Introduction – Membership Site Models

Membership sites are one of the most popular online business models for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs, and freelancers. That’s because they have to potential to fill one of your biggest dreams – passive, recurring revenue. Depending on the model you use, they provide you with a subscription-based income where you supply content and engagement in return for a passive stream of income.

In a membership site, users join and pay in order to receive exclusive access to content online – such as training, resources, or services. Whenever they stop paying, they stop receiving this access. Depending on the membership model, payments can be one-time only or recurring, such as annual or monthly. They can be fixed-term or ongoing.

The membership site model is popular because:

• It’s a suitable model for nearly any niche. There are membership sites catering to practically every topic under the sun.
• A simple membership site can provide you with a passive income if it’s set up properly. If done well, there is a minimum of work or maintenance on your part.
• You can leverage your membership site to reach a new audience or build your authority. As the owner of a membership site, you can more easily get coaching gigs, speaking engagements, or other opportunities.
• Monthly subscription payments are popular with customers. The monthly fee can be small, in which case you get a sizable regular income from your many subscribers, but the subscribers individually don’t have to pay much.
• You can promote or nurture leads using your membership site and convert members into buyers.

There are some challenges, however, to running a membership site as well, and you should be aware of these before you get started:

• It takes time to properly set up a membership site.
• You’ll need to consistently provide high-quality content.
• A membership site is a community and you must be committed to maintaining it. You’ll sometimes need to provide customer service to individual members.
• It can sometimes be a challenge to get current customers or followers to accept a paid membership model.

Different Membership Site Models

There are a number of different membership models you can choose from. They share many of the same features but differ in fundamental ways.

Drip-Feed Model. With this model, subscribers pay a recurring monthly fee. New content is automatically delivered to them until their payments stop.

An example would be a membership site for fitness enthusiasts. It provides them with a monthly roundup of fitness news, new exercise routines, and content providing a wide variety of tips for different body types.

Buffet or All-in Membership. Like a restaurant buffet, subscribers get access to all of the content or resources available at any time. New content is usually added regularly. This model can use either a one-time payment or a recurring payment.

For this type of site, a good example would be a membership site for legal professionals. Once they pay, they get access to legal document templates, tutorials for each template, and a monthly newsletter of industry news.

Fixed-Term. This type of membership site gives subscribers access for a fixed period of time, and they know this when they sign up. It can either take monthly payments for the duration of the fixed period, or one up-front payment that grants access for the fixed length of time.

An example of a fixed-term membership site might be a site for graphic designers. The site offers a 12-week online course that teaches members how to use various web graphics programs, along with templates and other resources that are available during the course.

Hybrid. You can also opt for a combination of the models above to suit the needs of your members or help you reach your goal.

A hybrid membership site might be a site for new business coaches that includes weekly lessons on setting up your coaching business along with all-in access to coaching templates, monthly webinars, and informational content.

By the time you’ve finished this course, you will be able to:

• Identify your target market’s needs so you can choose a solution-focused topic for your membership site
• Evaluate the different membership site models available, and select the right one to deliver your content based on your audience needs
• Craft a Unique Value Proposition that makes your membership site stand out from your competitors
• Pick a name for your new membership site.
• Identify and create the types of content you need for your membership site
• Plan the content you will deliver, and when you’ll publish it for your members
• Choose a membership platform on which to set up a user-friendly, easy to run membership site
• Decide on a pricing structure for your membership site
• Plan how you will attract and convert members for your new site
• Create your membership site sales page
• Create a member onboarding plan, so you can immediately orient your members and help them use the site effectively while you build a relationship with them
• Identify and implement tactics you’ll use for both retaining members, and enticing back members who have left