If you run a membership site (or any business for that matter), you've probably heard things like, "You're leaving money on the table," from other so-called business professionals.

They might encourage you to launch a new product, start hosting events, or doing one-to-one coaching sessions, etc., with the sole purpose of generating more revenue. While this may be true for some people, it doesn’t mean it’s the right move for everyone.

In this episode of the podcast, I reflect on why it’s okay to “leave money on the table” if it's not a table you want to be at, how to be more confident in your decisions, and why you need to trust that you know what’s best for your membership site.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why it’s okay to leave money on the table when it’s a table you don’t want to sit at
• Understanding why people like to share “business advice” and why you shouldn’t feel under pressure to listen!
• The true meaning of success and why you should choose opportunities carefully

Important Links & Mentions:

• Episode 61: How to Add Multiple Revenue Streams to an Existing Membership    

Key Quotes:

“Memberships can work very well as part of a larger ecosystem of products and services.”

“A lot of entrepreneurs will feel driven by their nature to feel like they have to jump on every possible opportunity available to them. However, that doesn't mean that you have to go in that direction.”

“What works for one person isn't always guaranteed to work for someone else. There are no guarantees, no one-size-fits-all business model and no absolutes in this game.”

We're constantly banging the drum on how important it is to have an established audience BEFORE you build and launch a membership.

However for some people the temptation to rush headfirst into their membership is just too strong.

Truth is that if you haven't built an audience that you can mobilize and monetize, you're going to find it an uphill struggle trying to get your membership off the ground.

But it's not all doom and gloom. In this podcast, I share 5 options you have if you're wanting to build a membership before building your audience.

Episode Summary:

• The importance of validating that there actually IS a market for your idea and that you've done your research
• Why it's worth delaying your plans to focus on building an audience first (and what we did to prepare for our own membership launch)
• The 3 different options you have for accelerating your growth
• Alternative products you could create that would make more sense than a full-blown membership at this stage of your business

It may not surprise you - given where you are - that we're HUGE fans of podcasting as a way to promote and grow a membership business.

This podcast has been the cornerstone of our marketing strategy since 2015.

But a LOT has changed since then as the podcast industry has experienced multiple boom periods and in more recent years seems to have hit a whole new level.

In this episode I'm joined by one of the leading voices in the industry, Mark Asquith from Captivate.fm, o dive into what - if anything - this means for membership owners using podcasting as part of their strategy and how we should be adapting our approach to stay ahead of the curve.

In this episode:

• The most significant ways in which podcasting has changed, and what that means for the "average" podcast host
• The importance of self-editing to stay focused and ensure you're delivering valuable content that helps you stand out in a crowded audio space
• Using podcasts as a promotional tool for memberships and ways to more closely integrate your membership business with your show
• How podcasting can enhance your member experience and open up additional revenue streams

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Retain Live 2019 was a phenomenal success - especially for our very first live event!

However as we discussed during the first part of our "debrief", it was a little rocky in the build up.

In this concluding episode, Callie and I talk through the event itself, breaking down everything that happened and how it all came together; sharing some of our biggest lessons and top takeaways for anyone thinking of running a similar event.

In this episode...

• The moment we realised that all of our hard work, and the complete burnout we'd experienced, was totally worth it.
• A recap of the sessions, speakers and surprises from across the 3 days of the event
• How we added special touches and memorable moments to make our event truly remarkable
• Answering that all important question about whether we'll be running another event like this one

Can you use science to boost your membership numbers?

It’s not magic but getting to grips with the science behind how people make purchase decisions will help you transform your own content.

Kenda Macdonald, CEO of Automation Ninjas, international keynote speaker, and author of the best-selling book, Hack the Buyer Brain, joins this episode to talk about the science behind why people choose to sign up (or not) for a membership.  

Tune in to hear what behavioral automation is, how the five stages of awareness work, what neuroscience tells us about buying decisions, and much more!

Essential Learning Points:

• What behavioral automation is
• How the buyer journey typically works
• The problem with relying on marketing funnels
• What neuroscience tells us about the buying decision
• The five stages of awareness and how they can help you build better content
• The problem with using scarcity tactics
• How Kenda uses automation for her membership

Important Links & Mentions:

• Automation Ninjas
• Hack the Buyer Brain
• The Marketing Automation Academy
• What is Awareness and Why Does it Matter?
• Kenda’s LinkedIn
• Membership Geeks
• Membership Academy

Key Quotes:

“Understanding the brain and then tracking physical behavior are two parts of what I would say is behavioral marketing automation.”

“We need to create something that's more flexible, more personable, and more catered to where someone is in their own personalized customer journey.”

“We should be utilizing our content to help people make better choices. That is why people consume such a huge amount of content because they want to learn, they want to make the right choice about something.”

Have you ever dealt with a hit and run member? If you’re not sure what one is – lucky you! These are the members who sign up, download everything, and dash back out the door before your beautifully crafted welcome email has settled in their inbox.

Hit and run members abuse your trust and are generally bad apples. They’re rightly a concern for membership providers, but what can you do to stop them? And, are they even worth worrying about?

In this From the Vault episode, I share some of the best ways you can prevent hit and run members, dive into whether they’re a genuine concern for most membership providers, and why you can’t let your fears take your eyes off the prize.

Essential Learning Points:

• If someone wants to access your content and circumvent your membership badly enough, they will always find a way
• Why putting up a few simple barriers won’t cut it
• Four ways you can prevent hit and run members, which double up to add value to your genuine members
• Why you shouldn’t let one bad apple spoil the bunch – and why you should spend more time making your membership great, not protected

Important Links & Mentions:

• Membership Academy
• Should You “Drip Feed” Your Membership Content?
• Chris Ducker on Running Live Events to Grow Your Membership
• How to Use Live Video to Market Your Membership with Luria Petrucci
• 5 Ways Membership Site Owners Can Capitalize on Facebook Live
• 7 Types of Members That Every Membership Site Has
• 12 Types of Content To Include In Your Membership Site

Key quotes:

“If Hollywood movie studios haven't found a way of stopping people from getting their stuff for free, then what chance do you and I stand?”

“If you're just repeating content because you're worried that people can access everything – that, to me, isn't a good enough reason to delay the delivery of value to your members.”

“It would be absolutely crazy to prioritize locking people out over providing a positive member experience for the good portion of your membership base.”

The most successful memberships are those that cater to a specific niche.

Having a niche makes your offering more targeted, which increases the likelihood of someone identifying with the problem your membership solves.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, you can’t just blend in with the crowd. You need to have a specialty.

But how do you figure out your niche?

And what happens once you’ve become successful in a specific area?

Should you stay put, or expand your reach?

I answer all of these questions and more on this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast.

Episode Summary:

• Why being a specialist beats being a “jack of all trades”
• The biggest mistake people make once they become successful in a niche
• The 3 different ways to pick a niche and differentiate your offering
• Why “For X” is the most powerful phrase for positioning your membership

During the course of running your membership site, there will inevitably come a point where you want to increase your pricing.

Maybe your offering has changed, perhaps you're responding to increased demand or maybe you just want to earn a little more for your efforts.

Rather than simply raising your prices overnight, check out this latest episode of The Membership Guys Podcast for my tips and strategies to help you to get the best results from increasing your membership pricing...

Most membership sites include some form of premium content locked away behind a paywall.

But locking your membership content down is a double-edged sword.

You could have the most incredible content in the world, but if the only people who know about it are your paying members then you’re missing on an opportunity to get so much more bang for your buck.

So before you hit ‘publish’ on your next piece of membership content, try implementing the 7 tactics from this episode.

Are you toying with the idea of switching from an open to a closed-door membership model?

Hold on! Before you make the switch, there are some vital things to consider first. In this episode, I’ll take you through the top things to prepare for, decide on, and consider before switching your enrolment model.

Switching to a closed-door model isn’t a decision to take lightly. It doesn’t just affect your marketing. It can change the whole member experience as well. This episode covers some ways you can weather the storm and make the switch a smooth transition.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why you need a solid reason for changing your enrolment model
• What you need to prepare for and communicate to your members
• How a closed-door model can change the member experience
• What switching to a closed-door model will do for member numbers
• Why you still need to market and keep people engaged throughout the year

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Guys
• Membership Academy
• 6 Situations Where The Closed Door Membership Model Makes Sense

Key Quotes:

“It just stands to reason that, if you have a product, you want to make it available and accessible for people to buy and join when the time is right for them.”

“Clear, transparent communication about this change, whether you're going from open to closed or close to open, is key to really nailing this process.”

“Whether your doors are open all the time or closed and only open two or three times a year, you still need to market year-round. You still need to show up in between your launches.”

When we talk about membership sites, typically it's in the context of being the main part of the membership owner's business.

However that's not the only way to do it.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I dig into 4 of the main ways you could create a membership site that's secondary and supplementary to the real focus of your business.

Episode Summary:

• Why it's okay to not have a membership as the main focal point of your business
• How a free membership site can work like gangbusters for generating qualified sales leads
• Ways to use a membership to take your service business to the next level and crush your competitors
• A simple way to use a membership website in conjunction with selling high-ticket courses and programs.

When inspiration strikes and you come up with an idea for a membership website or some other product or service that you're convinced is a winner, all too often it's easy to get carried away in trying to make it a reality without every stopping to really examine whether your idea is actually as solid as you're convinced it is.

Before you invest countless hours and immeasurable quantities of blood, sweat and tears into your new project, it's highly worth taking the time to validate your big idea.

Here are my top tips for doing just that...

Fresh on the back of attending Social Media Marketing World 2016, we're sharing our top takeaways from the event for creating content and promoting your membership site through social channels.

PLUS - you guys asked for it... after 8 months, the elusive Callie Willows finally joins me on The Membership Guys Podcast!

Listen to the latest episode to hear us discuss our 4 biggest lessons from the event...

In this episode:

• 2016 is the year of ____ _____
• Organic reach is dead?
• You need to be more ________ with your content
• Stop focusing on _________ and _____

One of the key decisions to be made when planning a membership is whether to offer multiple membership levels or a single 'all access' option.

While we always advocate for simplicity, there are definite pros and cons to consider.

In this episode I discuss the key things you need to consider when deciding whether to have multiple levels in your membership, and provide my top tips for making this strategy work. And I also share a 'middle ground' for people who prefer to stick with a single level.

Episode Summary:

• Pros and cons of offering multiple different membership levels
• The benefits of keeping things simple in your membership (especially at the beginning)
• How "price anchoring" can increase sales, and an alternative way to leverage it
• Why you shouldn't differentiate your membership levels based on content alone

Not sure whether to offer monthly or annual billing on your membership?

The way members sign up to your membership site can make all the difference in the buying decision.

You don’t want to turn people away at the first stage, so picking the right one is crucial.

In this episode, we go through all the pros and cons of monthly vs. annual subscriptions. You’ll learn which has the higher profit margin usually, which is the more stable option, and which is best for your members.

We also share an alternative way to bill and how you can upsell or down-sell your membership options.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why monthly memberships tend to offer more stability
• How monthly billing can improve engagement
• Why annual billing provides a better profit margin
• The effect annual billing has on your member base
• Why you don’t have to pick one or the other

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Guys
• Membership Academy

Key Quotes:

“You can, of course, offer both. Unless you have a very compelling reason for going monthly-only or annual-only, then we do typically recommend having both options available.”

“One of the main reasons people set up a membership site is for the stability and the predictability that comes from having that sort of recurring revenue over time.

That stability goes out of the window to a degree if you're relying solely on annual billing.”

“With a higher buy-in, people are a little bit more invested…and they've given a bit more thought to their buying decision. Usually, that all adds up to a slightly higher caliber of members inside your community.”

In the first episode of The Membership Guys podcast we discuss why it's important for membership site owners to build authority and leverage this for their business.

Your sales funnel is a key part of attracting new members to your community; and so it's no surprise that some membership owners have a constant itch to tweak and tinker with every little detail.

Knowing when to adjust your sales funnel is an imprecise art, but people often fall foul to making changes too often.

In this episode, I discuss how often you should be adjusting your sales funnel, how you can avoid the constant urge to make changes, and why making constant tweaks can actually hurt your business.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why you should adjust your sales funnel once a quarter (at most)
• Why data, not desire, should lead your decision-making if you do make adjustments
• How overanalyzing paralyzes the effectiveness of your sales funnel

Important Links & Mentions:

• Membership Academy
• How to Generate New Ideas for Membership Content
• Tools for Creating Your Membership Sales Funnel
• Guide to Choosing a Membership Plugin
• 5 Things That Have Moved the Needle For Us (And a Few That Didn’t)
• 4 Must-Have Email Automation Sequences For Your Membership Site

Key Quotes:

“You should be stepping away and letting your automations do their thing.”

“Unless you’re getting masses of traffic, testing and tweaking the real small stuff is pointless.”

“It’s very possible to over-engineer, overthink, and self-sabotage by constantly chasing that mythical perfect sales funnel or constantly messing around with all the pieces of the puzzle.”

In this episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I delve into three simple yet effective perks that you can offer within your membership site to enhance value and attract more members.

These often-overlooked perks can set your membership apart and make it more appealing.

Whether you're just starting or looking to revamp your existing membership offering, these tips will help you add extra layers of value and stand out in a competitive market.

In this episode:

- How can offering early access to products and events outside of your membership be a beneficial perk?

- In what ways can preferential pricing for other products and services enhance the value of your membership?

- How can negotiating discounted offers with external suppliers add value for your members?

- What strategies can you use to leverage affiliate programs to secure discounts for your membership site members?

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

It's an exciting time for us here at The Membership Guys as we unveil a fresh new update for our brand, and also announce that Member Site Academy is now Membership Academy!

While on the surface it may not seem like a major change, there's a lot more involved than meets the eye...

In this episode I give a bit of backstory about why these changes mean so much, and walk you through the process we used to update our brand identity.

Episode Summary:

• Why changing Member Site Academy to Membership Academy is such a big deal for us
• The $10 secret behind The Membership Guys brand...
• Why your logo is one of the least important elements of your businesses brand
• Our top takeaways for anyone going through a brand refresh

In this special episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I share a huge update on what's been happening within the company this year regarding Callie Willows - the co-founder of the business - having to make the decision to step away.

Listen in for more on what this means, and for a farewell message to the community from Callie herself.

In this episode of Behind The Membership, artist, Josie Lewis, chats to Callie to reveal how she attracted over 800 members during her very first launch of the Art Revenue Coaching membership. 

Josie shares how pivoting her existing audience helped her to double her email list and validate her membership idea…

Plus, she discusses the one thing she will do differently when her membership doors reopen. 

Essential Learning Points:

How Josie overcame her fear of creating an online membership.

The MAJOR benefit of online memberships that led to her adding this income stream to her business.

The TRAP that many business owners fall into when they have an existing audience.

The ONE thing that resulted in her DOUBLING her email list.

How learning what the audience wants has been pivotal towards her success.

What Josie plans to do differently for her next launch.

The HUGE membership benefit that she didn’t anticipate.

The model she plans on implementing within her membership to aid her members growth.

Important Links: 

The Josie Show (Instagram)

Josie Lewis Art (Instagram)

Josielewis.com

Membership waitlist – josielewisarc

Join the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/

For more membership growth tips, subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast, and listen on the go!

Running a membership website can be one of the most rewarding experiences...

You become recognized as an authority within your niche, build a loyal community, and a successful business in the process... 

But what people don't tend to talk about are the potential pitfalls that you need to avoid...

And there are a few of them!

As anyone running an online business - or any business in fact - will tell you...

There are risks that will pop up at lots of different stages of your entrepreneurial journey...

Knowing what these risks are...

And, more importantly how to avoid them, can be really useful.

With that in mind, this episode explores five of the biggest risks facing membership owners right now.

Producing membership content can be taxing.

Especially if your members expect something fresh on an ongoing basis.

And if you’re also creating free content as part of your marketing strategy you can quickly find yourself buried in writing articles and recording videos day in, day out.

They key is working smarter with your content strategy.

In this podcast, I dive into 9 simple tactics for leveraging the things you’re already doing in your business as a way to more effectively create new content for your members.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The difference between creating content and delivering value
• How to add massive value to your members by selling them your other products and services
• Best ways to leverage your blog, podcast and even live events
• Why you might already be sitting on a wealth of potential member content

Conference season is upon us!

For some that means cramming into a drab hall in a hotel out in the middle of nowhere, listening to long-in-the-tooth experts drone on for hours on end.

For others, it's a chance to take time away, fly to somewhere sunny and fill your brain in between running up a huge bar bill on company expenses.

Whichever end of the scale you land on; conferences represent plenty of opportunities for anyone running a membership website.

Check out the 10 ways that membership owners can really get the most from industry conferences.

Lead generation is a critical part of the sales process for membership owners.

For most membership businesses, this means getting people to subscribe to your email marketing list, where you can engage with them further on a more direct basis and guide them towards joining your membership site.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I talk about how to convert website visitors into email leads, and give my top tips for increasing both the quantity and the quality of the leads that you generate.

Are you struggling to encourage disengaged members?

Member engagement can be a tricky thing. We want people to consume the content, engage with the community, and really use the membership that they’re paying for, but we don’t want to nag people with constant emails either. Once someone becomes disengaged, it can be difficult to nudge them back into action.

In this episode I look at the ways you can maintain a careful balance between encouraging engagement without getting on people’s nerves, from soft unsubscribes to using email tags to using remarketing ads to gently encourage your members back to courses and back into the community.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why it’s important to maintain a balance between nudging and nagging
• Using tools in your CRM and messaging apps to create a buffer to reduce the nagging
• How to use soft unsubscribes to reduce email overwhelm
• How you can mix up the formats you use to send reminders
• Making sure you don’t overdo it with your messages and emails
• Why it's important to remember that people engage in different ways

Important Links & Mentions:

• Membership Academy Courses
• ConvertKit
• ActiveCampaign
• Intercom
• Drift
• The 90-9-1 Rule of Community Engagement

Key Quotes:

“If the reason they haven’t logged in is because they have something serious going on or a major change in circumstance, you don’t want to be that annoying person nagging them every week. Giving them the ability to soft unsubscribe from certain types of reminders and emails ensures that you don’t alienate or annoy those members.”

“Mix up the format and how you get yourself in front of people to try and reengage them to log in, rejoin the community, or finish that course.”

“You need to be smart and think about that bigger picture for the member and don’t overdo it, don’t try to force it and know when to stop. Make sure that you’re not going overboard.”

We're celebrating a huge milestone for The Membership Guys Podcast as we hit our 200th episode!

To mark the occasion, we thought we’d do something a little special...

So both Callie and I opened the floor up to you, and invited our members and wider audience to ask us absolutely anything you wanted - about anything!

We’ve picked the best questions and answered them together in this special 200th episode. Enjoy!

Episode Summary:

• How we handle working together, and our top tips for running a business with your spouse
• If we could go back in time, what would we do differently with our membership?
• What were those early days like for us? What challenges did we have? Did we have any doubts or fears?
• PLUS we discuss everything from community engagement to videogames, movies to content strategy and more!

So, you've launched your membership site and are ready to reach those goals and fulfill those dreams you imagined for yourself and for your membership.

A word of caution: you may face a few challenges once your site is up and running. 

We want you to be prepared for the potential issues you may face when you become a new membership site owner.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I go through six of the most common challenges new owners face after a brand-new launch and share my advice on how to deal with them head on.

Essential Learning Points:

• How to keep your start-up costs in check and avoid ‘shiny object syndrome’
• Tips for mitigating finicky tech issues – whether you’re tech-savvy or not
• What the momentum conundrum is and the 90 / 9 / 1 rule
• How to manage your time better so your membership site doesn't fall off your priority list
• The highs and lows post-launch and what to do when your motivation runs dry  

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Academy
• The Membership Mastermind Facebook Group
• Tackling the 6 Biggest Challenges Every New Membership Owner Faces
• The Membership Guys on Twitter

Key Quotes:

“When it comes to start-up costs, be realistic about what you actually need.”

“Be patient, save your money, and wait before you jump into Facebook ads.”

“Successful membership owners worry about the members they have far more than the members they don't have.”

“There is no one size fits all or silver bullet strategy for bringing in new members.”

This past year has been an exciting one for us, and as we reach the 12 month anniversary of the opening of the Member Site Academy we're feeling a little reflective.

To celebrate this milestone I'm joined once again on the podcast by the other (some say better) half of The Membership Guys, the one and only Callie Willows, to discuss our first year of running the Academy.

In this episode, Callie and I discuss:

• What aspects of running the Academy we each found to be most surprising or unexpected
• Changes we've made to our strategy and the reasons and circumstances behind those decisions
• What we each enjoy most about running the membership
• What the future holds for Member Site Academy

We all want to win over as many new members as possible. But did you know that keeping those members is often more important?

Member acquisition is still essential. But unless you’re keeping those members, you’ll find yourself always relying on short-term, one-off members to make ends meet.

Making people stick around is often harder than getting them interested in the first place. However, this is exactly what will help you grow your membership business. 

In this episode, I discuss the six top member retention mistakes I see businesses make. I also talk about why retention is often more important and valuable than member acquisition. 

Essential Learning Points:

• Why member retention is so important
• Why cancellations are not always a bad thing
• How important feedback is for keeping members
• The best ways to approach canceling members

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Academy
• Intercom
• The Membership Economy book by Robbie Kellman Baxter

Key Quotes:

• “If the only thing standing in the way between someone being a member and someone leaving is that you have hidden the cancelation button, you’ve got bigger problems.”
• “When you’ve got members on your site engaging and using your membership, getting results, making progress, and forming connections, that is fuel for continued growth in your membership.”
• “Make the DECISION to cancel difficult, not the process.”

Good news... it's my birthday!! 

Bad news... I literally NEVER work on my birthday…

It’s one of my rules...

And as much as I love The Membership Guys podcast… 

I can’t break this rule. 

So I’m taking the day off….

And that can mean only one thing... 

CALLIE IS TAKING OVER!

(And I get to eat cake)

Join the other (some would say better) half of The Membership Guys for a very special episode, as Callie shares her top takeaways from season 4 of her podcast, Behind the Membership, and reveals the release date for season 5.

Listen to hear about: 

• The changes membership owners have made to better serve their audiences during the global pandemic. Caryn Liles explains how Covid 19 resulted in her transitioning her well established brick and mortar dog training business to an online membership model, which is now allowing her to provide more in-depth support than before. Katie Wardrobe talks about how she reduced the price of her membership and offered more free content to help teachers adapt to working online, which has increased the growth of her business. 
• How Carole Copeland Thomas’s membership has become more important than ever due to the growing racial tensions across the U.S. 
• Why a one size fits all approach doesn’t work when it comes to memberships. Pamela Mitchell explains how she created a model to suit her needs and Felicia Lo shares the benefits and challenges of running an online membership alongside a well established international yarn business. Steve Pavlina also talks about how he offers a high ticket annual membership that only launches for five days a year. 
• How season 4 reinforced the message that memberships give owners the freedom and flexibility to live life on their own terms. Whether it’s accommodating health issues like in the case of Marisha Mets, building a location independent business enabling family travel like in the case of Trish Blackwell... Or using your membership to reach big goals and eventually give back to underprivileged communities like John Michaloudis. 
• How running memberships can lead to positive change. Warwick Brown explains how leaving his corporate role and launching his membership has led to a happier, more energized life and Warren Mcpherson shares how he reduced his income streams and took ownership of his time so he can spend more of it with his young family.    

Links and Mentions: 

• Behind The Membership podcast 
• Launching Quickly in a Global Crisis with Caryn Liles
• Double your member base during a pandemic with Katie Wardrobe 
• Facilitating Change Through Difficult Conversations with Carole Copeland Thomas
• Creating a High Level Coaching Membership with Coach Pamela Mitchell
• Adding a Membership to a Successful Manufacturing Business with Felicia Lo
• Aligning Your Members to Your Vision with Steve Pavlina

In this episode I talk to Blair Williams - creator and founder of MemberPress - about the history of the plugin, essential features membership sites need to get ahead, the state of the WordPress membership plugin market and what the future holds for MemberPress.

Much of what we do as membership site owners involves experimentation.

Regardless of what some people may try to tell you, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy or magic formula for membership success; you have to test and figure out what works for you.

We recently pulled back the curtain inside Member Site Academy to share our own experiments and tests with our members as part of the new 'Membership Lab' - and feedback has been incredible.

In this episode, I give an overview of 3 of the most recent tactics we've been experimenting with ourselves.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why we decided to have full transparency by documenting and sharing new tools and tactics we're experimenting with
• How we're able to provide a personal touch even with a large scale member base
• Our spin on offering a trial period to entice new sign-ups, and how it's performed so far
• The methods we're using to keep members updated about new content

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I'm joined by Nathan Chan of Foundr Magazine.

The founder of Foundr. And yes, I made that joke 30 seconds in. He'd heard it before.

What was originally intended to be a discussion about Instagram turned into a value-packed chat about the background of Foundr magazine, how Nathan started it from scratch, without an existing audience to speak of and ultimately grew it into a successful brand that now offers several products including a recently launched membership site.

We regularly get asked for our recommendations on the top tools for membership website owners.

The truth is that there’s no such thing as the “perfect” membership site setup that will work for everyone – it all depends on what it is you want to achieve with your membership site, what features and functionality you need it to have, which email and payment software you’re using and a whole bunch of other details that determine which membership tools are the best fit for you.

In this episode, we talk about the tools we use for our own membership website – Member Site Academy – as well as the reasons why we chose those particular options.

Episode Summary:

• Which membership plugin and other software we're using to power Member Site Academy
• Why you don't need to use the exact same setup that we use (or anyone else is using)
• Changes we're considering making to our tech stack and frustrations we have
• What WordPress theme do we use for our websites?

Have you ever wondered what the main differences are between B2B memberships and B2C memberships?

When it comes to membership sites, most of the strategies that we talk about on the podcast and inside the Membership Academy can be applied to pretty much any niche or market.

But, there are a few key differences to look out for between a B2B membership and a B2C membership. These differences are important because they can potentially impact how you approach your strategy, marketing, and even your mindset when it comes to your membership site.

Dive into this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast to hear what those key differences are and how you can use that knowledge to plan your membership content accordingly.

Episode Summary:

• How vast the range of potential impact your membership can have with a B2C market vs. B2B
• The importance of assessing where you fit on the scale - between something that’s seen as a hobby and something potentially life-changing
• How attitudes towards cost and affordability vary between B2B and B2C members
• Adjusting expectations when it comes to how much time your members can afford to give to your membership site
• Why you need to consider the level of exposure your market has to advertising, sales and marketing tactics

Key Quotes:

“The scale of how important your membership is and how much of an impact it can make is usually going to be far broader with a B2C membership.”

“While there is no one size fits all approach to pricing and there’s certainly not a set industry average, you'll often find in terms of monthly payments, that a B2C membership will fall somewhere between $15 to maybe $35, or $40. Whereas B2B memberships usually around the $30 to $60 mark.”

“It’s down to you to find ways that you can deliver value and deliver results without demanding a lot of your members time, you need to make it convenient for them to use your membership.”

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

We would also be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in Apple Podcasts. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Are you celebrating the milestones in your membership business?

If not, you should be!

Whether it's an anniversary or hitting an important goal, it's worth making an effort to mark those significant achievements.

In this episode, I share my top tips for celebrating your membership milestones in style...

Do you know the difference between good marketing advice and bad marketing advice?

The marketing industry is full of information. Some can help you build meaningful customer relationships and effectively generate sales. But some is based on misinformation, pressure tactics, and “shortcuts” that could lead to slower audience growth or even a damaged reputation.

I find it so infuriating that people are being pressured and pushed around by membership marketing myths that they believe are the industry standard. In this episode, I get on my soapbox to bust the most common marketing myths and help steer you away from the nonsense.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why pressurizing leads can drive them to buy elsewhere
• How to prevent your customers getting buyer’s remorse
• Why a good product isn’t enough to generate sales
• The number of followers you really need

Important Links & Mentions:

• Open Every Day by Ross O'Lochlainn
• 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly
• Our free Membership Mastermind Facebook Group
• Membership Academy

Key Quotes:

“Successful marketing is all about getting the right message, to the right person, at the right time.”

“Some people are just not ready to buy when you’re ready to sell. Your business and how you market it is actually more about being there when someone is ready to buy, rather than trying to force the sale too quickly.”

“If you’re not able to connect the dots and to compel people to put their hand in their pocket and pay you for the solution to their problem then it doesn’t matter how great your membership is, it doesn’t matter how great your product is. “Build it and they will come” is not a valid strategy.”

In this episode, I discuss the challenges faced by membership owners as their business grows and the day-to-day operations become more complex.

Join me as I provide practical tips on how to intentionally become less hands-on in a membership business without compromising the quality and value of the member experience.

In this episode:

- How can membership owners become less hands-on in the day-to-day operations as their business grows?

- What are the key steps in growing a reliable team and delegating key tasks to empower the team?

- In what ways can processes be streamlined and automated to make operations more efficient?

- How can membership owners create self-serve resources for their members to foster a culture of self-sufficiency within the community?

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode I talk to renowned digital strategist and co-founder of AccessAlly, Nathalie Lussier. As well as discussing her transition from programmer to online marketer, Nathalie shares tips and insight into list building, creating compelling online courses and how to improve your member experience.

Losing members is just part and parcel of operating a membership site. However there’s plenty that you can do to make sure that you’re not losing members for the wrong reasons...

Is your cancellation process as effective as it could be?

As a membership site, it’s vital to get the balance right! You need to make the decision for your members to leave difficult…not the process.

It’s very easy to feel hurt or worried when members depart in their droves but don’t take it personally. Members will end their subscription for so many different reasons… and they may well come back very soon.

In this episode of the Membership Geeks podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Callie Willows discuss some of the most common things membership site owners get wrong when faced with customer cancellations.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why you should remember to ‘think like a member’ – how would you want the process to go if you wanted to cancel a membership?
• Why it’s important to make the decision to cancel difficult – not the process
• Why you should avoid turning members who might rejoin away
• Finding the right software to make the process seamless

 Important Links & Mentions:

• Membership Academy
• Membership Geeks

Key Quotes:

“During the cancellation process, give it a final shot to try and convince them to stick around. But it shouldn't get in the way, it shouldn't be an obstacle.”

“If that member experience was 100% positive up to that point, you can ruin it all by having a terrible approach to cancellations.”

“If someone has paid for a month, you have to give them that month. If someone's paid for a year, you have to give them that year. This is why we say that you're getting into dodgy legal territory if you don't actually honor that.”

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, it's the concluding part of my interview with Nathan Chan of Foundr Magazine in which we discuss marketing your business and growing your brand on Instagram.

As part of his marketing for Foundr Magazine, Nathan managed to explode their Instagram following to hundreds of thousands of highly engaged fans in a short space of time. In this episode, he discusses how you can get started on building your own following as well as how to leverage them as part of your list building and sales funnel for your membership site.

In this episode, Nathan Chan and I discuss:

• How "boring" non-visual companies and brands can use Instagram as part of their social media marketing strategy
• Where to start when trying to build your Instagram following
• Leveraging influencers and figuring out what to actually post
• Strategically planning your content and campaigns to generate leads and sales
• Nathan's thoughts on how the recent algorithm change affects people marketing on Instagram

How can you create a personal touch in your membership when you have hundreds or thousands of members to serve?...

The bigger your membership grows, the more difficult it is to create a personal connection with individual members…

But, if you want members to stick around in the long-term, and set yourself apart from your competition, forming a deeper relationship with people is essential!

In this episode, Mike shares 8 simple ways to add a personal touch to your membership. 

Discover the one thing you can do to create an instant impact on new members, why short video messages can provide maximum value, and how to provide individual attention in a highly leveraged way. 

Join the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/

For more membership growth tips, subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast and listen on the go!

In this episode I discuss the benefits of offering a trial period for your membership site, and why risk reversal can be the key to increasing your sales

As founder of the Female Entrepreneur Association, Carrie Green credits investment in personal development and conditioning herself for success as the keys to having the right mindset to grow her membership to over 4,000 members.

In this interview, we discuss how FEA came to be and the challenges Carrie faced along the way; and we also dig deeper into the strategies Carrie uses to keep members happy and continue growing her membership.

In this episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I tackle a common question: Does a membership site need its own mobile app?

We dive deep into the reasons why a mobile app might not be necessary for most memberships and explore the cost implications, usage patterns, and potential alternatives. I also discuss scenarios where having an app might actually make sense and share some insights from my extensive experience with membership sites.

In this episode:

• Is it necessary for my membership site to have a dedicated mobile app?
• What are the costs and challenges associated with developing a mobile app for my membership site?
• How do most people use mobile apps, and does it justify the investment for my membership?
• Are there specific situations where having a mobile app for a membership is truly beneficial?

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Just like that, another year is over...

And what a year 2020 has been!

Rather than dwell on what could only be described as an insane 12 months, let’s end the year on a high and think about what we’ve all achieved. 

It has certainly been a big year for Callie and I.

We’ve: 

• Grown our team with two full-time hires - Kathryn, our Head of Digital Content and Tom, our Graphic Designer.  
• Launched some amazing new features in Membership Academy including our Game Plans and Member Huddles, and…
• Created another year’s worth of The Membership Guys weekly podcast and season 4 of Callie’s Behind The Membership podcast. 

It’s been a lot of fun! 

We hope it’s been a successful and productive year for you and your membership. 

With only a few days left of 2020, it’s time for our traditional end of year recap show.

Listen for our top 10 most popular episodes of The Membership Guys podcasts in 2020. 

Thank you so much for your continued support of the show this year - I really appreciate each and every one of you. 

Here’s to an awesome 2021. 

Episode Links (not in order - don't want to ruin the suspense!):

• Using Facebook Ads to Promote Your Membership With Gavin Bell
• 8 Things You Need to Know Before Starting a Membership Site  
• 9 Simple Marketing Tactics That’ll Get You More Members
• Using Pinterest to Market Your Membership With Cara Chace 
• Should You Allow Competitors to Join Your Membership?
• 7 Things to do Before You Publish Your Next Piece of Content
• Why Signal vs Noise Ratio is Key to Membership Community Engagement 
• Should You Build Your Website Yourself or Hire Help - With Martin and Lyndsay from Jammy Digital
• Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Membership Academy 
• How to Use Content Marketing to Sell Your Online Membership

Check out previous years' countdowns:

Like it or not, your members won’t stick around forever, losing members is just part and parcel of operating a membership site. However there’s plenty that you can do to make sure that you’re not losing members for the wrong reasons.

In this episode, I discuss the most common reasons people typically leave membership sites, and provide tips for improving your retention strategy to prevent them.

Social proof is a powerful, persuasive factor when it comes to making buying decisions.

If we see others behaving in a particular way, buying a product or, say, joining a membership site; then we're far more inclined to follow suit.

More and more, customers are basing their buying decisions on what other people recommend, rather than promotions, discounts and other sales tactics.

In this episode, I share 7 ways that you can add social proof to your membership sales page.

Are you delivering an exceptional member experience?

Your membership could have the best content in the world, but if your member experience isn't up to scratch then people just aren't going to engage.

They're less likely to log in, less likely to consume your content or participate in your community, and ultimately less likely to stick around long term.

Much of crafting a remarkable member experience comes down to finding ways of making your members feel extra special, and in this episode I highlight 6 simple ways to do just that.

Episode Summary:

• Don't underestimate the importance of personally welcoming new members to your site
• How making a deliberate effort to loop other members into conversations can be hugely empowering
• Why you need to be attentive to your power users and reach out to people who are slipping away
• How using your platform to showcase members and celebrate their successes is a major win-win

One question which comes up regularly is whether you should keep your membership site open all of the time, or whether limited joining periods are better. Find out what we think...

One of the best things about running a membership website is that we can market and position it in a way that we attract the sort of members that we most want to work with.

However no matter hard you try to get only the “right type” of people in your membership, you will inevitably experience problem members.

Sometimes it will be a personality clash, where certain members just rub you up the wrong way; however there will be instances where you need to deal with potentially toxic elements among your member base. So how do you deal with them?

I address that question and more on the latest episode of The Membership Guys Podcast.

Episode Summary:

• The questions you need to ask yourself before dealing a ‘problem’ member
• How to implement a two-tier “strike” based approach to dealing with issues
• When it’s the right time to kick out difficult members
• The process and steps to take when removing someone from your membership

So many membership owners live in fear of their members cancelling.

It kind of makes sense, because the goal of a membership site is to retain its members for as long as possible and so when someone leaves - whatever the reason - it's hard not to see that as a negative.

However when a member cancels, it doesn't have to be the end of the road.

In this podcast I talk about why cancellations don't mean it's all over, and how implementing a 'win-back' strategy is essential for getting lapsed and cancelled members to return.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Some of the main reasons why your members leave (and why cancellations aren't always a bad thing!)
• How to create effective win-back campaigns to tempt your cancelled members
• Dos and don'ts of planning win-back campaigns that work
• A walkthrough example of email sequences and promotions that will get your cancelled members to return

When people think about launching a membership, they think about the day that they finally open their doors for the very first time and welcome their first crop of new members.

It's a big deal!

However that grand opening isn't the only opportunity you have to launch...

There are different launch types for each stage of your business, depending on how far along you are in the membership site creation process, or what you might need your members to do to help get your product ready for market.

Listen in for a full breakdown of the 6 different launch strategies you can use at various stages of your membership journey... 

Essential Learning Points:

• Validating your membership idea by running a pilot program
• The difference between launch strategy for open memberships vs closed door
• How to generate seed money to help you develop your membership idea
• The best way to reduce the stress of a big launch and ease yourself into the membership model

Important Links & Mentions:

•  The 6 Different Types of Membership Launch
• When the closed door membership makes sense
• Jeff Walker's book, Launch
• Creating an MVP for your membership
• The lean live launch strategy
• Membership Academy
• The Membership Guys Facebook Group

Key Quotes:

“Your big launch event will usually be a week or two, where you're doing lots of promotional marketing activity to get as many eyeballs as possible on your launch – in the hopes that you'll get that influx of initial members.”

 “The beta launch can be extremely useful for helping you to ensure that you are in absolute top shape, or as close as you can get to top shape, before you open the doors to your membership. And, it has the great side effect of also ensuring that you already have people there in your community.”

“If you know you need a little bit of a softer entry into the world of running an online membership, then a soft launch can work for you.”

In this episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I discuss the common mistakes made with the closed door membership model, and why it may not be the one-size-fits-all solution it's often made out to be.

From neglecting existing members to the dangers of overhyping, we explore the potential pitfalls of this fringe membership strategy.

In this episode:

- Why is focusing solely on launch promotions a mistake when using the closed door membership model?

- What are the common mistakes and misconceptions around implementing a closed door membership model?

- Key differences between closed-door and open-door membership models, and how might they impact member retention and community energy

- What are the drawbacks and dangers of employing scarcity in marketing, especially within a closed door membership model?

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Running a membership requires you to get into the routine of regularly showing up, serving your members by creating valuable content, interacting in your community, answering support queries and so on.

These day to day habits are the cornerstone of any successful membership - however when developing those positive habits it's all too easy to also develop bad ones.

In this episode, I highlight some of the more common bad habits we see membership owners falling foul of, and give my top tips for breaking them.

Episode Summary:

• The damaging effects of becoming complacent in your approach to your membership
• Memberships are an evolution and should change over time, but not ALL change is good...
• The biggest mis-steps membership owners make when it comes to their community
• Why you shouldn't blindly follow the advice of experts and "gurus" - and yes, that includes us!

Every successful membership site owner knows their numbers.

If you don’t know how your business is performing in key areas, then you have no basis for growth and making improvements, or any idea of whether or not your membership site is doing well or if it’s in trouble.

Worryingly, our Online Membership Industry Report revealed that 14% of membership site owners aren't tracking their KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) at all. And an even greater number only track a few key metrics! 

This is something that needs to change. 

So if you're currently not tracking metrics on your site or are measuring some, but are not sure if they're the ones you should be focusing on, then this episode of The Membership Guys podcast is for you.

Join us as we explore KPIs that every membership website should be tracking. 

Essential Learning Points:

• Different metrics to focus on for analyzing website traffic and activity 
• Why you need to have an in-depth understanding of your conversion rates
• How your churn rate impacts member retention and why you should aim for 5% to 10%
• Why it’s crucial to measure the percentage of trial participants who become paid members
• How to measure the lifetime value of your members
• Recommended tools for reporting on member engagement
• Why you should track customer acquisition cost 

Important Links & Mentions:

• Membership Academy
• Biggest Takeaways from the Online Membership Industry Report
• The Most Effective Tools for Reducing Your Membership Churn
• Why Member Lifetime Value is More Important Than Churn Rate

Key Quotes:

“If you don’t know how your business is performing in key areas then you have no basis for growth, for making improvements or knowing whether or not your membership site is doing well or if it’s in trouble”

“Member retention is as important, if not more so, than acquiring new members.”

“What really matters in business is the overall profit that you're making. As the old saying goes, turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.”

“Knowing that lifetime value means that when planning, advertising campaigns or any of the marketing spend, you can more accurately assess your return on investment.” 

One of the strongest ways you can grow your membership at speed is to start a joint venture promotion.

First of all, you may be asking what exactly a joint venture promotion is… Put simply, it’s working with someone who has a sizeable audience who you want to speak to in exchange for commission or some other value exchange.

Now that we’ve got that cleared up – do you want to know how you can use joint venture promotions to boost your membership sign-up rates?

Well, that’ll take a while to write out. Why not listen to this episode to find out instead?

Essential Learning Points:

• The different ways you can grow your membership numbers
• Why contributing guest content to partners’ sites is a great starting point
• How to step up your joint venture promotions with affiliate programs
• Why the cost of affiliate programs is worth it for the value they provide
• How to perfect your joint venture promotion strategy and where to go for more information

Important Links & Mentions:

• Membership Academy
• Lead Generation Essentials for Membership Site Owners
• Promoting Your Membership Site with an Affiliate Program
• How Much Should I Charge For My Membership Website?
• Utilizing Guest Experts for your Membership Content

Key Quotes:

“You have to think about whether you want to offer a one-off commission or commission on the recurring element of the payment. This depends on how much you’re charging and your profit margin.”

“You will not be able to reach the number of people a joint venture partner can get you if you instead choose to spend their commission fees on standard marketing.”

“Make sure that any leads opting-in to your email list from your co-promotion have a short funnel before they can be turned into sales… Your joint venture partner isn’t going to want to wait 60 or 90 days!”

Are you finding Instagram a frustrating platform to promote your membership?

Instagram is the one social channel where it is hard to add links to promote your content. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. As well as just using it as a content outlet to promote your blog, podcast, or video content, there are multiple ways Stories can be used to promote your membership business.

In this episode, we share 7 ways you can make the most out of Instagram Stories. From creating native content to utilising interactive Stories badges. We have lots of suggestions about how you can use Stories to showcase your social side and promote your business at the same time.

Essential Learning Points:

• How to creatively use Instagram Stories to promote your membership
• Ways to use native content on Stories to engage your members
• The benefits of using Stories to show behind the scenes content
• How you can use Stories to share social proof and brag about yourself
• The benefits of features like the Stories countdown and question badges to promote your content and engage your audience

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Academy
• The Membership Mastermind Facebook Group
• The Membership Guys’ Twitter
• Mike’s Instagram
• Callie’s Instagram

Key Quotes:

“Instagram Stories has a lot of potential. But, you will have to be more creative to take advantage of it.”

“You can use Stories to brag about your members and to showcase them. By shining, a spotlight on your member’s successes will show a different dimension to your business.”

“Stories are great for getting existing members excited about what’s coming up and building connections, but also for enticing new members.”

The typical membership site owner creates a LOT of content.

Not just for their paying members, but as part of their marketing strategy too.

It's a lot of work - so anything you can do to increase the impact and the reach of the content you create is a big win.

Content repurposing can help you squeeze every drop of value from your courses, tutorials, blogs, videos and podcasts; and in today's episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I'm joined by the queen of content repurposing - Amy Woods from Content10x - to discuss ways that you can repurpose your membership content.

Episode Summary:

• The right way to approach repurposing your content to ensure you stand out, not just making more noise
• Should you try to "be everywhere" when it comes to content platforms and social media?
• Specific things you can do to repurpose both your paid membership content as well as your free content
• The 2-3 steps you can take - starting with your next piece of content - to get to grips with repurposing

Podcasts have made a significant resurgence in recent years, having never quite hit their full potential back when they first became “a thing” in the mid-2000’s.

This growing popularity, coupled with it being easier than ever to start your own podcast, makes for a great opportunity for membership site owners to really get ahead by incorporating podcasting into the content marketing strategy.

In this episode, I discuss the main reasons you should consider using a podcast to promote your membership site, and the 5 steps you can take to get started.

How are you planning to run your membership over the festive season?

As a membership site owner, you have the freedom to choose how you run your membership all year round. However, the holidays present unique opportunities for producing content, running promotions, and taking the time to sit back and relax.

In this episode, I tell you the six things you can start doing now to plan for the holiday season. From what seasonal content to plan, to when to start thinking about next year, these six things will help you figure out how your membership can effectively navigate the festivities.

Essential Learning Points:

• Which content types are perfect for the festive season
• How to run a seasonal promotion
• Why taking a break is essential to your membership’s success
• How to prepare your members for your reduced availability
• What to reflect on and how it can shape your membership’s future
• How to start planning for the year ahead

Key Quotes:

“The holidays are a great time to run a promotional campaign, whether it's a discount, whether it's a promotion where you offer some bonuses, some sort of event marketing, like a summit or a challenge.”

“Even if you've got to force yourself to take some time off, know that time away is actually an extremely important investment in your business.”

“If you haven't hit your goals, or things haven't gone the way you want, that's business. That's life. A lot of the time, these goals are arbitrary, they’re guesses, they’re best estimates. So, don't dwell. Make a deliberate effort to focus on the positives from your year.”

Typically the type of membership sites we talk about here involve an expert using their skills, knowledge, experience and expertise to teach other people and help them achieve their goals.

But what if you're not an expert in any one thing, can you still start a membership?

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I discuss the 4 different strategies and models you can take to start a membership where you're not the expert authority, as well as the one approach you should absolutely avoid at all costs.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why it can be tougher to sell a membership where you're not an expert in a particular subject
• Should you "fake it 'til you make it?"
• How leveraging other peoples expertise can make for an attractive membership offering
• Do all memberships need to teach something?

It's every prospective membership site owners' nightmare - months of toiling over your product, only for it to fall flat when it finally launches. In this episode, we look at what you can do if the worst happens.

As the holiday season approaches, it's a good time to remind ourselves of the value of taking time away from your membership.

In some circles, working every hour under the sun and being so busy that you're eating your Christmas lunch with your laptop on your knee, is seen almost as a badge of honour. Evidence that you're "hustling" harder than anyone else and as a result your business will be more successful.

It doesn't work like that.

Working hard is not the same as working smart; and neither you nor your paying members benefit from you being so tethered to your business that you can't take a little time out.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast we talk about why taking a break is so important, and I share a story about when I first realised that the world doesn't stop spinning if you step away from your business.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The main reasons why people are afraid to take a break from their membership, and why they're all nonsense
• The first time I realised that my business wouldn't fall apart if I had some time off
• Why spending too much time on your membership is actually bad for your members
• The importance of setting boundaries, managing expectations and making sure you control your business rather than it controlling you.

Retention is crucial for a successful membership site.

It costs more to win a new member than it does to hang on to an existing one; so it stands to reason that you should have a strategy in place  for ensuring that your members stick around.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast I discuss 3 specific tips and techniques that you can use to keep your members hooked and subscribed for longer.

Amazon have just announced the launch of a new digital subscription marketplace called "Subscribe With Amazon".

This will enable people to tap into their sales tools and, of course, their huge audience in order to sell digital products for a recurring fee such as - you guessed it - membership websites.

Make no mistake, this is a potential game-changer for the membership space.

In this "hot off the presses" episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I explain exactly what this means, how it works and what you need to do to capitalize on this opportunity.

In this episode:

• What exactly "Subscribe With Amazon" is and how it works
• Why membership site owners need to be excited about this new development
• Technical and logistical considerations for adding your membership to the Amazon marketplace
• Restrictions and financial implications of joining "Subscribe With Amazon"

Most of the strategies, principles and tactics we cover here and inside the Member Site Academy apply across the board regardless of which niche or market your membership website is in.

However when it comes to B2B and B2C memberships there are some key differences that you need to be aware of when it comes to positioning, marketing and pricing your offering.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I dive into what those differences are and ways in which you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

In this episode, I discuss:

• What are the 4 main differences to consider between business-to-business and business-to-consumer memberships?
• How these 2 distinct member types will each perceive things like value, cost and priorities
• Why important thing you need to consider when planning your membership content depending on your customer profile
• Ballpark price ranges for both B2B and B2C memberships, and the one factor that may enable you to increase your prices

Social media marketing has changed dramatically over the past few years.

From the rise of live video, to the huge drop-off in organic reach for Facebook pages. New platforms launching and disappearing seemingly overnight. It can be hard for the busy membership owner to keep up.

Mike Stelzner is a man with his finger on the pulse of social media marketing. As founder of Social Media Examiner and the man behind the largest conference in the industry - Social Media Marketing World - he's the first port of call for experts and influencers worldwide when it comes to whats working right now in social media.

In today's episode of The Membership Guys Podcast - I talk to Mike about the current state of social media marketing, and chat about how he uses social media and content marketing for both his conference and Social Media Examiners own membership website.

Many people measure success according to vanity metrics.

How many followers you have rather than how much engagement you get; how much your turnover is rather than how much net profit you make; how many members you have rather than their average lifetime spend.

But is success as a membership site owner all about how many members you have?

Or is it about the money you make? Or the lifestyle your membership affords you?

I give my take in this week's episode of The Membership Guys Podcast...

Episode Summary:

• Are your goals ambitious enough? And if they're not, does that make you a bad entrepreneur?
• Why member numbers are meaningless when it comes to assessing the success of your membership
• Would you trade in a measure of personal happiness for a measure of increased profit?
• How small membership sites can actually be more attractive

If a membership site launches with no audience to notice, has it truly launched?

In this episode we answer the much asked question of whether it's possible - or advisable - to launch a membership site when you do not have an audience.

I also discuss why audience building is particularly important for membership website owners, as well as my top tips for how you can get started on building an audience for your site, fast.

If you want to make an impact and grab a lot of attention for the launch of your membership site, then running an online summit can be a great strategy to use. This is especially true if you need to accelerate your visibility, quickly grow an audience and build a huge amount of momentum going into your launch.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I talked to Yann Ilunga about how he's making a splash with his upcoming Podcast Success Summit, and the strategy he's using to launch his own membership off the back of it.

One of the biggest fears of any new membership site owner is that they'll open the doors to their shiny new website, only to be met with the sound of crickets; and if you don't already have a following or an established audience then there's a real risk of that happening.

While organising and running an online summit is a lot of work, as Yann described; the pay-off can be huge in terms of getting peoples attention, building a highly targeted email list and generating positive momentum.

Can a membership business ever really provide passive income?

Lots of so-called internet marketing gurus out there will point you in the direction of the membership model and claim it’s the “ultimate way to make passive income.”

We’re here to tell you that’s false…sort of. Memberships are not a way to make 100% passive income, but can they make any passive income?

In this episode, we discuss what passive income really is, why memberships can never be 100% passive, and why it’s up to you to decide how passive you want your business to be.

Essential Learning Points:   

• Why you should be wary of the term “passive income”
• Why memberships are never 100% passive     
• What does passive income really mean?  
• Ways a membership can be partially passive

Important Links & Mentions:       

• The Membership Guys        
• The Membership Academy

Key Quotes:

“An online membership is a business…and every business requires you to work and take it seriously. It's not a gimmick. It's not a cheat. It's not something you do if you're just looking for a quick shortcut to make an easy buck.”

“There's an old adage in the internet marketing world, that internet marketers work 18 hours a day, so they can make money in their sleep. Being able to say, ‘I make money in my sleep,’ so many people like to use that as a badge of honor…And of course, you never see the full story.”

“We've always railed against the tendency of internet marketers to promote memberships as a path to passive income because in doing so that really does sell the lie, that this is an easy route to untold riches for minimal effort.”

You’ve got plenty of loyal members who continue to pay for your membership – but are you taking member retention for granted?

Some members may be paying for your membership without any delays or issues, but that doesn’t mean that they are happy and satisfied. 

You can’t assume that just because somebody is continuing to pay, that it means they are 100% pleased with their experience. The truth is that inactive paying members probably don’t even realize they’re still paying for their subscription!

So, what’s the best course of action if you think you’ve got paying members who could be getting closer to the exit door?

On this episode of the podcast, I reveal exactly what you should do, and I share three main reasons why you shouldn’t take member retention for granted. 

Essential Learning Points:

• The real reasons why members who are not engaged with your membership continue to pay for it
• Three reasons why you should never take member retention for granted
• Why you need to make sure you deliver constant value with your membership site

Important Links & Mentions:

• Creative ways to improve your member experience with Andrew & Pete
• Try these tactics to pre-empt and prevent member cancellations
• The Membership Economy with Robbie Kellman Baxter
• 4 simple but effective ways to deliver massive value to your members
• How to increase engagement within your membership site

Key Quotes:

“It's very easy to mistake somebody sticking around on your membership or the fact that someone continues to be a member, as an indicator that they're happy that they're engaged, that they're satisfied with what they're paying for.”

“You need to make sure that you're always looking for ways to continuously add value, that you have that ongoing dialog with your members that you're regularly getting feedback.”

“Some people will be paying you and will be continuing subscription without even realizing it.”

In this comeback episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, we dive into the importance of having a cart abandonment strategy for your membership business, exploring practical tips and proven strategies to prevent potential customers from leaving the sign-up process.

In this episode:

• Understanding the reasons behind cart abandonment, such as unexpected extra charges and confusing payment terms
• Simplifying the checkout process and minimizing distractions to encourage sign-ups
• Addressing technical issues that may lead to abandoned checkouts
• Clarifying and simplifying pricing to avoid customer confusion and abandonment
• Setting up email automation to follow up with customers who abandon their checkout process

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"Anyone selling anything online should have a solid cart abandonment strategy. It really is that important."

"A study found that a significant number of people who abandoned carts did so because of extra charges they weren't expecting. Extra costs, unclear payment terms, and unexpected taxes can discourage people from joining or making a purchase immediately."

"Ensure that you have an email automation that's triggered by an abandoned checkout, which tries to get people back to your site to finish signing up and make sure you're sending out that first follow-up email within an hour of that happening."

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. I

We'd be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode

Is your membership built on rented land? Are you relying on third parties with little control of your own content or community?

While there’s something to be said for third parties and all-in-one platforms, you need to be wary. Those platforms could go down, or maybe they could be hacked, and then what?

If you can’t access your membership assets, that’s bad news for your business. In this episode, you’ll hear all about the perils of building a membership on rented land.

Tune in to hear why control and having alternative options in the bag are so important and what you can do to protect yourself from a Facebook 2021-style outage.

Essential Learning Points:

• What the Facebook outage taught us about the dangers of relying on third parties
• Why control is the most important thing you need
• Why you need to protect your business assets
• The pros and cons of building on rented land

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Guys
• Membership Academy

Key Quotes:

“When we talk about not building on rented land, it's less about the dangers of depending on third parties and more about emphasizing the importance of control.”

“The willingness that so many people have to just surrender control of their most valuable business assets to third parties in the name of convenience or simply following the crowd is insane when you think about it.”

 “Your decision to build on rented land has to be an informed one. You have to know that there's a risk that comes with it, that you're sacrificing something in order to get that convenience.”

Did you miss me?

That's right, your favourite source of membership tips and advice is back in town after a bit of a hiatus, and we've got a whole bunch of fantastic new episodes lined up for you in the coming weeks and months!

Time to really level up your online membership...

And just like that, another year is almost over!

How was your 2023?

After missing last year due to the podcast being on hiatus, we're reviving our festive tradition of wrapping the year up by taking a look back at some of the fantastic episodes of the Membership Geeks Podcast, counting down the top 10 most downloaded episodes of 2022-2023.

Thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support of the show – here's to even more membership awesomeness in 2024!

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In most cases, you might think the words “membership” and “personalized experience” don’t belong in the same sentence.

So, you’re probably wondering, “how exactly am I going to offer tailored experiences when I’ve got hundreds or thousands of members?”

The good news is that it’s not impossible. In fact, there are so many ways to form that personal connection with your members that will ultimately drive them to fulfill their goals.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why offering a personalized experience is beneficial
• How segmentation can make the membership experience better for users
• The many uses of a member survey
• How personal videos and check-ins make your members feel seen
• When to use a private welcome video
• How to correctly segment your community

Important Links & Mentions:

• Membership Geeks
• Membership Academy
• Using Segmentation to Increase Leads and Member Sales

Key Quotes:

“What everything comes down to when we talk about personalizing and tailoring the member experience is making people think, “Hey if I were to design the perfect membership, just for me, this is actually what it would be like,” and the ability to connect directly to people where they are on their journey.”

“99% of people with large customer bases are not doing any of this. People have come to expect automation and an impersonal experience. And so, if you show that you’re a real person, that's going to go a long way.”

“If the experience someone has inside your membership is personalized, then that member is more likely to extract the specific things that they're most interested in — essentially, that’s more value.”

If you're trying to make more money from your membership business there are two ways you can go.

One is to try to increase revenue from your existing membership site - and the other is to look at opportunities for offering additional products and services to your customers.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I explore the 7 main options worth exploring - along with the 3 avenues you absolutely should NOT go down...

Episode Summary:

• The no-brainer areas you should focus on first to increase membership revenue
• How putting your price up can actually attract (and keep) more members
• What complementary products and services make sense for membership owners
• The 3 revenue streams you should stay clear of

Did you know that every membership has a revenue ceiling?

The revenue ceiling refers to the absolute peak of how much your membership is capable of generating. Knowing what your revenue ceiling is will help motivate you to achieve your full earning potential. And, if you’ve already hit the revenue ceiling for your membership business, you can begin to explore ways to raise the ceiling.

If this is the first time you’ve heard anything about a revenue ceiling, you’re not alone. However, it is worth taking the time to consider whether or not you’ve hit the revenue ceiling for your membership business.

In this episode, I help you calculate your revenue ceiling and discuss how you can raise the ceiling if you’re not ready to stall just yet.

Essential Learning Points:

• How to calculate your revenue ceiling
• What to do if your monthly revenue is higher than your revenue ceiling calculation
• Why hitting your revenue ceiling isn’t a bad thing
• How to raise your revenue ceiling

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Guys
• The Membership Academy
• The blog post for this episode
• Episode 292: Are You Leaving Money On The Table in Your Membership Business?
• Episode 61: How to Add Multiple Revenue Streams to an Existing Membership

Key Quotes:

“The reality is every membership and every subscription has a ceiling.”

“If you do the math, and the ceiling that you're coming out with is less than where you are right now… most likely, it means that your sales or your churn rates have dropped recently.”

In this "From The Vault" episode, I delve into advanced membership pricing tactics that can significantly influence consumer decisions and enhance membership sales.

We explore concepts such as price anchoring, decoy products, and comparative pricing, providing practical examples from successful companies.

Additionally, we discuss the psychological impact of pricing strategies and the importance of limiting options to avoid overwhelming potential customers. Join me as we unravel these powerful techniques to fine-tune your membership pricing strategy.

In this episode:

- How can price anchoring be implemented to make a membership option more appealing compared to other choices?

- What are decoy products, and how can they be used to reframe buying decisions in favor of a preferred option?

- Why is it essential to limit the number of membership options to avoid decision fatigue, and how can this be managed effectively?

- How do psychological factors like the leading number in a price and the influence of prices ending in 9 or 7 affect consumer perception and decision-making?

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Choosing the right membership plugin is a task that’s easier said than done.

The fact that it can be a bit of a nightmare switching plugins after your membership has opened its doors is something which makes your decision even more important.

There is no “one size fits all” best membership plugin for every situation, and so the process of deciding which to go with involves identifying your specific needs and then narrowing down the options; however making the final choice often requires you to dive deeper.

To help you be sure you’re making the right choice, here are 8 questions you should ask before you purchase your membership plugin.

Membership websites come in all shapes and sizes; but the type we primarily deal with here on The Membership Guys consist primarily of content and community.

Given that content marketing is, without doubt, one of the best ways to promote your membership site; then it can be a real challenge trying to figure out which content should be free - via blogs, podcasts and the like - and which content should comprise your paid membership.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I tackle this subject and look at some of the things to consider when deciding whether your content should be free or paid...

Episode Summary

• The truth behind the notion that membership site owners are selling content (spoiler: that's NOT what you're selling!)
• Some of the obvious differences between free and paid content
• 5 questions to ask yourself to help determine whether a piece of content should be free or should be paid
• Why membership owners often overlook the importance of c________e (listen in to fill the blank!)

In today's online world you're increasingly competing with a lot of noise and distraction when it comes to your members time and attention.

How do you stand out?

What can you do to deliver a member experience that will make logging into your membership and spending time in your community preferable to watching hilarious cat videos on YouTube or chatting with friends on Facebook?

Andrew and Pete are two of the most creative content marketers in the world. And that creativity carries over to their own membership community too.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, we look at what they're doing to craft a truly unique and remarkable member experience, and they share their tips on how you can think outside the lines and start being more creative with your membership.

Episode Summary:

• Why you shouldn't just do what everyone else does, and how to truly stand out from your competition.
• The special touches Andrew and Pete add to their member experience that has turned their community into superfans
• What to do if you're convinced your topic is too boring, or you're not sure how to find creative angles in your business
• Andrew and Pete share some random ideas you can try today to put a little more personality into your marketing and your membership

Is it time to finally increase the price of your membership?

It’s tricky to answer that because there are loads of different things to consider first. What are your costs? What value do you provide? How are the competition pricing? How can you stay competitive AND maintain a good profit margin?

These are some of the many questions we’re answering in this episode. Tune in to hear 11 signs that it’s finally time to give your pricing a bump and why increasing your price won’t make your customers run for the hills.

Essential Learning Points:

• Why it may be time to increase your price for the first time
• How to price based on the value
• How to maintain a healthy profit margin
• What potential members really think about low-priced memberships
• How to be competitive without competing on price

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Membership Guys
• Membership Academy
• Strategies for Increasing Your Membership Pricing

Key Quotes:

“If you have already gone through a price increase before, but it's been a couple of years, then maybe it's time to think about that next increase.”

“As your membership and as your business grows, you will see your expenses growing too.”

“Competing on price is the worst way to compete. It is a race to the bottom.”

Imagine launching a membership based on your passion… 

It’s the dream, right?

But what if you’ve built your business delivering classes in-person and are faced with the challenge of finding an online solution that will deliver the same value?

And you need to do this in the midst of a global pandemic…

That’s exactly what Lucy Walker from The Metalsmith Academy did…

And her story is awesome! 

She’s only a year into her membership and has thousands of members…

And while she’s been hugely successful as a membership owner, the past year hasn’t passed by without its challenges… 

In this episode Lucy joins us to share her journey so far… 

Listen to hear about:  

• How the pandemic forced Lucy to put her entire business online and make the transition from offering courses to launching her membership. 
• How The Metalsmith Academy launched with over 3,000 members in total, with 1,300 of them opting for the annual plan. 
• The reasons behind changing her enrollment model from closed to open. 
• How Lucy uses Instagram and YouTube to drive people into her membership funnel.
• Her approach to fostering a positive community and driving engagement.  

Key Quotes:

“We try and get people straight into the forums. As soon as they join, the first thing we say on email is ‘Hey, go and say hi in the forums, I’ll be there waiting for you. Come and introduce yourself” 

“With jewellery, it’s such a practical skill. When we were teaching in-person classes you could just have a vague outline and show people then be there to guide them through their problems. With online classes, the clearer you make them, the less work you have to do in the background, so being online has made me be a lot clearer in my teaching.”

“As a team we can often pack up and head off to a tropical island to work and that’s absolutely amazing.” 

“I wish I’d started building an audience earlier. I wish we’d started concentrating on Instagram when I first started making jewellery, rather than doing it when I started the business because I had to.” 

When it comes to offering trials of your membership site or online product, opinions tend to be divided between those who consider it a smart strategy and those who believe you shouldn’t give anything away, no matter what.

We’re big fans of utilising trial periods as part of your pricing strategy; however we recognise that they’re not something which will necessarily be right for everyone.

If you’re still on the fence, this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast provides some food for thought to help you determine whether to implement trials into your own strategy.

When starting a membership, you have to be in it for the long haul. However despite your best intentions the time may come when you're considering shutting down your membership site.

However if that is an option you're considering; it's important to handle it careful to avoid upsetting your members and ruining your reputation.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I discuss the best approach to take to shutting down your membership site without burning your bridges or causing yourself unnecessary problems.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The 2 questions to ask yourself before you finalise your decision about shutting down your membership
• Possible alternatives to closing the doors on your membership forever
• The one thing you absolutely should NOT do in this situation
• How to create an exit plan for shutting down your membership that minimizes the pain for everyone.

Is now a good time to have a membership site?

On this special episode of the podcast, you’ll get to listen in to the opening keynote from our very first conference ‘Retain Live 2019.’ It was an incredible event with some phenomenal speakers gracing the stage eager to share their expertise and insights with the audience.

The first keynote was delivered by myself (Mike Morrison) and Callie Willows, the other half of The Membership Guys. Our keynote explored the bigger picture of what is going on in the membership industry, what the future of the industry looks like and what people need to do to prepare for the months and years to come.

So, if you missed the keynote the first time around, you’re in luck!

Episode Summary:

• Positive and negative implications from the way the membership industry is going
• How to handle the increased competition for your members’ time and attention
• How to make sure your members don’t cut you from their monthly expenses as a result of subscription fatigue
• Why regulation is so important in the membership site industry
• The death of SEO and how this will impact memberships
• How to build your members trust in you and your membership

Key Quotes:

“Memberships, at the core of their essence, are simply value exchanges. You want people to pay you on an ongoing basis, you need to deliver value on an ongoing basis.”

“Third Party links to other websites are being squeezed out. Google is no longer somewhere that gives you a recommendation of the best websites to get your answer. It’s now the place that wants to give you the answer themselves.”

“Even the smallest personal touch that you can make, makes a big impression…there's lots of different ways you can do this from personal videos to welcome packs to handwritten cards, are all different ways you can add a personal touch to your membership without actually needing to kind of take a lot of extra time or money to do so.”

Not everyone starts their business planning to launch a membership.

This week’s Behind the Membership episode features Christelle Janse Van Rensburg, Co-Founder of the Creative Crafting Club, who talks about her franchise-turned-membership business. 

Christelle was running a successful arts and crafts club franchise until the pandemic shut everything down. She and her sister searched for a solution and found that a membership was a perfect fit. 

Since then, their member numbers have exploded, and they’ve seen great success! We wanted to hear how she and her sister pulled it off, what tips she has for others, and why she loves the membership business lifestyle. 

Essential Learning Points:

• How the Creative Crafting Club works
• Why the pandemic sparked the idea of starting a membership 
• Why the Creative Crafting Club uses a closed model membership
• Why running challenges has been a key marketing tactic
• How Facebook groups keep everyone engaged and supportive of each other
• The biggest challenges Christelle faced
• Why Christelle loves the freedom that a membership business brings

Important Links & Mentions:

• Creative Crafting Club
• Membership Geeks
• Membership Academy

Key Quotes:

“Consistency is the key differentiating factor between success and failure for many people. If you just stick to it, and you hold that longer-term view, then you'll get there.”

“Start before you're ready, you're only going to regret the things that you do not do.”

“We've got a closed Facebook group, and it works really well for us because our members are already on Facebook. They use it to market their own clubs as well and just because of the visual side of it, it works really well for us.”

Thank You For Listening

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

We would also be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in Apple Podcasts. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts to make sure that you never miss an episode.

The launch of a new membership site can be a nerve-wracking time, and adding to that anxiety is the question of whether you have enough content to open your doors.

Is there a set amount of content that a membership site needs to have before you release it to the public? What content should you be creating and how do you know when to say "when"?

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast I tackle this question, and provide my top tips for approaching content creation as you gear up for launch.

Finding the right web designer is like navigating a minefield.

With so many people out there claiming to know what they're doing - and often no real way for the typical prospective membership site owner to know whether those claims are legit or BS - it's unsurprising that pretty much everyone and their dog has a horror story about that one web designer who screwed them over.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I share my top tips on finding and hiring the right web designer to create your membership site.

It's very easy to fall into bad habits as a membership site owner when it comes to over-working and putting too much pressure on yourself.

This often leads to burnout, which in turn adversely affects your membership site.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I give my tips on how you can avoid burning out when running a membership site.

Episode Summary

• Why over-burdening yourself is not only bad for you, but for your members too
• The importance of context, and understanding where your membership fits in the grand scheme of things
• How to set and manage member expectations
• What areas of your business you should develop in order to avoid burning yourself out

Your membership won't be right for everyone, and there are countless random reasons why someone may decide not to join.

However in our experience of working with hundreds of memberships, we often see the same 5 objections coming up time after time.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I reveal the 5 most common objections people have to joining memberships - and more importantly what you can do to overcome them.

In this episode:

• How to stop people thinking that your membership is too expensive.
• Why social proof and risk reversal are crucial components in your membership sales strategy.
• The most important thing to have on your checkout page.
• Why convincing people NOT to join your membership is actually a good thing!

We can all be overprotective of our content, especially when it comes to being open and allowing our competitors into our safe and secure membership site. I choose to have an open-minded attitude and assume the best in people. There are ways to make it work and even benefit from opening your doors and letting them in, while staying vigilant.

Essential Learning Points:

• Learn what it is that makes you different from your competitors
• Find out what to do if there’s a competitor in your community
• Learn about the red flags that indicate suspicious behaviour
• Listen to our crazy content theft story

Important Links & Mentions: 

Episode 198 = What to do when someone steals your membership content: https://www.themembershipguys.com/membership-content-theft/

Key Quotes:

“It’s natural to be over-protective, but don’t get paranoid.” 

 “Always see the best in people! Don’t assume that people are joining with negative intentions.” 

“We know our real competitors won’t steal our content. They don’t need to because they’ve got their own experience, knowledge and expertise to draw on.”

“We may be directly competitive, but there’s always a level of respect and professionalism where you would never dream of ripping each other off.” 

“Ultimately, if you have others in your industry doing good work, and if you can collaborate to do great things, then everyone wins.”

Sales are the lifeblood of a successful membership business.

While being able to hang onto those members is critical to the long term health of your site, the best retention strategy in the world is useless if you're not bringing in any members in the first place.

In the first of a two-part podcast series, I discuss a variety of different marketing tips, strategies and tactics that you can use for your own membership in order to increase sales and have a steady stream of new members joining your site.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why social proof is so effective and how you can use it when marketing your own membership
• Two of the best ways of using Facebook in your membership marketing
• Splintering off aspects of your membership in order to give you more sales and marketing options
• How to use webinars to attract new members to your membership site

We've all come across the concept of the "starving artist" - the notion that to pursue creativity and artistry is to sacrifice any hope of making money. Jeff Goins is on a mission to dispel this myth.

Many successful memberships are built around the skills and passions of their founder; however we've seen time and time again in our community that in more traditionally "creative" industries there can be a little resistance to the idea of monetization - almost as if to do so would be "selling out."

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, Jeff Goins breaks down where this whole idea came from and how you can shake this mindset and effectively monetize your "art."

In this episode you'll learn:

• Where the whole idea of the "starving artist" originated from; and the surprising truth about how wrong it is!
• How you can shake limiting mindsets around monetizing your creativity
• How Jeff Goins uses his books to sell digital products
• The 3 steps anyone can take to start monetizing their skills

When it comes to creating membership content, it can be easy to get sucked into the "numbers game", focusing on churning out quantity rather than quality.

Your members join because they have a result they want to achieve, a problem that needs solving; so it's important to make sure that the content you create helps them to get to where they want to go.

In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast I'm joined by Colin Gray from ThePodcastHost.com. Not only does Colin help to teach people how to get the most from podcasting, but he's also got a PhD in Online Education; so I really enjoyed discussing how to make your membership content effective and truly educational.