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Part 1 of Membership Mastery: Building and Scaling Profitable Subscription Sites
In episode 1074 of this podcast, James’s discussion continues on how to make a membership site in 2024.
He’ll focus first on getting traffic to your membership subscription site.
Then he’ll talk about delivering results with strategies like a tiered membership, and retaining members with a good onboarding procedure and by making sure you get testimonials.
Finally James will get into advanced days to ensure the success of your membership site business model.
If you haven’t already, we recommend listening to episode 1073 first, where James covered the basics of memberships, including their benefits, creation steps, pricing, setup, and attracting new members.
Table of contents:
1. Bringing people to your offer
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A. Launch versus release
B. The benefits of cross-promotion
C. Consider podcasting
D. Get onto social media
E. The power of video
F. Publishing a book
G. Paid advertising
H. Is content marketing your thing?
I. Converting via helpdesk
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A. Proper positioning
B. The steps to a result
C. Different tracks for different clients
D. Should you keep adding content?
E. The 3 C’s of membership
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A. The reality of churn
B. Knowing why people leave
C. How’s your onboarding?
D. Keeping your offers relevant
E. Updating your members
F. Increasing your price
G. Generate success
H. When people join…
I. Follow-up and support
J. Offering tools and software
K. Having short discussions
L. Gamify it!
M. Fun with challenges
N. Journaling is good
O. Recognizing the leaders
P. Be visible
Q. A sequence for when people leave
R. Keep people notified
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A. Automation and team
B. Systemize what you can
C. Dashboard reporting
D. Be on top of the legal stuff
E. Remind people they’ll be billed
F. Collect those case studies
G. What’s working, and can you do it more?
H. Scale your traffic
I. Work on your routine
J. Experimenting is okay
K. Win them back
L. Sell high to low
M. Consider a mastermind
N. Stacking products
O. Giving away products
P. Offline events for online success
Q. Surveys and copywriting
R. The leeway of recurring subscription
S. Are you charging enough?
T. The advantage of an app
U. Possibility of revenue share
V. Beware of too much stuff
6. Wrapping up
Bringing people to your offer
James kicks off the discussion with the getting traffic part.
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1. Launch versus release
First step, says James, is deciding whether to do a launch or a release for your product. When doing this, it’s important to understand the risks and benefits of each approach.
Launches can be costly and risky, often involving significant investment in promotion, copywriting, and affiliate management, which might result in minimal profits or even losses despite attracting many new customers. However, James observes, they can be highly successful in unsaturated markets, as shown by a successful multimillion-dollar launch he recalls, using Jeff Walker’s formula.
On the other hand, a product release focuses on gradually introducing new products without extensive hype. This approach involves creating the initial part of a product, sharing it with potential customers, gathering feedback, and refining it before scaling up.
This method allows for organic growth and minimizes risk, provided you have a strong offer and maintain good customer relations. An email database can significantly facilitate the process by enabling direct communication and feedback collection from your audience.
Additionally, engaging past clients through win-back campaigns and understanding customer challenges are effective strategies for refining your offers.
Whether opting for a launch or a release, it’s crucial to have prepared emails with clear calls to action. If you lack an email list, partnering with someone who has one can be beneficial. Properly leveraging the PS section in your emails can maximize engagement and drive action.
2. The benefits of cross-promotion
Cross-promotion is an effective strategy where you leverage existing products or services to promote new ones, such as adding a video or PDF to a course offering a coupon for a membership.
This can significantly boost engagement and conversions, as James found when successfully integrating additional modules and free membership offers with one of his previous products, Traffic Grab. This lead to a substantial number of new, long-term members and increased sales of other services.
The Products page on your website, says James, is an ideal location for these cross-promotional offers.
3. Consider podcasting
Consider setting up a podcast or leveraging other people’s podcasts to promote your new offerings. If you don’t have a podcast, it’s more effective to appear on others’ shows.
This can be facilitated by hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) from services like visionfind.com. The VA can help you identify suitable podcasts, manage the application process, and send your promotional materials.
During the podcast appearances, provide valuable content, offer a lead magnet, and then promote your membership, potentially offering affiliate commissions to the podcast hosts.
4. Get onto social media
Creating social media posts has become easier than ever, especially with the use of AI tools like GPT-4, which can generate content and images from your membership material.
These tools allow you to craft entire campaigns for different platforms, which can then be pre-loaded into your social media accounts. Note though, it’s essential to review and refine the AI-generated content to ensure its quality.
5. The power of video
Engage in video marketing through platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok, depending on your target audience. If your product is more business-oriented, James recommends using LinkedIn, where videos can stand out on a relatively dull platform, capturing more attention from professionals.
6. Publishing a book
Publishing a book is now easier than ever; you can start with an outline and create a book that speaks directly to your ideal prospect, as taught by Dean Jackson. The book’s title should attract your perfect audience and be offered in exchange for an email address, enabling you to market to them through follow-up emails. Focus on these three steps: create the book, choose a compelling title, and follow up with your email list.
7. Paid advertising
Paid advertising presents a significant opportunity across various platforms, especially if you have an effective lead magnet or entry point. Successful strategies include offering tools, calculators, checklists, or a free first module to attract potential customers. Observing how others sell their memberships can provide valuable insights into creating compelling offers.
8. Is content marketing your thing?
If content marketing is your strength, focus on sharing educational information and leveraging your network of affiliates or joint ventures. Provide them with necessary assets like images, words, and links, and follow up regularly.
Running webinars, either free weekly sessions or exclusive members-only ones, can also be effective. Using a Dean Jackson style email, invite people to join an educational webinar, introduce your offer, and encourage them to become founding members. This approach helps build a small group membership while engaging and educating your audience.
9. Converting via helpdesk
James has found the helpdesk or support desk to be a valuable tool for conversions, as it allows you to guide customers to the right product when they ask questions.
Additionally, cold outreach campaigns can be effective for some, though it’s not a preferred method for everyone.
By leveraging your helpdesk and exploring the rest of the aforementioned traffic generation strategies, you can drive more traffic to your membership offerings.
Delivering on the promise
Delivering on your promise to members is crucial for the success of your membership program.
Ensure your sales offer is clear and that you can fulfill the promises made, to avoid negative consequences such as FTC action, bad reviews, or high churn rates.
If members leave quickly, it indicates a retention problem, reducing your membership to a one-time product. Focus on designing a program that consistently delivers the promised results to maintain and grow your membership base effectively.
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1. Proper positioning
Properly positioning your membership involves selecting a topic that offers continuous growth and development. Choose a subject where there’s always room for improvement, similar to James’s passion, surfing, where there are always higher levels to achieve. This keeps members engaged and striving for progress, ensuring long-term retention and satisfaction.
2. The steps to a result
Create clear, sequential steps that guide members toward achieving their desired results. Some memberships follow a step-by-step approach, progressing everyone through stages together, while others may rotate content over several years, introducing new steps each quarter. This structured approach helps members see continuous progress and engagement.
If you want more personalized guidance on structuring your membership, consider joining James’s Mentor program, where he can provide tailored advice and support to help you implement and refine your strategy effectively.
3. Different tracks for different clients
Consider creating different tracks to cater to various client types within your membership, addressing their specific needs and skill levels. For example, you might offer separate tracks for beginners and advanced learners or different styles, like guitar techniques.
In James’s membership, he accommodates global members by scheduling different call times for various regions, including Australia, North America, Asia, and Europe. This ensures everyone can participate regardless of their location.
Understanding the diverse needs of your clients and providing tailored solutions can enhance their experience and engagement with your membership program.
4. Should you keep adding content?
Continually adding new content to your membership can become overwhelming and counterproductive, James has found. It’s important, he says, to curate your content, removing outdated or unnecessary material to keep your offerings relevant and manageable.
James’s experience has shown that simplifying content can be more effective. He transitioned, for instance, from having extensive event recordings and monthly new information products to focusing on concise, practical checklists and direct support. This has helped members quickly find solutions and reduces the risk of churn by preventing content overload.
So instead of constantly adding, prioritize quality and relevance to better serve your audience’s needs.
5. The 3 C’s of membership
The “Three C’s of Membership” are content, coaching, and community, as proposed by membership pioneer Ryan Lee. Incorporating these elements into your membership can enhance its value and appeal.
Providing quality content, offering personalized coaching, and fostering a supportive community allow you to cater to different needs and preferences. Adjusting the emphasis on each element, based on what resonates most with your members, can create a well-rounded and engaging membership experience.
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a. Content
In James’s membership, the content is distilled into playbooks, focusing on the 4% of material that delivers two-thirds of the results, following the 64-4 principle. James creates the simplest possible checklists, like black-and-white text or simple diagrams, designed for quick consumption and effective results.
For example, a selling-over-the-phone checklist helps members make sales by following straightforward steps. A client of James’s, who previously used lengthy webinars and sales calls, switched to a short VSL and a brief decision-making call, which significantly improved his conversion rate and enabled him to focus on more valuable membership tiers.
b. Coaching
In the Mentor level of James’s membership, coaching involves weekly calls with small groups of clients, typically two to seven people. During these sessions, clients share their challenges, and James provides tailored guidance and solutions to help them overcome their obstacles. This personalized approach ensures that each member receives the specific support they need to succeed.
c. Community
The third C, community, is where James focuses on fostering meaningful interactions through small group calls rather than forums. Historically, he had separate low and high-tier forums, but found that high-level clients preferred direct help from him and valued the weekly phone calls for idea exchange and guidance.
Engagement in these calls, where members receive precise direction, is much more effective than forum interactions. Therefore, simplifying the community aspect to prioritize direct, actionable support has proven to be the most beneficial approach for delivering results.
Keeping your members
The key to a successful membership, James maintains, is retention. If you can’t keep members, your membership won’t thrive. For instance, despite creating high-quality videos, the “I will make you rich” guy faced a 10% churn rate and had to shut down his membership.
James has also experimented with in-person events, which can be valuable but require significant commitment. Over a decade, he organized and attended numerous member-driven meetups worldwide, which were successful for community building. However, in-person meetups aren’t feasible for everyone, including himself at this point in time. Instead, he suggests, focus on what works best for your members and your capacity, ensuring consistent engagement and value.
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1. The reality of churn
Reducing churn is crucial for sustaining and growing your membership.
To illustrate the impact, a 10% monthly churn rate means 120% of your members leave annually, meaning you need to constantly add more members just to maintain your numbers. A 5% churn rate translates to 60% annual turnover, which is manageable but not ideal.
James suggests aiming for a 1-2% churn rate, where losing 24% of members annually allows for gradual growth as you continue to attract new members. The key metrics to monitor are the number of people joining versus those leaving, and continuously refining your approach based on these insights.
2. Knowing why people leave
Understanding why people leave your membership is essential for reducing churn.
Implementing an “oops” email automation when someone cancels their subscription can provide valuable feedback on their reasons for leaving.
For James, reasons have often been personal or situational, such as a partner’s illness or a job change, rather than dissatisfaction with the service. Over time, he has learned not to take cancellations personally and recognize that memberships can be seasonal for many people.
Importantly, maintaining a respectful and understanding approach leads to many former members returning. Being a decent human and not burning bridges significantly contributes to a positive membership experience.
3. How’s your onboarding?
Consistently improving your onboarding process is critical. Address any issues such as missing documents or login difficulties promptly. Focus on enhancing the usability of your membership platform to make it easy to use and more valuable for members. This attention to detail ensures a smooth start for new members and can significantly reduce churn by providing a positive initial experience.
4. Keeping your offers relevant
Continuously refine and tune your offers to keep them relevant and valuable for your members. Over time, James has streamlined his membership to include fewer but more impactful components, creating a powerful and effective combination. This ongoing process of adjustment ensures that your offerings remain aligned with the needs and preferences of your members, enhancing their overall experience and reducing churn.
5. Updating your members
Keeping your members updated is crucial for engagement. For James’s lower-tier members, he sends weekly news updates to draw them back into the content and ensure they continue receiving value. For his higher-level group, an “add to calendar” feature for the weekly call keeps them engaged without the need for additional updates, as they consistently participate in the calls. This tailored approach helps maintain connection and relevance for different membership levels.
6. Increasing your price
As your membership improves, says James, consider increasing your prices. Interestingly, higher prices can attract better members, enhancing the overall culture and knowledge base of your community.
With a group of high performers, the dynamic changes, and something magical happens. The quality of interactions, the level of commitment, and the results achieved all tend to improve, creating a more vibrant and successful membership environment.
7. Generate success
Highlighting success stories is powerful for sustaining and growing your membership. Create a “Win” section in your community where members can share their achievements. In weekly group calls, James loves hearing success stories, like a member recently sharing their best month ever with $550,000 in revenue. These stories are not only motivational but also reinforce the value of the membership. Celebrating members’ successes helps build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships, ensuring they stay engaged and committed to the community.
8. When people join…
When new members join, it’s crucial to engage with them immediately to ensure they feel welcomed and supported. Avoid letting them feel lost or unsure about what to do next. For high-volume, low-ticket memberships, consider appointing a greeter or a dedicated team member to welcome new arrivals and help them get started. This prompt and personal touch can significantly enhance their initial experience and increase the likelihood of long-term engagement.
9. Follow-up and support
Follow-up and support go a long way towards maintaining member engagement. If members stop participating, reach out to them promptly to show that you value their presence. This follow-up demonstrates that you care and appreciate them, rather than just being interested in their money.
James trains his support team to provide top-tier service, aiming for responsiveness and quality on a Mercedes-Benz level of support. His team, many of whom have call center experience, strive to respond to queries within minutes, ensuring members feel valued and supported. In James’s SuperFast days, they consistently received positive feedback on their prompt responses, reinforcing their commitment to providing quick and accurate support.
10. Offering tools and software
Offering tools and software within your membership can significantly increase member retention, as these resources tend to be “sticky.” Over the years, James has provided various tools – PPC concatenators, ad group calculators, and even a free website builder – which added substantial value for members. These tools were often exclusive to the membership, enhancing its appeal.
However, as James’s customer base evolved, he’s shifted to prioritizing simplicity and efficiency. His current focus is on providing quick, impactful solutions that save members time.
By keeping things straightforward and ensuring members can achieve results quickly, James aligns with their preference for simplicity and efficiency. The greatest gift is time, so offering streamlined, effective tools and support can transform their business in minimal time each week.
11. Having short discussions
Keeping discussions short and focused is beneficial. James’s doesn’t typically advertise the length of his sessions; he starts on time and ends when the necessary points have been covered, even if it takes only 20 minutes.
There’s no need to stretch the session to fill an hour unnecessarily. This approach respects members’ time and ensures that discussions remain productive and to the point.
12. Gamify it!
Incorporating fun and gamification elements can enhance engagement. If you have forums, utilize trophies, awards, and certificates to recognize achievements. These elements are important for many members, providing motivation and a sense of accomplishment.
Certificates can be issued for various activities, even in niche areas like scrapbooking, offering recognition and validation for members’ efforts and learning.
13. Fun with challenges
Challenges can be a great way to engage members and encourage action. In James’s low-ticket forum, they’ve run various challenges, such as “how much can you delete or clean up around the house,” “tune your offer,” and “set up a YouTube channel.” These activities motivated members to participate and achieve specific goals.
Granted, facilitating challenges can become tiring. They remain, however, an effective tool for boosting engagement and fostering a sense of community.
14. Journaling is good
Journaling can be a valuable feature in a membership community, allowing members to document their progress, share their experiences, and seek help. In James’s low-ticket forum, which he no longer sells but still services, members can journal about their activities and receive feedback and support.
This creates a safe and supportive environment for vulnerable marketing, fostering deeper connections and ongoing engagement within the community.
15. Recognizing the leaders
Recognizing and championing your leaders within the community is essential. These standout members can be given special privileges, celebrated publicly, featured on your podcast, and even gifted memberships.
Highlighting their contributions and successes not only makes them feel valued but also inspires and supports the broader community.
James recalls amazing leaders like Ken McKenzie and Kerry Finch, who have consistently supported the community. His longest-standing member, Brenton Ford of Effortless Swimming, exemplifies this leadership by being generous, humble, and supportive during group calls.
Identifying and nurturing these champions can significantly enhance the community’s strength and cohesion.
16. Be visible
Be visible and show up often in your community. One of James’s main concerns with community founders is when they seek ways to create recurring revenue without being present. While it is possible, it’s generally not what members want. They crave proximity, interaction, and the chance to connect directly with you.
By regularly participating and engaging with your community, you provide immense value and strengthen member loyalty. It’s much easier to foster a successful and thriving community when you are actively involved and accessible to your members.
17. A sequence for when people leave
Set up a sequence for when people leave, says James, especially for scenarios like expired credit cards, reported stolen cards, or low balances. Create a friendly and encouraging re-engagement process to remind them about their membership benefits and offer assistance in updating their payment information.
This sequence can help retain members who might have left due to unintentional reasons, ensuring they can easily rejoin and continue benefiting from the community.
18. Keep people notified
Encourage members to turn on notifications to stay informed about new developments and stay engaged with the community. Always have fresh content or updates in the pipeline, giving members something to look forward to.
In James’s weekly group calls, he shares what he’s working on and upcoming projects, providing a sneak peek before they go public. This keeps members involved and excited about new content, enhancing their sense of connection and anticipation within the community.
Less dependence on forums
Reflecting on his membership model from four years ago, James has moved away from forum-based interactions in his current mentorship program. This shift, contrary to the community-heavy trend, aligns with the needs of his clients and simplifies membership delivery, focusing on weekly live calls and organically created playbooks without the need for constant new products.
Utilizing the KLEQ platform has facilitated this simplicity. Each feature, whether it’s a call schedule, a sounding board, or playbooks, is treated as a “product,” making everything easily accessible above the fold. This streamlined approach results in the simplest and most effective membership system James has ever managed, greatly benefiting both his satisfaction and his members’ success.
The advanced topics…
On to advanced stuff…
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1. Automation and team
When considering advanced aspects of your membership, James suggests starting with automation only after you’ve proven your processes. And avoid over-automation, he says, as leveraging ineffective processes can be counterproductive.
Additionally, despite the proliferation of AI, maintaining a small team for human support is crucial, as relying solely on automated systems like chatbots can lead to poor customer experiences. For a successful membership, blend AI capabilities with human support to ensure quality service and effective problem resolution.
2. Systemize what you can
Systemize everything you can for efficiency and consistency.
For example, implementing an “add to calendar” button for calls significantly improved attendance to James’s calls, thanks to a suggestion from member James Swanwick.
For lower-tier programs, a weekly newsletter summarizes popular posts, facilitated by KLEQ’s dashboard, which James’s team uses to create and send the email. Monthly calls are recorded, stored in Drive, and published by the team, ensuring seamless updates.
3. Dashboard reporting
Create a dashboard for reporting key metrics, such as the number of members currently compared to last month and six months ago.
This allows you to easily track membership growth or decline. By multiplying the current number of members by the membership fee, you can quickly estimate your revenue, providing a clear overview of your membership’s financial health.
4. Be on top of the legal stuff
Ensure you are have the legal aspects of your membership under control by having comprehensive terms and conditions. This includes a clear refund policy, service provision guidelines, privacy policy, and terms of use. These documents protect you from the occasional problematic member and provide clear guidelines for handling disputes, ensuring your business is legally safeguarded.
5. Remind people they’ll be billed
Set up billing reminders for members on longer billing cycles, such as annual plans, and consider sending monthly reminders as well. This transparency ensures members are aware of upcoming charges, preventing surprise renewals and potential disputes. Clear communication about billing helps maintain trust and reduces the likelihood of chargebacks and complaints.
6. Collect those case studies
Collect as many success stories as possible using a systematic approach. Implement tools like Nicereply to send out Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys, asking members if they would refer your service. When you receive high scores, invite those members to share their stories on your podcast or YouTube channel and request permission to publish their feedback. This method not only provides valuable testimonials but also showcases real success stories on your website, enhancing credibility and attracting new members.
7. What’s working, and can you do it more?
To improve your membership, identify what works well and do more of it. This involves analyzing member behavior: track call attendance, diagnostic completions, playbook access, forum activity, popular threads, and newsletter open rates.
For example, with a 68% open rate for their news, James and his team investigate why some members don’t engage.
Additionally, understand why people leave or why prospects don’t convert. By closely observing these metrics and feedback, you can refine your approach and enhance your membership’s effectiveness.
8. Scale your traffic
To grow your membership, focus on scaling your traffic. Once your system is stable and effective, expand your reach by targeting new markets and untapped client segments.
Revisit your traffic strategies and explore new opportunities, such as attending events or exploring different online platforms, to attract more members and diversify your audience. Scaling traffic is essential for sustained growth and reaching a broader audience.
9. Work on your routine
Improve your routine by regularly evaluating your membership products and client interactions. Periodically, James writes down all his membership offerings, the monthly revenue, and the hours needed to fulfill them. He then scores his clients, rating them based on how pleasurable they are to work with, the results they achieve, and their referral potential.
This assessment helps identify valuable topics and guides future actions, ensuring that you focus on what works best for both your business and your clients.
10. Experimenting is okay
It’s alright to experiment with your membership offerings. Over the years, James has changed the name of his membership multiple times—from SuperFastResults to FastWebFormula to SuperFastBusiness and now JamesSchramko.com. Additionally, he’s had variations like SilverCircle and a James Schramko mentor program. Experimenting with different names and packages has allowed him to refine his approach and better meet the needs of his clients.
11. Win them back
Win back past customers by reaching out periodically with updates. James has helped over three and a half thousand people, and it’s effective to reconnect with them occasionally.
Inform past clients about significant changes since they last joined, emphasizing improvements like streamlined offerings, increased expertise, and enhanced value in the current package. This can rekindle interest and bring former members back into the fold.
12. Sell high to low
Downsell from high to low. Focus primarily on your premium program, and if potential customers aren’t ready to commit, offer them a lower-tier option instead. This approach, while counter to the traditional ascension model, ensures you still capture interested clients. Currently, James has streamlined to a single main offer, the simplest it’s ever been. Additionally, he has private clients who pay more for calls, and some lower-tier clients whom he still serves, though he no longer actively sells the lower options.
13. Consider a mastermind
Consider creating a mastermind group for your top-tier members. Typically, the top 10% of your current clients are willing to pay significantly more for exclusive, high-value experiences. James has hosted masterminds in locations like the Maldives and at his home, where SilverCircle members, already paying $1500 a month, would pay extra for intensive, personalized sessions.
These events, which often attract notable participants, have proven highly effective for making substantial progress in their businesses. Additionally, retreats, such as those in Hawaii or other exotic locations, offer valuable and enjoyable experiences, making it easy to sell to members who already trust and value your guidance.
14. Stacking products
Stacking different products can create a robust revenue model. James developed a tiered structure with low-ticket, mid-ticket, and high-ticket offerings, plus retreats and special events. This comprehensive approach generated a substantial seven-figure income.
Over time, James has refined his focus to the sweet spot where he performs best and feels most fulfilled. Adjusting your model to align with your strengths and preferences is perfectly fine and can lead to even greater success.
15. Giving away products
Provide other communities with premium products from your membership or product stack. Offering high-value content for free, such as through podcasts, can attract new members. By sharing top-quality material that people would typically pay for, you increase visibility and interest in your membership, often leading to new sign-ups from those who discover you through these generous contributions.
16. Offline events for online success
In-person events can significantly enhance an online business, says James, providing valuable connection and engagement. If you’re interested in hosting them, his comprehensive event checklist, developed from extensive experience, covers everything from planning to post-event follow-up.
While James’s last large event was in 2020 before COVID-19 restrictions, he’s since shifted his focus to small, high-end events, aligning with his current business interests.
17. Surveys and copywriting
Conduct surveys for all types of participants—non-buyers, buyers, leavers, and repeat buyers—to understand their experiences and improve your offerings.
Effective copywriting is crucial; it can determine whether your membership thrives or falters. Consistently refining your messaging and offers can attract a steady stream of new members, while any misalignment can cause a stall, highlighting the importance of precise and compelling communication.
18. The leeway of recurring subscription
The advantage of a recurring subscription membership is its financial stability; even with a gradual loss of members, you have a long runway before facing significant issues.
For instance, with only a 2% monthly churn rate, it could take four years to lose all members, allowing you to sustain income without actively acquiring new members for an extended period. This built-in leeway provides a substantial buffer, ensuring longevity and stability.
19. Are you charging enough?
Regularly evaluate and increase your rates to ensure you’re charging enough. James kept rates too low for years, locking members in at a grandfathered rate, which made it difficult to adjust pricing. Eventually, he had to reset by changing the membership name, platform, and offer. Now, he avoids committing to grandfather rates and reserves the right to increase prices with reasonable notice, similar to practices by companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime. This ensures the sustainability and availability of the program for all members.
20. The advantage of an app
James highly recommends making a membership accessible via a mobile app, as many users prefer using their phones for convenience. While sign-ups often occur on a desktop, frequent access typically happens through mobile devices. An app enhances accessibility and usability, making it easier for members to engage with your content on the go.
21. Possibility of revenue share
Consider exploring revenue share deals with great clients if your membership is successful. This business model, which James discussed in Episode 1072, has allowed him to build a significant income surpassing his membership earnings. These royalty deals give him the flexibility to focus on a single membership product, enhancing his ability to deliver high-quality, concentrated value to his members.
22. Beware of too much stuff
Keep your membership offerings streamlined by regularly trimming unnecessary content. Accumulating outdated material can become overwhelming and unmanageable. Although it may be difficult, deleting old content helps maintain focus and prevents clutter. Embrace the courage to let go of the past to keep your membership relevant and effective.
Wrapping up
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this two-part membership series, starting from Episode 1073. If you liked it, send James an email, give a shoutout, or leave a review on your preferred platform, Spotify or Apple. James would love to hear your feedback and know what topics you’d like him to cover in future episodes.
Liked the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
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