What to offer in a Membership Site?

Underground SEO

14 years ago

You could offer templates, web design coaching, mini sites, graphics packs... The list goes on

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chewie49

14 years ago

Thank you for your ideas fryerben.

Let's say it is a niche totally unrelated with Graphic or Web design or Internet Marketing.

Any ideas?

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ASCW 14 years ago

2-3 Podcasts a month - Interview an expert, have bi-weekly/other consistent teleseminar/webinar with open Q&A, give them access to a special forum, let them purchase tickets to future seminars at a discount, let them purchase future products at a discount.
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Fernando Veloso

14 years ago

You just have to offer what people want.

IF they want fitness videos, deliver just that, a couple per week for 3 months.

IF they want SEO strategies, give them 2 lessons per week for 3 months.

BUT you need to give them WHAT they want.

Fernando

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Lee Wilson

14 years ago

Sounds like you are trying to build a business around a model rather than a model around your business. Build the business first, make sure it has value for your customers and then worry about the membership.

When you do this you'll find you won't need to scratch your head trying to think up something, it will come naturally as a great idea, if and when you need it.

Choosing the format first will, more often than not, force you to go down the same road as the others, $1 of worth - for the bargain price of $47 monthly, and then wonder what went wrong.

All IMO of course.

Lee

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jonbeebe

14 years ago

I noticed you put "Free website, because every niche needs a website"... well, not necessarily if it's niches OUTSIDE of IM... because people who want to learn more about different meditation styles aren't necessarily looking to create a website about it (unless they are into IM, but thenagain I guess that would make your membership an IM one, not a "meditation" one).

Mediation niche was just an example by the way.

I think interviews are a good idea, though you may want to space them out because there is only so many authority figures that are going to be willing to do an interview to fill up enough content for an on-going membership website.

My suggestion is that you join some successful membership sites that aren't necessarily in the same niche, but where the same strategies could apply and you get some ideas on how they run theirs.

Just my two cents.
-Jonathan Beebe

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Anonymous Affiliate

14 years ago

Be careful with following a membership model under which you bind yourself to deliver fresh content every week. Trust me, I've been there and it's a LOT of work and eventually, few months down the road, you'll totally run out of quality content to write about.

If you want to deliver periodical content, make sure it's following the "drip content" route.

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Kella Bella

14 years ago

If I were you I would get a lot of that stuff ready before you launched your site. Say you are giving away 10 free articles per month and free video training like a video a week-I would make sure I have two months worth of stuff there for people to get before I launched. It will be way easier on you and prevent a lot of hassles I see with people not being ready to handle business when they do generate it. I like your idea tho :-)

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chewie49

14 years ago

Thanks for your opinions and Ideas.

I was planning to create a FIXED-TERM membership site (maybe 4/6 months length).

I have 3 different niches and they are all outside the IM niche.

All threee niches have content that can be found for FREE on the internet.

I am trying to find ideas so people WANT to pay for the membership, even knowing the info they will get, can be found Free if they digg enough the internet.

Thanks
1 reply

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dooster 14 years ago

Even though the info can be found free on the net via a bunch of digging, some just don't have the time to "dig", as you obviously have figured out. Aggregating it and then giving it in a simple to understand, easily digestible format is the nice advantage of offering up premium content.

Taking that information and then building off of it, such as offering action plans or step by step (easy) processes that people could follow to implement whatever it is into their life. Hopefully to make their life easier or better in some way for having this information in the format you provide it in will be one of the key's to your success.

The interviews are good, action plans or steps of implementation are good, deeper research into topics are good (especially if it's been overlooked in the free content), case studies are good, and of course, above all, ask them. Poll them, survey them, ask around in the market forums, etc. You will find what they would pay money for...simply by asking.

Good luck with it.
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chewie49

14 years ago

Thank you guys! Keep them coming!!!

I got "lost in translation". What is "drip content route"?

Gracias!

Thanks
2 replies

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HomeBizNizz 14 years ago

Originally Posted by chewie49

I got "lost in translation".
What is "drip content route"?

You time your content to be published ahead in time.
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- Paul Barrs 14 years ago
  
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  JAIDEEP2959 14 years ago
  
  You can offer videos relating to selected niche.
  
  Videos will attract more number of members than ebooks and graphics.
  
  Good Luck.
  
  Thanks
  
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Anonymous Affiliate 14 years ago

Originally Posted by chewie49

What is "drip content route"?

The content delivery is pre-scheduled in a sequential manner: if I join in today, I will receive lesson #1 today and lesson #2 next week. If I joined last week, I would have received lesson #1 last week and lesson #2 this week. It's like bringing the Aweber concept into membership sites.

It's good because once you have the structure in place, it runs on autopilot.

Just make sure you make it look like the whole thing is not pre-scheduled. Many people dislike being held back of content you've already created just to keep them on the continuity program on and on. The trick is to make it look like if it was ever-green content even if you created it months ago.
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willyboy104

14 years ago

I don't think you should start a membership site until you are passionate and motivated enough about a certain subject to just take action everyday until its ready to launch.

The reason I say this because, if customers are willing to spend money on your membership site each month I would expect the owner/YOU to be passionate about what they are selling, to believe in the content and to over-deliver constantly.

It sounds like your just trying to develop this membership site to make money and nothing else. I mean don't get me wrong we all want to make money but your priorities should also lie in giving high quality, valuable content to your members consistently each and every week/month and delivering more than you ever mentioned in the first place.

How about going seasonal, it is Summer soon you want to do something outside the IM niche, try gardening, videos, audio, recommendations...

Find something your passionate about first, or something you could really get your claws in to.

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bay37

14 years ago

Originally Posted by willyboy104

I don't think you should start a membership site until you are passionate and motivated enough about a certain subject to just take action everyday until its ready to launch.

This is, without a doubt, the best piece of advice so far in this thread.

Please do not go ahead with launching a membership website until you are 100% sure of these things -

a) You know what your readers want.
b) You know what your readers need.
c) You know how to convince your readers that what they "want" isn't always the same as what they "need".
d) You know how to fulfill those "needs" so that the reader recognizes that you have given him something valuable.
e) You have a clear plan on how you are going to continue/expand the content of your website (once the users get through the first 4 phases). You should be constantly adding value and leading your subscribers closer towards whatever goals they have in their minds.

There are too many scammy and useless membership sites out there. Don't be one of them.

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willyboy104

14 years ago

Originally Posted by bay37

This is, without a doubt, the best piece of advice so far in this thread.

Please do not go ahead with launching a membership website until you are 100% sure of these things -

a) You know what your readers want.
b) You know what your readers need.
c) You know how to convince your readers that what they "want" isn't always the same as what they "need".
d) You know how to fulfill those "needs" so that the reader recognizes that you have given him something valuable.
e) You have a clear plan on how you are going to continue/expand the content of your website (once the users get through the first 4 phases). You should be constantly adding value and leading your subscribers closer towards whatever goals they have in their minds.

There are too many scammy and useless membership sites out there. Don't be one of them.

Excellent advice.

Each of the above points needs careful consideration and cannot be rushed. You need to be definite and precise about the answer to these points and ensure that you show your potential customers in a clear way.

I agree with the above 100% and since there are so many scammy membership sites you will stand out if only you provide high quality material, whether that be video, audio, written, customer support or whatever else.

Overall you want to aim for having a high quality in every sense possible when it comes to your membership site. You want high quality material but you also want high quality customer support, high quality over-delivery, high quality and smooth transaction process and membership structure, high quality website and much more.

What I mean by high quality is that your customers are overly satisfied, it isn't enough to just satisfy your customers instead if you really want to score some brownie points, ensure retention rates are low and grow your membership site in to a reputable business then you need to provide your customers with everything they could possibly need. You want to make their journey from A to B as comfortable as possible. Whether this is a membership site for newbie internet marketers or for beginner golfers, spoon feed them as you would with someone in the first year of school.

You won't be able to achieve this from launch but before your launch do the best you can to provide everything your members will need. There are somethings that may be difficult to provide, such as software since it might be expensive to develop or mass content since it may take a lot of time or money to outsource but don't just keep quiet about it TELL your members that you are planning on creating a certain piece of software to make their lives easier, most will respect you more for telling them.

Communicate with your members, don't just make everything automated, yes automation is good but YOUR not a robot and neither are they. You want to know how they are feeling, you want to know what they are up to, you want to know what they found useful and what they didn't find useful, you want to know everything about them and more specifically everything they think about your membership site. Produce a survey and in return for filling it in reward them, heck they didn't have to fill it in but they did so respect that and give them a present, they will respect you for it. Have a poll, allow them to interact, if its a big membership site then start a forum, let them interact with each other!

Overall a membership site is a great business model but don't be another one of these scammy, low quality, trailer trash sort of membership sites. Instead be motivated and have desire to make your customers, your members happy. They are paying your bills, allowing you to buy that computer, car, house that you have always wanted to. Make sure they are happy and motivated, enthusiastic and make them fall in love with YOU!

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gubwell12

14 years ago

Exclusive items and content which are available for members only and which is useful and in demand.

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ina696

14 years ago

How about a fixed term membership (6 to 9 months) with lesson modules that actually teach the member "how to do" something. Each lesson can be delivered every 2 weeks instead of weekly and include an assignment or task to be completed after each biweekly lesson.

And be sure to give the member some exciting anticipation for what's coming up in the next lesson to increase their desire to continue.

To make your membership more of a community setting, you can install a forum. Or offer quizzes, surveys, ask for feedback ... make it interactive.

Lastly, to keep them enrolled through the end of the term, you can always offer giveaways of a PLR product that can be downloaded. The giveaway can occur every "X" month and let them know in advance when the giveaway will take place (and promote the winner of each giveaway so they will know you actually give away the product).

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Anonymous Affiliate

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ina696

How about a fixed term membership (6 to 9 months) with lesson modules that actually teach the member "how to do" something. Each lesson can be delivered every 2 weeks instead of weekly and include an assignment or task to be completed after each biweekly lesson.

In my experienced, people HATE to be held back artificially. They don't want to wait 6 months (or even 3) to have access to the whole picture. Would you patiently wait 6 months to learn how to do something? or would you probably just say "sod it!" at some point mid-way through? In my experience, people go the "sod it!" way

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frih

14 years ago

You can offers gifts like tshirt, games, software and much more.
It is upto you what you want to offer.

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Scott Ames

14 years ago

You gotta plan what to offer. One thing that bugs me about some membership sites is they start asking every month "What do you want us to give you?".

A survey for interest is fine once in a while. If you are asking me every month what I want and you don't know where you are going with it, then I'm losing interest fast.

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Sam Mlambo

14 years ago

I'm fond of watching case studies. If you can do plenty of case studies in your niche then I'd definitely add that content to your membership site.

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ronr 14 years ago

There is a lot of good information here.

In addition.

It's critical that before you start your membership site that
you not only decide on what content you are going to offer but
also HOW you are going to get the content. If you have a good way
to get it then great, but if not consider another topic.

I've seen too many people start a members site and then find out
the content they thought they were going to use wasn't as plentiful
or was harder to get than they thought.

There's a lot of different content you can offer depending on your niche:

For example you might break them down.

Content Member Sites/Service Member Sites

Content provide mainly content, in a variety of forms.
You could provide, for example, the latest information on a certain topic.
You could include articles, you could include newsletters, you could get
other people to contribute to the site. You could have just mainly content,
information people are mainly interested on your topic.

Service Sites:
Service sites, however, offer some kind of a service. For example, the most
common service is some type of mentoring or coaching. Now this could be
group coaching, one-on-one, teleconferences, Webinar, one-on-one phone
calls, that type of thing.

Usually there is a lot of crossover between these two type of sites. In fact
you should offer several different types of content.

So in summary, here are some content ideas.

-Publish the results of tests and studies
-Audio interviews others in your niche and transcripts
-Video content
-Reviews of books/new products/services
-Provide access to libraries and other reference information
-PLR contents
-Latest News (Get from Google Alerts)
-Coaching
-How to Information
-Lessons

I hope this helps.

Ron
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