. Both our website and Richmond.com
will have subscribe buttons.  The registration will include a special
interests list so I will be able to target future communications beyond the
pilot program (if we find that we can continue the program.)

As I research email marketing and formulate the details of the program, I
have some questions.

Do any of you know of email marketing programs at any US museums?
I want to include some "art nuggets" to make the communications more valuable.
        Does anyone know of a source for extremely brief fun facts about art?
I had planned to conclude the pilot with an evaluation form.
        The weekly messages will be text-based, and that limits the trackable information,
        such as on whether emails are opened. Of course, I will have the subscribe/unsubscribe data.
        Are there other measurements that would be important to consider?
Other ways to evaluate the program?
Other suggestions that would enhance the program?

Thank you very much for your time.  Note that the new Museum Marketing Tips Newsletter
http://www.museummarketingtips.com is also querying this topic.

Suzanne Hall
Manager, Marketing and Public Affairs
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
2800 Grove Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23221
804.204.2704
work email: [log in to unmask]





Suzanne Hall
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