The question I’m going to attempt to answer for you today is:
“Do I need a membership site?”
Perhaps it’s something you’re actively thinking about…
Or perhaps it’s never crossed your mind!
So let me get right to the point…
How might a membership site benefit your business?
Well, three potential ways:
- You can set up a free membership site, as this is a great way to generate leads
- You can set up a for-clients-only membership site, as a bonus for your clients
- You can set up a paid-access membership site, where people pay to access some great content and support you provide
So allow me to talk through each of these in turn, and briefly cover how you could implement them into your business…
Number 1 — A Free Membership Site
Right now, to attract people to your business, perhaps all you offer is what’s often referred to as a “High Value Gift”. A free taster class, for example.
That’s absolutely fine, but there’s lots of people who may be interested in what you offer, but may not quite be ready to take that step. They’re still “thinking about it”.
So if you capture their contact information and stay in touch with them regularly, they’re much more likely to try you out when the time is right for them. That’s where a free membership comes in…
I assume you’re publishing great content on Facebook already. So you’re probably used to recording videos, and creating other helpful content.
Well, how about you put together even more great content, and put it in a free membership site? Then people who are interested can give you their contact details, and in return for those details they get access. Plus as mentioned, you follow up on them regularly with helpful content, and so nudge them towards taking up your High Value Gift.
Honestly, most people won’t do this, and if you do, you’ll be so far ahead of your competition it’s crazy! 🙂
Number 2 — “For Clients Only” Membership Site
Exclusive content you put together only for clients could be:
- A client-only email newsletter
- A client-only Facebook group
- A private member area with bonus content just for clients
This way, you’re giving your clients even more value, which helps you deepen your relationship with them, and that makes it more likely they’ll spend more with you, more regularly.
It also gives you a reason to communicate with clients more regularly, which again makes it more likely they’ll purchase from you, more regularly.
Number 3 — A Paid Membership Site
Now, this could potentially take your business to the next level…
In fact, some fitness and health professionals make a very good income offering paid memberships.
Of course you need to promote that membership, and that’s a separate subject entirely. But with a little promotion, a membership site can make some great extra income for you.
At the top end is someone like The Body Coach. He’s offering what’s basically a membership offer for well over a hundred pounds, and it’s making him millions a year.
But he does admit when he started out posting to Instagram every day, absolutely no one was paying attention! It took him a long time to build up an audience, and then to turn that audience into a very substantial income.
So How Do You Set This Up?
Now, it won’t surprise you to hear that setting up a membership site can be quite technical. But at the simplest level, these are the steps involved:
- Decide who your membership is for (and the goal of your site)
- Create the content for your membership site
- Create the sign up page (this is the page that “sells” your membership, even if it’s free!)
- You implement all the technical set up for it all to work
- You promote it!
There’s a lot more I could say about all this, but there’s the danger of this email turning into a book! To avoid that happening, I wanted this email to be more of a taster (“Is it right for me, yes or no?”), rather than an exhaustive guide.
I do work with quite a few clients who run membership sites. Some of them in fact make a fantastic living selling access to their sites.
If you have any questions about anything I have mentioned just head over to my contact page and get in touch.