Membership Geeks Podcast with Mike Morrison

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 tools are the best fit for you. In this episode, we talk about the tools we use for our own membership website - the Member Site Academy - as well as the reasons why we choose those particular options.

Much of what we discuss in terms of membership site strategy and marketing is universal; however when it comes to the technical side of things we tend to focus almost exclusively on WordPress-based membership websites. However there is a growing market in alternative cloud-based membership platforms such as Rainmaker or Kajabi which can solve a number of problems for anyone trying to 'DIY' their membership site. In this episode we discuss why we use WordPress, what is meant by "cloud service" vs "self-hosted", which cloud-based alternatives are out there and what the pros and cons of each approach are. We also discuss alternative 'self-hosted' solutions outside of WordPress, such as forum-only platforms such as Xenforo.

The reasons people have for joining your membership are as varied as the makeup of your membership. Ask 10 members why they joined your membership and you’re likely to get 8, 9, or 10 different answers.But there are some reasons that are more common – eight of them, in fact.In this episode, I break down the eight top reasons people join membership sites, why it’s important to know them, and how you can use this information to create more sustainable growth in your membership.Essential Learning Points:The eight most common reasons people join membershipsWhy some members are going to stick around longer than othersHow you can use data about your members’ motivations to grow your membershipImportant Links & Mentions:Should you use a Forum or Facebook Group for your community?Utilizing Guest Experts for your Membership Content10 ways membership owners can become the 'go to' experts in your industry4 ways to discover what your audience REALLY want from your membershipKey Quotes:“People join membership sites because they want some sort of transformation.”“Not everyone is going to join your membership because they want your material and your expertise.”“It’s important to have an understanding of the spectrum of reasons why someone might want to join your membership site because that can inform the way in which you promote and position your membership.”

Would you like to know how to effectively use video for marketing your membership site? Joining us to talk about video, launch strategies and a lot more is Emmy Wu. Emmy is a phenomenally talented videographer and launch strategist who has helped countless course creators and membership site owners to implement video into their marketing and sales strategy. In this episode, Emmy and I discuss: - Video content vs other mediums - How to make your videos stand out from the competition - Emmy's top tips for using video as part of a launch funnel - The rising popularity of live-streaming apps like Periscope and Blab - The most effective way of using videos for a membership site owner

Without question this is the one thing we're asked about more than anything else. So how do you figure out which membership plugin to use for your website? Find out in this episode...

In this episode I talk to online course creation expert Janelle Allen. Janelle shares her insight and experiences in the field of e-learning, and has some great tips for anyone creating courses as part of their membership website.

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, I give my tips on how membership site owners can avoid burning out.

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.

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.

In this episode we're talking about churn - what is it and how do we reduce it? PLUS discover our top tips for improving member retention and reducing cancellations.

Discover the 5 questions you NEED to ask yourself in order to determine whether creating a membership site is actually the right move to make...

Find out where we stand on the idea of "passive income" when it comes to membership websites...

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...

Discover the 7 essential elements every successful membership site has, and how you can make sure your own site is up to scratch

In the third and final part of our "launch diary", we discuss the big day of opening the Academy to the public, the approach we took, what worked, what didn't and what we'd do differently.

In the second part of our launch diary, we discuss the challenges faced and lessons learned in the final week before opening the doors to the Member Site Academy.

We recently opened the doors to the Member Site Academy - our very own membership site. In this series of episodes we're discussing the build up to launch, the challenges we faced, what worked, what didn't and a lot more.

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 we discuss how you can use offline marketing techniques, including business networking, to promote and enhance your membership website.

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

In this episode we discuss the pitfalls of using a private Facebook group for your paid membership community, and why an on-site forum is a better option.

What do you do if you need to get your membership website or online course up and running in just a few days? In this episode we're talking about how you can bootstrap the creation and launch of your membership site.

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.

With so many options for membership site plugins, asking for advice from others can be a total crap shoot. In this episode, we look at why most advice on plugins is useless, and how you can make sure you're getting the right recommendations.

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.