Membership Geeks Podcast with Mike Morrison

After 7 years we have a very sad announcement to make...The Membership Guys are no more.I know, I know... what a devastating way to start the New Year!But the good news is that we've just undergone a little bit of a rebrand and henceforth shall be known as...Membership Geeks!This is a change that is several years in the making, so tune into today's very special episode of the podcast to discover why we've rebranded, what it means going forward, and get the inside track on some of the exciting things we have planned for 2022 and beyond.

Is it me or has 2021 been a bit of a blur?!It's definitely been another strange year as we've all tried to navigate life running a membership in the midst of a global pandemic...But from what we've seen in our membership and Facebook communities, you all seem to be handling it pretty well!So what have we been up to?It's been another busy 12 months for myself, Callie and the TMG team...In 2021, we’ve: Created and launched our EPIC new Roadmap inside Membership Academy.Celebrated the 6th anniversary of our business.Grown our team further with the addition of our awesome Community Manager, Hannah, and... Created another year’s worth of The Membership Guys weekly podcast and season 5 of Callie’s Behind The Membership podcast. And a whole lot more besides!That being said, with only a few days left of 2021, 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 2021. As always, I'd like to 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 2022. Episode Links (not in order - don't want to ruin the suspense!):Musings About Money and Mindset in the Membership WorldAvoid These 6 Common Member Retention MistakesCompeting with Established Memberships in Your MarketSetting Goals for Your Membership Business: A Practical ProcessThe Untold Origin Story of The Membership GuysHow to Encourage Engagement without Nagging Your MembersAre You Leaving Money On The Table in Your Membership BusinessHow We Built Our Audience Before Launching Our MembershipUsing Instagram Stories to Promote Your MembershipWhy People Aren't Joining Your Membership Site

Have you recently launched your membership website? If you have then you’re in the midst of a steep learning curve… One we’ve all been through as membership owners. As we’re approaching the end of the year, now is the perfect time to plan what we want to achieve over the coming months… For more established membership owners the year ahead might be fully mapped out so they know what to expect...But for those new to the membership world, what lies ahead is largely unknown.While we don't have a crystal ball to tell you exactly what's going to happen over the next 12 months...We can try our best to prepare you for some of the things you're likely to discover in your first year of running a membership site…And that’s exactly what we’re doing in this podcast episode. Join us to hear 5 things you quickly learn in your first year as a membership site ownerEssential Learning Points:Good customer service can be the difference between losing a member and leaving someone with a positive impression who is likely to recommend you to others.Implementing a solid onboarding process will make everything easier - for both you and your members. The freedom, the flexibility and the fulfilment that comes from recurring revenue and making money while you sleep can make a huge difference to your life. You can’t please everyoneYou’re probably making a bigger difference than you realizeImportant Links & Mentions:Membership AcademyHow to Handle Customer Service for Your Membership SiteHow to Avoid Overwhelming your MembersWhy you need a kickass member onboarding processHow to Deal With Negative Feedback About Your MembershipKey Quotes:“Nothing ever goes 100% smoothly - that’s just life. The key is how you deal with things when issues do arise.”“When you have a good onboarding process in place, your members are happier, your engagement increases, retention improves and you have far less customer service issues to deal with. That’s pretty much a win for everyone”“If you have 99 happy members who love what you’re doing, but have 1 unhappy member, you need to learn to focus on the 99 – those guys aren’t all wrong!”“Don’t take someone’s silence as a sign that they aren’t getting value from what you’re offering, you're probably making a much bigger difference than you realize.”

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 partiesWhy control is the most important thing you needWhy you need to protect your business assetsThe pros and cons of building on rented landImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey 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.”

Email marketing is the golden ticket to growing any kind of membership or online business. But a successful email marketing campaign is about so much more than sending out the occasional email to your mailing list.If you really want to step up your email marketing effectiveness, you need to use some tried-and-tested tactics. In this episode, we share six ways to improve your email campaigns.You’ll hear why emailing more often is the right move, how to use narrative and open-loop emails to keep interest and how to use different email marketing features to transform your campaigns. Tune in today to learn more. Essential Learning Points:Why you should get out of your comfort zone with email marketingHow to utilize the P.S. section of your emails to drive salesWhy storytelling is the key to a good emailHow to maintain interest through open-loop emailsWhy you should always try to experiment with email marketing  How to use conditional content Important Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy Key Quotes:“Stories are far easier to infuse your personality into, which of course helps to foster connection which goes a long way, especially with memberships where that connection is so key.”“If you've got a great story to tell and a strong narrative that lends itself to being sent one bit at a time, then using open loops in your emails can be fantastic and engaging.”“Split testing can be invaluable for refining and perfecting your approach to email marketing to best suit your audience's preferences.”

Want to give your membership a little revenue boost? Who wouldn’t? The chances are, you’re already working on 101 things to grow your membership over time. But what can you do today?In this episode, we cover four super simple ways you can boost your revenue both in the short and long term. These are simple tactics you can get started on today that don’t take too long or cost much. This episode covers how you can use flash sales and discounts to boost sales, why you should pay extra attention to your non-buyers and ex-members, and how you can get members to upgrade. Try these tactics today and integrate them into your long-term strategy to see consistent results for years to come. Tune in to hear how you can get started.Essential Learning Points:How to use a flash sale to boost revenueWhy you shouldn’t ignore your non-buyersThe benefits of getting in touch with ex-membersHow a simple email can prompt members to upgradeImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“You could email anyone who's on your email list, who's been through your main sales sequence, and have not bought yet. You could run a flash sale targeted just at those people to give them an extra push and incentive to join your membership.”“More often than not, people will be open to returning, and indeed, many will come back to your membership within months.”“Cancellation is not condemnation. People don't leave because they hate your membership.”“If you've not reached out to your ex-members in a while, then consider emailing them today or starting a Facebook ads campaign targeted at those people.”

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 ratesHow 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 membersHow to measure the lifetime value of your membersRecommended tools for reporting on member engagementWhy you should track customer acquisition cost Important Links & Mentions:Membership AcademyBiggest Takeaways from the Online Membership Industry ReportThe Most Effective Tools for Reducing Your Membership ChurnWhy Member Lifetime Value is More Important Than Churn RateKey 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.” 

Preparing to launch your membership website? This can be both an exhilarating and terrifying time, with lots of tasks to tick off your checklist and limited time in which to get as many eyeballs as possible on you and your business. So how can you make your membership launch a success?The key is to generate excitement and buzz around your site that will result in your first influx of members and give you some momentum to move forward with. And in this episode of The Membership Guys podcast, we’re sharing with you six tactics to implement to do just that. Essential Learning Points:Why a membership website doesn’t live or die based on launch alone Why you don’t necessarily need a large audience to launch your membership How to connect with your audience and make them feel like they’re involved from the get-goDifferent tactics to implement to get in front of a wider audience to promote your membershipImportant Links & Mentions:Membership AcademyWhy You Need to Take People Behind the Scenes of Your MembershipMust-Listen Podcast Episodes for Launching Your Membership Website How to attract better members that will stick around long-termKey Quotes:“Right from the get-go you’ll need an initial influx of members to get your community up and running, people engaging and consuming content, and giving you feedback that will enable you to make your product even better. This in turn will make it easier for you to attract more members in the future.” “You can still do a lot in terms of your membership launch with a relatively modest audience.”“Live video is a fantastic way of getting your personality across and really connecting with your audience to allow them to feel like they're getting to know you on a deeper level.”“There's no doubt that having a group of people who are committed to spreading the word about your membership in their own audience, especially if their audience is large, can do wonders for your membership launch.”

Do you want to transform your tweeting into real results? Unsure where to start?Social media is a tough nut to crack. You can post consistently and still see no results and no sales. The good news is that you can turn it around with some proper planning and a little help from your analytics. This episode, takes you through a 12-step social media plan to help you tweak and fine-tune your current strategy.Tune in to hear why social media is so important, why you need to audit your channels, learn from your audience, keep an eye on your analytics, and much more. Essential Learning Points: Why social media should be key to your marketing strategy     Why you should audit your channels and your audienceThe importance of knowing your audience well   How to serve and build your audienceHow to offer value consistentlyWhy you need to keep an eye on analyticsImportant Links & Mentions: The Membership Guys Membership Academy Setting Goals for Your Membership Business: A Practical ProcessHow to Start Building an Audience for Your Membership SiteWhy You Need to Take People Behind the Scenes of your MembershipKey Quotes:“Make sure that you engage with your followers. Don't just publish content and leave it. Aim to have two-way conversations. What do your followers need help with? Ask them.”“Take steps to really develop your knowledge and understanding of your audience.”“Once you build momentum, once you've got the basics in place, refine that messaging. Refine the type of posts you're making to make sure you're not too salesy, to make sure you have a variety in how you promote your membership.”

Are you struggling to get members to consume and complete your content once they’ve signed up?If you want to keep members happy and improve member retention, the work doesn’t end once they hit ‘join.’Members need to constantly feel like they’re getting value, but sometimes they need a prompt to get involved in the content.In this episode, you’ll hear four super simple tactics to improve content consumption and engagement in your content library. We share how rewarding your members can go a long way, how you can get involved, and what you can do to your content to improve its effectiveness. With these tactics, you’ll help to boost your engagement rates across your content library and help members progress towards their goals. Essential Learning Points:Why you should try to boost content consumptionHow rewarding your members can go a long way How to use reminders to prompt your members to consume more contentWhy getting involved in the content yourself boosts engagement The benefits of using multiple content formats Important Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“The ability to have access to you and to have you focused on the same thing that they're focused on can be a huge motivation to get your members to actually take part in a course.”“Reminders and helpful nudges can be a great way of guiding people to content, making sure that they're actually consuming it.”“Make sure that you're providing multiple content formats so that you're catering to a variety of different member needs and learning styles.”

First impressions are key, especially in the membership world. A good experience in the early days is absolutely crucial to encouraging engagement, community collaboration, and retention.But a good onboarding experience is just step one. Even if you have all the necessary steps covered, there’s still more you can do to amplify and enhance that experience. In this episode, we cover five simple yet effective ways to level up your new members’ experience, so they’ll want to stick around for years to come. This episode covers why you should try to go above and beyond in the early days, why a personal touch can help you create a great first impression, and how to make your new members feel welcome. Essential Learning Points:Why leveling up your membership experience can boost satisfaction and retentionHow personal videos can go a long wayHow a member questionnaire can help both you and your membersThe importance of using segmentationWhy you should consider throwing a welcome partyHow physical welcome gifts can be a welcome surpriseImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyBonjoro.comKey Quotes:“Any way that you can better tailor things to each particular member's needs will massively level up their experience.”“This sort of stuff is really just about going that little bit further, putting in that little bit of extra effort to make someone's formative days and weeks inside your membership that much more enjoyable, that much more rewarding, and that much more productive.”“That sort of welcome party can be really, really good for getting that buzz, getting that excitement, and helping people make those connections early on, all of which level up your member experience.”

Do you want to offer a brand-new course or live event…separate from your membership? Is this something you’re allowed to do, or will all hell break loose in your membership?First off, yes, you can do this. But you also need to understand how your members will react. If they’re expecting all new content to come included in what they’re paying for, they could be disappointed. Luckily, there are a few ways around this that we share in this episode.If you want some tips on how to navigate this delicate topic, tune in today. We’ll share the pros and cons of keeping everything in your membership, why you shouldn’t always cave under pressure and ways to keep your members happy.Essential Learning Points:The problem with selling a separate product from your membershipWhy this can upset membersWhy it’s all about setting expectations and your messageHow to avoid doing yourself a disserviceThree simple ways to keep members happy and offer separate products Important Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“The clearer it is, what your membership does, who it's for, and what it consists of […] the less chance there will be of confusion or disappointment.”“You don't want it to seem like your membership is a bait and switch. But at the same time, flipping this around to you as a membership owner, you need to resist the urge to over-deliver.” “Give your members priority preferential treatment and a price discount on anything else you might sell outside of the membership. That then adds to the value of them becoming a member.”

If you’re thinking about starting a membership site, the very first decision you need to make is what it’s about.Your choice of topic is fundamental to your success. A good choice is a strong foundation. A poor choice will lead to an uphill battle you really don’t want to tackle.But how do you make the right choice? Tune in to this episode to hear the crucial elements that make a good membership topic idea. We cover why you need some expertise and what to do if you aren’t an expert. We also discuss why you should pick an evergreen topic if you want to be in this for the long haul, and much more!Essential Learning Points:   Why your choice of topic is essential Why you should chasing avoid any fads    The importance of picking a topic you have some expertise inHow to pick a topic that’s evergreenWhy you need to love your topicWhat to do if your membership idea doesn’t tick all the boxesImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“If you make the wrong decision about your membership topic, then that pretty much means that anything else you do is built on a pretty unstable foundation.”“Most online memberships will involve tapping into your knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise to help someone accomplish something to learn something to make progress towards a specific goal result or outcome.”“If you've got a real passion and enthusiasm for your topic, then the idea that you get to eat, sleep and breathe this subject day in day out for years to come will be absolute perfection.”“In an ideal world, your topic should really be something specific, something niche, as opposed to something generic.” 

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 timeHow to price based on the value How to maintain a healthy profit marginWhat potential members really think about low-priced memberships How to be competitive without competing on priceImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy Strategies for Increasing Your Membership PricingKey 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.”

How do you keep the peace in your membership community? As a community leader, it’s your job to make the space your members inhabit welcoming, friendly, and harmonious. But managing a big group of members can be tough. Sometimes people are rude, break the rules, others feel left out, and this leaves people feeling uncomfortable. No one wants to stick around in a toxic community.So, how do you keep the peace and deal with members who break the rules? Having a plan in place will help limit the damage and keep everyone happier. In this episode, I dive into six simple ways to maintain the harmony in your online community. Essential Learning Points:Why you need to keep the peace in your online communityHow to put clear rules in place and enforce themWhy it’s important to lead by exampleWhy you might want to appoint moderatorsThe benefits of encouraging members to use real names and photosWhy you shouldn’t only interact with the cliquesImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyHow to Deal with Problem Members Inside Your CommunityKey Quotes:“There's no point in having guidelines on what is and isn't acceptable if you're not going to enforce them.”“If you can get that accountability and that responsibility in there, then that can play a massive part in giving you a harmonious, positive community dynamic.”“One of the worst things that you can do as a community leader is to get involved in a clique within your community because that is a guaranteed way of excluding the majority of your member base.”

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 stabilityHow monthly billing can improve engagement Why annual billing provides a better profit marginThe effect annual billing has on your member baseWhy you don’t have to pick one or the other Important Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey 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.”

Has the spark died down from your membership? If you’re struggling with getting new members, old members are quitting, or engagement has dwindled, it’s time to reignite that spark.The good news is that there are plenty of things you can try to turn your membership around. In this episode, we’re sharing some of the simple, quick fixes and longer-term strategies you can use to get your membership back on track.Essential Learning Points:The first step in fixing the problem is to understand it Why you should start with the easy fixes firstThe tough questions you need to ask yourselfWhy sometimes the simplest way to identify the problem is to just askHow you can relaunch your membershipWays to grab your members’ attentionImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“If your membership site has slowed down or it’s starting to stagnate, then all is definitely not lost. It is very much possible to inject that bit of new life to reignite re-spark your membership.”“You need to decide honestly whether you're giving enough value to justify people continuing their subscription.”“To reignite the momentum in your membership, you could do a soft relaunch. This might involve doing a whole bunch of podcasts, interviews, guest blogs, maybe doing some event-based marketing.”

Do you have an online course you’re thinking of taking to the next level? Wondering if an online membership would make the perfect pairing?A combination of courses and memberships can work well, but only if you get the strategy right. If you’re considering an online membership alongside your course, this is the episode for you! We cover the benefits of blending the two content models together and all the different ways you can do this effectively. In this episode, you’ll learn about the different considerations you need to make before choosing any particular model, including where on the journey your audience is and what they need from your content. Essential Learning Points:The benefits of combining a membership with an online courseHow to sell your membership as a standalone productThe two main ways to combine your course and membershipHow to decide what strategy to useImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyUsing the ‘Splinter’ Strategy to Sell More MembershipsKey Quotes:“A combination of courses and memberships can work extremely well if you get the strategy right.”“It's all about that bigger picture and figuring out where your course fits in the journey of an average student.”“With this kind of approach of courses and memberships intertwined, you can actually have some of your cake and eat it too. And you can play around with different combinations of enrolment models.”

Wow... 6 years of Membership Academy!It's been a crazy year as we adjusted to running a membership during a pandemic and refocused our efforts and attentions on new areas of growth.Listen in as Callie and I recap the highs and lows of the past 12 months of Membership Academy, and look ahead to what's in store in the next year and beyond.

How do you choose the perfect price for your membership? What’s the number one thing to think about? The truth is, there are lots of different factors at play. But one thing people overlook is the idea of perceived value.Perceived value is something that isn’t concrete or easy to assess. It’s all about personal opinion, circumstances, the market itself, and everything in between.Tune in to this episode, where we go through all the different elements that make up a good pricing decision for your membership. We cover everything from perceived value to weighing up the practicalities, member affordability, and of course, the competition.Essential Learning Points:How perceived value affects pricingHow to price according to the market Why you should look closely at the competitionPricing based on practical considerationsWhy the customer’s affordability is worth consideringImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy How Much Should I Charge For My Membership Website?Key Quotes:“Membership pricing, or pricing in general, is not logical.”“Optimizing for the absolute perfect price is kind of a fool's errand because so much of it comes down to perception.”“It should be the easiest thing in the world. Just pick a number. But once you dive into it, there's just so much at play.”“Every buying decision is an individual one. Every buying decision is a personal one. What will your membership do for them?”

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 passiveImportant Links & Mentions:       The Membership Guys        The Membership AcademyKey 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.”

Are you ready to finally hire your first employee?It’s an exciting yet daunting experience because there’s a lot to cover and plan for. But don’t worry, this episode takes you through all the steps you need to know about. In this episode, we cover the early stages of hiring an employee, how to design a smooth and seamless application and interview stage, why you need to have the finer details worked out before hiring, and how to onboard your new employee.If you’re unsure where to start, this is a great starting point that takes you through the pre-hiring, hiring, and onboarding stages. Essential Learning Points:    Why good timing is so important when hiring your first employeeHow to determine the logistics of hiring  How to design a seamless application and interview process  Why you can’t ignore the boring admin partHow to onboard your new employee without leaving them in the darkImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyBehind the Membership      6 Tasks You Should Outsource To Make Your Membership More ManageableKey Quotes:“I'd much rather you hold off on recruiting someone and bringing someone permanent full-time into your business, until you have more than enough financial means to actually do it.”“Don't just hire someone to perform the task, at its current standard, hire someone to be better than you to level your business up.”“Make sure you're realistic in your expectations and consistent in the type of work that you would expect people in the roles you're hiring for to complete.” 

Are you a bit of a perfectionist? A little bit of perfectionism can be a good thing. It can help you strive towards creating the very best content and value for your members.But too much can be a big problem. In fact, perfectionism can kill progress. If perfectionism is holding you back from launching your membership or taking it to the next level, this episode is for you.We’ll be discussing how perfectionism can hold you back, why it’s virtually impossible to achieve in the membership space, and why holding yourself back can rob you of the very things you need to improve – feedback, experience, and data.Essential Learning Points:How perfectionism gets in the way of progressWhy perfectionism is impossible in an ever-changing membershipThe importance of feedback and data in improving your membershipImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“Perfection kills progress.”“Perfection is unattainable because memberships are always evolving. When you build a membership, you're not creating a finished or complete product.”“If you're holding back on launching because you want to get it right, you are preventing access to the very thing that will help you to get it right. And that is experience feedback and data.”

Is your membership not attracting enough members? Are you wondering where you’re going wrong?In this episode, we cover nine of the most common reasons why people don’t sign up for a membership site. There might be something you haven’t thought of yet, so this episode should give you some food for thought.Tune in to see if you’re guilty of any of these mistakes and find out ways to fix them. Find out whether your membership struggles are down to market need, lack of research, competition or pricing. Essential Learning Points:        The importance of directly asking for the saleWhy you need to ensure your membership is valuable and neededWhy thorough research is the bedrock of any successful membershipNiching down vs. being too broadWhy trust is so important in membershipsImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy      Why Membership Site Owners Need to Niche Down (And STAY Niched)Key Quotes:“People don't join memberships to stand still. They join because they have a result they want to achieve. They have a transformation they want to undergo and a goal they want to hit. So, you need to break it down as clearly as possible, how your membership will help them.”“If you're not established, if you don't have a body of work, some content they can read or listen to, recommendations, or social proof, then your audience might be more hesitant to do business with you.”“Trust is everything in business, especially with a membership site, because they're not just buying one thing from you today. They are entering into an ongoing relationship with you.”

Are you ready to build your email list? Do you already have one but you’re not sure how to get the most value out of it?Whether you’re starting from scratch or are revamping your email series, this episode is for you. We cover five great email types to send your new subscribers to entice them into signing up to your membership site. These are simple yet effective ways to give people a taste of what your membership is like, how it can help them, and the value they could be getting from you. Essential Learning Points:Why creating an email series is so important for new subscribersWhat to include in a welcome email The best ways to create an email sales pitch for new subscribersHow a case study can effectively sell your membershipWhy you should send value-driven emails as well as sales pitchesImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership Guys   Membership AcademyKey Quotes:“Choose a single success story from your member base to write a mini case study around. This should be a story that shows people what's possible by being a member of your site.”“Memberships are pretty abstract products. They're typically made up of many different elements, so it can be challenging to concisely describe them. So being able to show as well as tell can be a real advantage.”“A way to over-deliver is to give them an extra surprise freebie, an eBook, a cheat sheet, a free workshop, something along those lines that they weren't expecting.”

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a membership? Maybe you’ve considered joining one in the past but just have no idea what to expect. Does your audience feel the same way about your membership?Hopefully not, but if you’re looking for a way to bring some transparency, trust, and a behind-the-scenes look into your membership, then this episode is for you.I go into four simple yet effective ways to give your members a sneak peek behind the curtain at what goes on in your membership.The benefits of this marketing tactic are incredible, so tune in today to hear our ideas, how they could help, and how we use them in our own content to promote Membership Academy. Essential Learning Points: Transparency can build trust, so take members behind-the-scenesHow to use screen capture footage as a simple piece of marketing contentHow to use social media Stories to give insights into your day-to-day lifeWhy you should create content that focuses on your journeyWhy you should showcase your members and their successesImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyBehind the Membership podcastKey Quotes:“Not everyoneknows what an online membership is like. If you're in an industry where onlinememberships aren’t particularly prolific, yours might be the very firstmembership that your customers are encountering.”“In the onlineworld, it can be difficult to trust. There are too many cases of people payingfor something that ultimately either just didn't get delivered or was nothinglike what was promised. When you have something like a behind-the-scenes video,you're showing proof that your product exists.”“Transparency canbe very appealing to people. A lot of people these days feel like they needthat connection with the people they choose to do business with. Sotransparency can go such a long way.”

Are you comfortable talking about money?Many aren’t and avoid the topic altogether. Others are on the opposite end of the spectrum and will flaunt it all day on social media.As money isn’t something that we talk a lot about, either here on The Membership Guys or in real life, this episode is a bit of a different one. In this episode, I explore some financial food for thought about memberships and money in general. I cover things like mental money blocks, the influence of social media, putting money to good use, and scaling your business.This episode’s a bit of a different one than usual, so tune in for a talk on all things money-related. Essential Learning Points:Why our marketing isn’t money focusedThe common money blocks that hold us back Why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to people on social mediaHow the membership model is about slow and steady growthHow to put money to good use in your businessWorking out your effective hourly rateHow scaling your business is all about mindsetImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyThe Untold Origin Story of The Membership Guys (Episode 300 Special)SuperfastbusinessWork Less Make More by James Schramko  Key Quotes:“The money side of memberships is relatively boring. It's not an exciting roller coaster ride. And so, we need to make sure that we don't get complacent and take it for granted.”“When you buy cheap, you end up buying twice. And so, you start to recognize the value of investing money.”“Instead of paying yourself more and taking more per month, pay yourself the same but for doing less work.”“I love memberships because the output is usually substantially more than the input. I can spend an hour creating a piece of content. And that can help hundreds of people who then refer dozens of people, which makes me X amount of extra money for one hour of my time.”

Are you ready to build your membership website? Before you get started, there are a few key tech decisions you need to make first. These decisions will influence every element of your membership, so you need to choose wisely!How you host your website, build it, choose a domain name, and build a community are just some of the most important but tough decisions to make. In this episode, I cover five tough tech decisions you’ll need to make before you can launch your website. If you’re just getting started and aren’t sure how to get the ball rolling, don’t miss this episode!Essential Learning Points:The differences between self-hosted and using a platform When to hire a developer vs. build a website yourselfWhat to consider when choosing a domain nameHow to choose the best themes and plugins for your siteWhat to consider when building a membership communityImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyShould You Build Your Website Yourself or Hire Help – with Martin & Lyndsay from Jammy Digital Should I Host My Membership on a Separate Domain Name?Why you should add a community to your membership site11 Proven Tactics for Starting a New Membership CommunityKey Quotes:“These are decisions that can have an impact and repercussions on so many different elements of your membership, how you run it, how you grow it, your member experience, and so on.”“WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world. And a big part of the reason for that is the fact that there are all sorts of add-ons you can install.”“If you’re cash-rich but time-poor, you're probably going to hire someone. If you're the reverse of that, then the likelihood is you're going to need to build your site yourself.”

Are you considering a switch from a closed to open-door membership? Maybe you’ve heard about all the benefits of open membership models and want to try it out for yourself.Great! Open memberships can be a fantastic business model. It’s the very same model we use for our own Membership Academy. But don’t just jump headfirst into the switch! If you’re changing to an open membership model, it’s not as easy as changing your mind and keeping the doors open all year. There are lots of things to consider and adjustments to make if you make such a big move. You’ll need to think about all sorts of things like marketing, sales figures, how it will affect the community, and much more!In this episode, I share some things to know about and the best ways to prepare your membership for an enrolment change.Essential Learning Points:Why you need a solid reason for switching membership modelsHow your approach to marketing will need to changeWhy you need to change your sales expectationsThe importance of member onboarding with an open-door membershipHow the membership community will change once you switchImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy5 Reasons Why I Dislike the Closed Door Membership Launch StrategyKey Quotes:“An always open membership relies heavily on evergreen marketing, having that marketing machine that works year-round. And the big piece of that is going to be your core sales funnel.”“Don't start panicking when you have a day where you don't get any sales because it's all about the long term.”“You can't get away with sloppy onboarding as much in an open membership as you can in a closed membership.”

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 modelWhat you need to prepare for and communicate to your membersHow a closed-door model can change the member experienceWhat switching to a closed-door model will do for member numbersWhy you still need to market and keep people engaged throughout the yearImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy6 Situations Where The Closed Door Membership Model Makes SenseKey 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.”

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 LilesDouble your member base during a pandemic with Katie Wardrobe Facilitating Change Through Difficult Conversations with Carole Copeland ThomasCreating a High Level Coaching Membership with Coach Pamela MitchellAdding a Membership to a Successful Manufacturing Business with Felicia LoAligning Your Members to Your Vision with Steve PavlinaCreating a Custom Web App for Your Members with Marisha MetsFighting Through a Crisis of Confidence with Trish BlackwellStaying Consistent as a One-Man Band with Warwick BrownSetting Ambitious Goals for Your Membership with John MichaloudisMore Time, More Freedom, More Income with Warren McphersonKey Quotes: “Memberships are game changers at the best of times, but in 2020 they proved that even more.”“Everything is possible with a membership model if you focus on what’s going to serve you and your members” “There is no right or wrong way when it comes to membership sites, it’s what’s best for you.”

Whether you are new to memberships, thinking about starting one, or have been doing it for years, there are some key things that everyone needs to know. In this episode, I share some of the admittedly boring yet super important things you need to know about running a membership. This episode covers things like insurance, tax, payments, and copyright laws – all that fun stuff!To keep your website and business fully protected, give this episode a listen in case there’s anything you’re currently missing. Essential Learning Points:How to cover the legal aspect of running a membershipWhy it’s important to get a hold over your finances and taxHow to protect your website and content from theft What you need to know about insurance and protecting your businessImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyEssential Guide to GDPR for Membership Site OwnersKeeping Your WordPress Membership Site SecureWhat To Do When Someone Steals Your Membership ContentShould You Allow Competitors to Join Your Membership?How to Deal With Payment Disputes in Your MembershipSuzanne Dibble’s websiteDigital VAT 2015 Facebook groupTermsFeedTermageddonKey Quotes:“It’s better to be safe than sorry, and getting professional indemnity insurance generally will not cost much at all.”“The truth is most security issues for any type of membership, product, or website come from human error. So, you want to make sure that you are clued up.” “It’s certainly advisable to get an accountant on board to help you set your membership up correctly and ensure all your tax and reporting obligations are met.”

Is your membership stressing you out?When you first started your journey to being a membership owner, the chances are you didn’t picture sleepless nights and dreading going to work. In fact, you probably imagined finally getting to live the life you always wanted ­– so, where’s it all gone wrong? Owning any business, including a membership, is going to come with stressors. That’s just a fact. But there are several things that could be happening in your membership that are making you unhappy, that you can do something about.In this episode, we talk about the eight most common areas that cause stress for membership owners. We reveal how you can manage these and make running your membership as enjoyable and stress-free as you hoped it would be!Essential Learning Points:How to adjust your expectations for your membershipWhy you should be focusing on the long game How to set manageable deadlinesHow to be realistic with your content strategyWhich tasks you should be outsourcing to free up your timeHow to stay focused on your own progressWhy setting boundaries is essential to managing stressHow context can reframe your anxieties Important Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy 6 Tasks You Should Outsource To Make Your Membership More ManageableKey Quotes:“With memberships, you get to set the terms. You get to create a business of your own design that fits with your goals for your life.”“You're not creating a finished product, you're starting a journey. You have the freedom and flexibility to adapt and evolve your membership over time.”“Don't try and do everything yourself. You're not a superhero.”

Are you ready to launch a membership? Are you really ready? If you’ve been toying with the idea of launching a membership for some time, you might be wondering if the timing is right. Many business gurus out there will tell you to jump in and “just start,” but hold on!Memberships are a funny business. Launching your membership is all about timing it right. If you get it wrong, it’s much harder to change your mind or get out of it when you have paying members with high expectations. You need to do the groundwork first. In this episode, we take you through the signs that now is the time to launch your membership. These are signs that your membership will get off to a great start, has a real audience, and won’t fizzle out over time. Essential Learning Points:Why timing is so important when starting a membershipThe downsides of jumping into a membership before you’re readyWhy you need to be clear on what you’re offering and who you’re servingHow much time you need to dedicate at the beginningWhy building your audience before launching a membership is the best moveImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyWhy Membership Site Owners Need to Niche Down (And STAY Niched)Membership ToolkitKey Quotes:“The most successful memberships are the ones that solve a specific problem and serve a specific audience.”“The riches are in the niches when it comes to memberships.”“It's not about having thousands of people on an email list before you can even contemplate starting a membership. It's far more important that your following is relevant than it is huge.”

In this one-off bonus episode to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, I'm opening up about my history of dealing with clinical depression.To say this is not a typical episode of The Membership Guys Podcast would be an understatement...There's nothing here about memberships, there are no tips, there is no advice. Just my story of mental health challenges which I'm sharing in the hopes of removing the stigma and normalising discussion around topics like depression.If you choose to skip this and stick to the 'membership stuff' then that definitely does not make you a bad person! However if you do listen then I hope sharing this frank, "warts and all" story of my personal fight with depression helps you to either better navigate your own challenges or to support others in your life who are struggling.Please consider supporting others by donating to www.mind.org.uk or alternative mental health charities in your area if you can.

What’s the secret to marketing your membership? Spoiler: there isn’t just one secret! There are multiple different methods to try, but there are some universal truths to always bear in mind first. In this episode, we share the 12 universal truths to membership marketing. There may not be some hidden secret that will guarantee you success, but these truths apply to all types of membership (and many other businesses as well.)If you’re unsure of what marketing approach to take or whether you need to spend much time marketing at all, don’t miss this episode!Essential Learning Points:The 12 universal truths that apply to all membershipsWhy there’s never a one-size-fits-all approach to marketingWhy building trust should be a key part of your marketingThe importance of marketing and why you can’t overlook itImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyKevin Kelly’s 1,000 True FansBob Berg’s The Go-Giver book Key Quotes:“Think of your membership as a painkiller, not a vitamin. You want it to be a must-have, not a nice-to-have.”“An average product that has great marketing will always beat a great product with average marketing.”“What someone says about you is worth so much more than what you say about yourself.”

There’s a lot of advice out there about memberships, some of it good, some of it downright awful! If you’re not sure who to listen to or you’re worried you’ve made a mistake about starting a membership, don’t miss this episode. In this episode, we break down the five top pieces of bad (and damaging) advice we’ve seen about running a membership. We take you through competition in the membership world, whether you really need scarcity to sell and if memberships are as dead as people claim. *Spoiler* they’re not!Essential Learning Points:How to recognize bad membership adviceWhy the membership model is NOT dying out Why healthy competition is good The problem with using scarcity to sell Why a closed-door membership does not mean less workImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership Academy1,000 True Fans by Kevin KellyCompeting with Established Memberships in Your MarketAre You Leaving Money On The Table in Your Membership Business?Key Quotes:“It’s fine to leave money on the table if it’s not a table you want to sit at.”“If you’re building your business and basing your strategy on whatever’s in vogue this month, then that’s the wrong approach.”“We shouldn’t be scared off by the existence of competition or worried that a market is too oversaturated. In fact, it’s more of a worry if there’s no competition.”

In this special one-off episode, we're asking you guys to help us shape the future direction of The Membership Guys Podcast by having your say on the topics you'd like us to hear more about.To help you do this, we're testing out some incredibly nifty new tech from our podcast hosts Captivate that add interactive surveys to our show - so not only do you help us out, you also get a glimpse at some cool tech stuff too. Win-win!Head over to https://www.themembershipguys.com/podcastsurvey to make your voice heard.

How can you launch a membership without any audience? The simple answer is you don’t have to. You need to put in the work to build that audience first.  That’s exactly what we did, and in this episode, we share all the little details that went into building our audience BEFORE we launched the Membership Academy. So, join me on a trip down memory lane. We’re talking about the early days of The Membership Guys and what we did six years ago to get where we are today.We share detailed tips on content marketing, blogging, building your email list, and gaining interest before you even sign up your first member. Essential Learning Points:It doesn’t take thousands of dollars to launch a membershipYou don’t need a huge email list to launch your membershipWhat steps you can take to build interest in your membershipThe importance of a solid launch strategyWhere The Membership Guys are today.Important Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysMembership AcademyMember Machine bookMembership Economy by Robbie Kellman BaxterSuperfast Business Membership ToolkitKey Quotes:“Do what you can with what you have.”“We hated having to turn people away and not being able to give them a suggestion of where to go.”“450 people on an email list…you’re not going to brag to many people about that. It’s still fairly small…but it was big enough.”

How do you make your membership ‘stickier’? By that, we mean, how do you get members to stick around for your content?The key is to give them something worth sticking around for. You might have great content on the horizon, but do you members know about it? In this podcast episode, I share seven simple ways to let your members know about all the amazing things you have planned for future content. Most of these are simple tweaks you can do today, such as posting on social media or emailing your members. We also share some less commonly known tactics to showcase upcoming valuable content. Essential Learning Points:Why it’s so important to signpost future contentHow to use the ‘Pain of Disconnect’ or FOMO to keep your members interestedWhy an upcoming content list is a simple way to signpost future valueThe types of future content you should promote and howHow to use future content to influence current content.Important Links & Mentions:The Membership AcademyDigital Marketer The Memberoni themeAddEvent7 Things to Consider When Choosing a Membership Site Theme21 Quick Tips for Improving Member RetentionKey Quotes:“Memberships are a value exchange.”“The true value from a membership comes from the things the content enables, the results, the wins, the success stories.”“You’re giving them a glimpse at a possible future that they could have, in terms of outcome, transformation, results, wins, if they actually apply the content that is being released.”

What should you do after you launch your membership? Once the launch is all over and done with, what next? Do you just wait for more members to drop by? No, you’ve still got plenty of work to do to grow your membership business. In fact, the easy part is over!  In this podcast episode, we share six things you need to do once you launch your membership to keep growing. You’ll want to focus on member retention, follow up with non-buyers, and develop a solid marketing strategy. Listen in to hear my top tactics for making the most of your successful launch, so interest doesn’t just fizzle out. Essential Learning Points:How your membership launch is probably the easiest marketing you’ll ever doWhy the first 30 days of your new membership are the most importantHow to utilize your happy members for future marketingWhy running a membership isn’t just about getting new members, it’s all about what happens after the saleImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership AcademyGoogle Analytics Key Quotes:“90% of success is all about what happens on the inside of a membership.” “In the afterglow of your launch, those first 30 days or so, really keep an eye out for any posts, comments, and feedback that you can use from your community…and then turn that into marketing collateral.”“You want those people that were on the fence during your launch and decided against joining to be kicking themselves for not signing up.”

Every superhero has an origin story…And as we're celebrating a huge milestone of recording 300 episodes of The Membership Guys podcast, Callie and I decided to do something a little bit special and share ours.In this episode we talk about things we’ve never talked about publicly before, giving you an insight into how The Membership Guys came to be and how we got to where we are today. Hopefully some of our story will resonate with you. Enjoy!  Episode Summary:The story of how Callie and I metOur business journey, including bad partnerships, 20 hour work days, and of course… membershipsSome personal struggles with depression, burnout and general health that we've never talked about beforePLUS we discuss how Callie has never seen the movie Karate Kid (shock), how in a weird multiverse The Membership Guys may never have come to be and much more!

What if your membership has a natural end date? While no membership will last forever, some hit a natural point where members drop off. This doesn’t necessarily mean the content was bad or you did anything wrong. That’s a whole other story. Sometimes members get everything they need and simply don’t need to remain a member. For example, if you have a membership site for helping people pass a driving test, that has a natural end date. After they pass, they probably won’t need your content anymore. So, what can you do? Do you just accept it, or do you fight to keep these members? In this episode, I discuss some of the tactics you can use to retain members, but also some alternatives and different ways of looking at it. If you’ve been scratching your head trying to come up with a solution, give this episode a listen, and hopefully, it’ll give you some fresh ideas to try out. Essential Learning Points:Why you need to question whether the membership model is right for youHow you can extend the scope of your content to maximize interestWhy retaining members isn’t always the right moveHow a natural end date could actually be a good thingThe most important metric to know in a membership business.Important Links & Mentions:The Membership AcademyWhy Member Lifetime Value is More Important Than Churn RateDespite What You’ve Heard, Average Member Retention is NOT Only 3 Months Key Quotes:“Membership works best when it’s addressing a recurring need.”“One-off needs like “I need to learn this specific process or pass this test” tend to work better as a course where there’s a very clear start and endpoint.”“When it comes down to numbers, everything is about one metric: Customer Lifetime Value.”

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 membersImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership AcademyIntercomThe Membership Economy book by Robbie Kellman BaxterKey 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.”

The guiding principle of membership sites is that they are a value exchange. People subscribe to your site and you provide them with enough reasons to keep their subscription going. And so far, you are probably doing a fantastic job at solving their biggest problems and creating amazing content. But why stop there? You can sweeten the deal for your members by amplifying the perceived value your membership site has to offer. In this episode, I review four simple ideas to incorporate more incredible value for your members. And I promise that these won't require more effort and time on your part! Have a listen and, hopefully, you will be inspired to take action on one or all of these strategies.Essential Learning Points:How solving small problems creates big value.Ways to feature your members on your platform.Why your site is the perfect platform for building connections.How to make your members feel like they are flying First Class.Important Links & Mentions:The Membership AcademyzenForoIP.BoardKey Quotes:“You have to give people a reason to stay subscribed. The value you provide comes in the form of creating content and serving your community.”“Quick wins are absolute gold. If you can solve lots of these smaller problems, then the value this will deliver to your members is huge.”“Always make sure that your members are on the top of your list when it comes to preferential treatment.”“Being a connector and filling that role for your members can be of huge value.”

Choosing where to house your new membership site is a major decision. And you are not alone in feeling confused and uncertain about the options.In this episode of the Membership Guys Podcast, we will provide some clarity around this topic and hopefully, you will get the facts you need to choose what works best for you.In case you were wondering, we are not talking about which web hosting company to use, or whether you should use shared hosting or a dedicated server.We are talking about whether you should:a)     have your membership site hosted as part of your main website,b)     have the site live on its own with a separate, dedicated domain, orc)     have the site live on a subdomain. We will discuss these three options and the pros and cons of each. Essential Learning Points:The three key implications that could impact your decisionWhy a single site is more appealing to the tech-averse folksHow branding can factor into your decisionWhat your long-term plan is for your membership site and why that’s important Important Links & Mentions:The Membership Mastermind Facebook GroupThe Membership AcademyWooCommerceBuddyPressbbPressKajabiThinkificGoogle AnalyticsKey Quotes:“If you’re going to ask your users to register for a free community on your main site, but then ask them to register on a completely different website to join your membership then this causes a disconnect and is not great from a user experience perspective.”“Having everything under one roof gives you a single point of failure. If something goes wrong with that single website, then everything is offline.”“If you have separate sites for your main and your membership, then the decision making for the membership site is done in isolation. This can greatly uncomplicate things.”

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 notWhat the momentum conundrum is and the 90 / 9 / 1 ruleHow to manage your time better so your membership site doesn't fall off your priority listThe highs and lows post-launch and what to do when your motivation runs dry  Important Links & Mentions:The Membership AcademyThe Membership Mastermind Facebook GroupTackling the 6 Biggest Challenges Every New Membership Owner FacesThe Membership Guys on TwitterKey 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.”

Did you know that private podcasting could enhance your membership business?By now, most of us are familiar with podcasts. Many of us are avid listeners already. Private podcasting hasn’t quite taken off as much as regular podcasting, mostly because of a lack of systems in place to create them. But, if you could get your private podcast set up the right way, it could be a great way to offer your members exclusive content and extra value. At The Membership Guys, we use Captivate.FM to host our podcast. Captivate is a great podcasting host which offers private podcasting. Using a selection of great automation tools, Captivate has really nailed their private podcasting system. In this episode, I’m joined by Mark Asquith, the CEO and founder of Captivate.FM to discuss how private podcasts work and how they can enhance your membership business. I also reveal some great strategies to help you create a private podcast for your membership. Essential Learning Points:●      What private podcasting is and why you should consider creating one for your membership site●      How to use Captivate.FM to create and host your private podcast ●      How to use private podcasts to enhance the quality of your membership siteImportant Links & Mentions:●      The Membership Guys●      The Membership Academy●      Captivate.FM●      6 Ways to Use a Podcast to Promote Your Membership

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 ceilingWhat to do if your monthly revenue is higher than your revenue ceiling calculationWhy hitting your revenue ceiling isn’t a bad thingHow to raise your revenue ceilingImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GuysThe Membership AcademyThe blog post for this episodeEpisode 292: Are You Leaving Money On The Table in Your Membership Business?Episode 61: How to Add Multiple Revenue Streams to an Existing MembershipKey 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.”

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 atUnderstanding 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 carefullyImportant 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.”