Membership Geeks Podcast with Mike Morrison

Have you launched your membership and then found yourself regretting your choice of technology that runs your website? Or maybe you haven't yet launched but you live in fear of that turning out to be your reality.“What if I make the wrong choice and then in 6 months’ time I discover I’m stuck with it?”Because of this we see a lot of people have a lot of anxiety about deciding on which platform or plugin is right for them. In this episode I reveal everything you need to know about switching your membership platform.Essential Learning Points:The questions you need to ask yourself before deciding to switch platformsWhy data migration is the most crucial aspect of switchingHow to communicate this big change to your membersWhat you need your members to do, and how to get itThe reality of what switching platforms can cost youImportant Links & Mentions:Guide To Choosing A Membership Plugin Key Quotes:“This isn't something you do on a whim, or because a new tool sounds cool and has got a lot of buzz. This isn’t a small decision...”When communicating, make sure you address the question that's going to be in their minds. “What's in it for me?” Focus your message on how the new system is going to benefit them.“At all times in all memberships there will be a percentage of the member base who are only there because of inertia. The only reason they’re still members is because they keep forgetting to cancel their subscription.”“Don’t start switching over, then run a couple of tests and regret the change you’ve made. Test first and test thoroughly, before you do anything else.”

Do you know the difference between good marketing advice and bad marketing advice?The marketing industry is full of information. Some can help you build meaningful customer relationships and effectively generate sales. But some is based on misinformation, pressure tactics, and “shortcuts” that could lead to slower audience growth or even a damaged reputation.I find it so infuriating that people are being pressured and pushed around by membership marketing myths that they believe are the industry standard. In this episode, I get on my soapbox to bust the most common marketing myths and help steer you away from the nonsense.Essential Learning Points:Why pressurizing leads can drive them to buy elsewhereHow to prevent your customers getting buyer’s remorseWhy a good product isn’t enough to generate salesThe number of followers you really needImportant Links & Mentions:Open Every Day by Ross O'Lochlainn1,000 True Fans by Kevin KellyOur free Membership Mastermind Facebook GroupMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“Successful marketing is all about getting the right message, to the right person, at the right time.”“Some people are just not ready to buy when you’re ready to sell. Your business and how you market it is actually more about being there when someone is ready to buy, rather than trying to force the sale too quickly.”“If you’re not able to connect the dots and to compel people to put their hand in their pocket and pay you for the solution to their problem then it doesn’t matter how great your membership is, it doesn’t matter how great your product is. “Build it and they will come” is not a valid strategy.”

How much should you charge for your membership site? And, what should your pricing strategy look like?Well, the answers to both of those questions depend on your membership. However, there are some advanced pricing tactics that successful membership sites use when it comes to determining their prices.As I’m sure you’re aware, getting the price of your membership right is so important. But it’s often more than that, you also need to make sure that you use effective pricing strategies to convince people to join your membership. In this episode, I reveal my top and most advanced tips and tactics to help you with your membership pricing strategy!Essential Learning Points:The differences between B2C and B2B pricingWhy you need to consider the numbers within your priceHow to create compelling discountsThree ways to leverage price anchoring for your membershipImportant Links & Mentions:ResponseSuiteMembership Academy Key Quotes:“The more choices you give, the more you add friction to the buying process, which can lead to decision fatigue.”“With a decoy product, you specifically create an option with the entire purpose of that option being that it makes your main option look better. You actually don't want people to buy this product.”

Is your membership community a ghost town? Are you constantly banging your head against a wall trying to figure out ways to get your members to actually converse with each other? This guide has got the answers.We’ve said it many times before - people come for the content but they stay for the community. However, getting an active, thriving community inside your membership is easier said than done.It’s not a case of just setting up a Facebook group and assuming that all the conversations will start flowing, and connections will happen automatically. You need to put in the work to drive the discussion and the connections within your community. It can take quite a bit of time to get the discussion flowing, particularly in the early days where this can feel like trying to push a boulder up a hill. But these steps will help get it done.Essential Learning Points: Start The Discussion YourselfEncourage “Low-Hanging Fruit” ConversationsDon’t Rush To Answer Every Questions YourselfTag Other Members In DiscussionInclude Your Community As Part Of New Member OnboardingImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership Academy - https://www.membershipacademy.com/The Membership Guys Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/MembershipGuys/groups Key Quotes:“You’re going to have to be the one who drives the conversation. It’s not going to be a case of creating a forum or a Slack channel, giving people the link and seeing the engagements and discussions just happen.”“If you’re getting to every question first and answering straight away, you’re shutting down discussions before they get a chance to start. So, it can be worth strategically stalling.”“Embrace the role of not just the expert who answers questions, but as the community leader. Embrace being the person who creates connections between your members and facilitates the best path of learning.”“The best way to encourage people to be active in your community is to get them in there early and ensure your community is an integral part of the member experience.”

Wow... 5 years of Membership Academy!And what a rollercoaster ride our fifth year has been.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.In this episode, Callie and I discuss:The real impact that running our first conference had on our membership businessHow we navigated personal illness and a global pandemicChanges we've made to our content strategy, and the results we're seeing so farThe big step up we're taking in the coming yearDig further into our journey so far...Inside the launch of the Membership AcademyLooking Back at the First 12 Months of the Membership AcademyInsights & Reflections on Year 2 of the Membership AcademyLooking Back at Year 3 of the Membership AcademyCelebrating the 4th Anniversary of Membership AcademyAs always, we want to thank each and every one of your for your support over the past 5 years - whether you're a podcast listener, Facebook group member, blog reader or one of our highly treasured Academy members (or indeed, all of the above) - we just want to take this opportunity to thank you, sincerely, for being with us on our journey.

A membership has many moving parts, lots of technical elements, and will take plenty of hard work to get started.But there is one element of running a membership site that is constant and, if you don’t have it, you won’t keep your membership alive.If you don’t have an audience, you won’t have a membership.So, if you’re just starting out and eager to get your membership going, it’ll pay dividends if you invest in finding and growing your audience now. This classic episode of The Membership Guys will show you how.Essential Learning Points:Why it’s important to build your audience before you release your productWhere the best places are to look for your potential audienceHow finding your audience will also help you fine-tune your membership content and marketing strategyWhere you can go to learn more about establishing and growing your audienceImportant Links & Mentions:How to Generate Email Leads for Your Membership SiteUsing Segmentation to Increase Leads and Member SalesHow To Use Content Marketing To Sell Your Online MembershipMarketing Tactics for Attracting New Members4 Ways to Discover What Your Audience REALLY Want from your Membership Key Quotes:“If you’re building a product, you need to have someone to sell it to!” “Passionate people find each other and they congregate around different places online.”“A lot of your initial audience building efforts are going to center around finding where your particular crowd are and hanging out with them.”“Don’t take it for granted that your existing audience will have an interest in what you’re doing with your membership.”

Setting boundaries is essential if you want your membership to be productive and positive for you – and your members.But how do you do it without cutting people off, coming across as aloof or inaccessible, and how can you ensure your members are having their questions answered whilst still respecting your boundaries.It’s certainly a balancing act, but it’s one you can perfect by putting into practice some of these tips and tricks. We’ve tested and refined these approaches over time with our own Membership Academy and our members have also found these approaches to be beneficial in their memberships too.Tune in to find out how we, and many other membership site owners, set healthy boundaries with our members that benefit everyone. Essential Learning Points:Why opening yourself up to more communication can actually reduce contact overwhelmSome of the best tools and tactics we’ve used to set healthy boundaries within our membershipWhy setting the right boundaries will benefit your members as much as youImportant Links & Mentions:Is Starting a Membership Website the Right Move for You?Recommended Tools & ResourcesHow to Add an Online Forum to your Membership WebsiteLive Membership Q&A with Mike and CallieMembership AcademyKey Quotes: “Your members will contact you and any successful membership site owner will respond when they do reach out. That’s not to say that you can’t set boundaries and that you can’t be the one to set the terms.” “When people know that they don’t have to try hard to reach you, that takes the urgency out of the equation.” “Nobody should be in a position where they send you a message and they have no idea of when to expect a response.” “Setting and managing expectations is good not just for you, but for your members too.”

“Cancellation” is a word that sends a shiver down the spine of any membership site owner, but are membership site owners missing a trick when it comes to how they handle cancelled members?In our own membership, Membership Academy, 25% of members who leave end up rejoining. This is why it’s essential not to burn your bridges – and to put a rock-solid win-back strategy in place.Join us in this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast to learn what a win-back campaign is, how to structure it, and what some of the essential tactics you need to use are.Essential Learning Points:Where many membership site owners are getting it wrong when it comes to cancelled membersHow to create a win-back sequence that gives lapsed members a great reason to come backWhat the three key notes you need to hit are if you want to create a compelling case for re-joining your membershipImportant Links & Mentions:Try These Tactics to Pre-empt and Prevent Member Cancellations4 Essential Email Automations Every Membership Website NeedsFacebook Remarketing Strategies for Membership WebsitesWhat To Do (And What to Avoid) When Someone Cancels Their MembershipMembership AcademyMembership Mastermind from The Membership Guys Key Quotes:“People may leave your membership site for a variety of reasons and many of those reasons will have nothing to do with them being unhappy with your membership.”“You need to give people enough time to realize what they’re missing, to get past the issue that may have caused them to leave in the first place.” “As part of your win-back campaign, you should be asking outright – what would it take for you to return?” “At Membership Academy, we find that about 25% of members who leave come back.”

Your blog and your website host all of the content used in your marketing – so how do you join the dots between your blog and your membership?There are plenty of ways membership site owners can do this, but many don’t because they’ve heard bad advice from marketing ‘gurus’ or they’re worried about sounding salesy.The good news is there are direct and indirect ways of linking from your blog to your membership – and all of them are good, easy ideas to implement!So, listen in to this episode to learn why it’s so important to build that path from your blog to your membership and how you can do it – with examples from ourselves and our members at Membership Academy.Essential Learning Points:Why it’s so essential that you use your blog as a promotional channel for your membershipDirect and indirect approaches you can use to drive traffic your membership from your blogWhy you need to discount one particular piece of advice that some internet marketers swear byImportant Links & Mentions:How To Use Content Marketing To Sell Your Online MembershipMembership AcademyHow to Decide Which Content Should Be Free vs PaidHow to Generate Email Leads for Your Membership SiteFacebook Remarketing Strategies for Membership Websites Key Quotes:“Your blog is a primary place to promote your membership.” “Often all someone needs to be ready to buy is awareness that you have a solution to their problem.”“We get so many people clicking through from the CTA on our thank you page and we have so many members inside our community whose sales significantly increased once they added that CTA to their thank you pages as well.”“You need to make sure, if you’re getting people subscribing to your email list, that you have an initial series of emails that sells your membership.”

Despite my protests over the years, I’m ready to admit that there are a few instances where it is a good idea to use a closed door membership model.Some of them are very niche, some of them require a few “ifs” and asterisks, but they are entirely valid and are all better suited to a closed door model.This episode is well worth checking out if you’re just starting out or if you’re trying new things with your membership. It could make a foundational difference to the way you run your membership!Essential Learning Points:What the difference is between closed door and evergreen membership modelsThe six situations that suit a closed door membership model bestThe one universal truth that applies to every membership modelImportant Links & Mentions:5 Reasons Why I Dislike the Closed Door Membership Launch StrategyWhy You Should Run a Beta Test for Your Membership SiteCreating an MVP to Test and Validate Your Membership IdeaLean Live Launch strategyPromoting Your Membership Site with an Affiliate Program Key Quotes: “If your model uses cohorts – a set intake of students and schedule – then the closed door model is essential.” “If you’ve been running your membership for a year or two and you know that there is a clearly-defined off-season period – where demand subsides and sales drop – then you might be better served by taking sales and marketing out of the equation for that period.”“Whether you choose an evergreen model or the closed door approach, keep in mind that you still need to show up for your existing members.”

Community is often the heart of membership sites but working out the best way to introduce it to your membership isn’t as easy it might seem.Often, we see debates around how to host membership communities that end up focusing on quantity of engagement, rather than quality.Quantity isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not always what you’re actually aiming for.If you want to find the signal in the noise and determine the right community model for your membership site, you’re going to need to dig a little deeper into your purpose, your membership structure, and the goals your audience have.This episode of The Membership Guys podcast will help you do that digging!Essential Learning Points:What the Signal vs Noise ratio is in communities and why understanding the differentiation is importantWhy understanding your membership and its purpose is key to deciding the role your community should playWhat we have learned (and are still learning) about our own experiments with forums and Facebook groupsImportant Links & Mentions:Should I use a Forum or Facebook Group for my community?Do You REALLY Need to Add a Community to Your Membership?How to Add an Online Forum to your Membership WebsiteMembership Mastermind from The Membership GuysKey Quotes:“It is crucial to understand that activity and engagement are not the same thing.”“The importance of your signal to noise ratio will depend on how important community is to your membership.”“We’ve clearly defined the role of the forum and the Facebook group, and how the two connect. Because of that, we’re not experiencing any problems.” “The type of role that your community plays is entirely up to you and it’s going to be dependent on what you know will work best for your audience.”

Member retention is critical to the long-term success of your membership website.It costs 7-10 times more on average to win a new member than it does to hold on to an existing one; and if you’re losing more members than you bring in then your business won’t last long!In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, we’re giving you 21 quick tips for improvements you can make to your membership strategy in order to improve your member retention.

Every industry, topic and niche has its fair share of jargon.And memberships are no different.There’s already so much to juggle as a membership site owner, so the last thing you want to have to worry about is needing to wrap your head around all of the lingo!So to make it easier for you, we’ve rounded up the 9 key terms and phrases you need to know if you run a membership.

Facebook remarketing is one of the most exciting developments in online advertising in recent years. Now, instead of being limited to picking demographics and targeting options that we think relate to our target audience; we can actually leverage actual user behaviour to determine which ads they are shown.This enables us to show the right message to the right person at the right time, which dramatically improves the effectiveness of our Facebook ads.When it comes to membership sites, there are 6 key ways in which you can really leverage Facebook remarketing - and I'm sharing them all in this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast

Running a membership site is a juggling act. There’s a seemingly never-ending list of things to keep on top of; and with much of the focus revolving around things like producing content and marketing to bring in new members it’s easy to see why some of the basics get missed. However it’s often the relatively minor day to day activities that have the real impact on how successful a membership site is. In this episode I discuss 4 such activities you should make sure you’re doing each and every day in your membership

Social proof is a powerful, persuasive factor when it comes to making buying decisions. If we see others behaving in a particular way, buying a product or, say, joining a membership site; then we're far more inclined to follow suit. More and more, customers are basing their buying decisions on what other people recommend, rather than promotions, discounts and other sales tactics. In this episode, I share 7 ways that you can add social proof to your membership sales page.

Memberships are a marathon, not a sprint. Unlike other products where the sale is the end of the journey, with memberships it’s just the beginning. That “journey” – the Member Lifecycle – typically breaks down into 5 key stages: acquisition, onboarding, engagement, retention and reactivation. In this episode, we’re looking at each of these 5 stages and what they mean for you as a membership website owner.

Choosing the right membership plugin is a task that’s easier said than done. The fact that it can be a bit of a nightmare switching plugins after your membership has opened its doors is something which makes your decision even more important. There is no “one size fits all” best membership plugin for every situation, and so the process of deciding which to go with involves identifying your specific needs and then narrowing down the options; however making the final choice often requires you to dive deeper. To help you be sure you’re making the right choice, here are 8 questions you should ask before you purchase your membership plugin.    

Email automation can massively power up the marketing and operation of your membership site; enabling you to trigger various different actions and email sequences according to how your audience and your members behave. In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I identify the 4 essential email automations that every membership website should have in place.

Live content is a great way of delivering ongoing value to your membership without the level of upfront work and other hassles that typically go into producing courses, tutorials or other types of “pre-made” content. However including this type of content in your membership does add a new wrinkle to worry about – member attendance. If the turnout for your live membership calls is low, this can directly affect the quality of what you’re producing; not to mention being demoralizing to you and possibly even be discouraging for other members who may interpret poor attendance as a sign of a disengaged community. In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I share 9 ways that you can increase live call attendance

People join your membership because they have a goal they want to achieve; an outcome they want to realise – and it’s your content that’s going to get them there. But with so many plates to spin running a membership website, it’s easy to settle for “good enough” when it comes to creating that content. In this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, I discuss why it’s important to focus on improving your content, and give you some examples and steps to start this process within your own membership.

In the early days of running your membership, you’ll find yourself preoccupied with the day to day, short-term stuff. How many new members did we get this week? Have we had any cancellations? Do I have enough time to get this new piece of content out to members? However once things have settled and stabilised then it’s time to think bigger in terms of how you’re going to scale and grow your membership over the long term. When that time inevitably arrives, there are 6 key areas you’ll need to focus on. Listen to this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast to discover what they are...

When it comes to offering trials of your membership site or online product, opinions tend to be divided between those who consider it a smart strategy and those who believe you shouldn’t give anything away, no matter what. We’re big fans of utilising trial periods as part of your pricing strategy; however we recognise that they’re not something which will necessarily be right for everyone. If you’re still on the fence, this episode of The Membership Guys Podcast provides some food for thought to help you determine whether to implement trials into your own strategy.

Most membership sites include some form of premium content locked away behind a paywall.But locking your membership content down is a double-edged sword.You could have the most incredible content in the world, but if the only people who know about it are your paying members then you’re missing on an opportunity to get so much more bang for your buck.So before you hit ‘publish’ on your next piece of membership content, try implementing the 7 tactics from this episode.

Your sales funnel is a key part of attracting new members to your community; and so it's no surprise that some membership owners have a constant itch to tweak and tinker with every little detail.Knowing when to adjust your sales funnel is an imprecise art, but people often fall foul to making changes too often.In this episode, I discuss how often you should be adjusting your sales funnel, how you can avoid the constant urge to make changes, and why making constant tweaks can actually hurt your business.Essential Learning Points:Why you should adjust your sales funnel once a quarter (at most)Why data, not desire, should lead your decision-making if you do make adjustmentsHow overanalyzing paralyzes the effectiveness of your sales funnelImportant Links & Mentions:Membership AcademyHow to Generate New Ideas for Membership Content Tools for Creating Your Membership Sales FunnelGuide to Choosing a Membership Plugin 5 Things That Have Moved the Needle For Us (And a Few That Didn’t) 4 Must-Have Email Automation Sequences For Your Membership SiteKey Quotes:“You should be stepping away and letting your automations do their thing.”“Unless you’re getting masses of traffic, testing and tweaking the real small stuff is pointless.”“It’s very possible to over-engineer, overthink, and self-sabotage by constantly chasing that mythical perfect sales funnel or constantly messing around with all the pieces of the puzzle.”

One of the strongest ways you can grow your membership at speed is to start a joint venture promotion.First of all, you may be asking what exactly a joint venture promotion is… Put simply, it’s working with someone who has a sizeable audience who you want to speak to in exchange for commission or some other value exchange.Now that we’ve got that cleared up – do you want to know how you can use joint venture promotions to boost your membership sign-up rates?Well, that’ll take a while to write out. Why not listen to this episode to find out instead?Essential Learning Points:The different ways you can grow your membership numbersWhy contributing guest content to partners’ sites is a great starting pointHow to step up your joint venture promotions with affiliate programsWhy the cost of affiliate programs is worth it for the value they provideHow to perfect your joint venture promotion strategy and where to go for more information Important Links & Mentions:Membership AcademyLead Generation Essentials for Membership Site OwnersPromoting Your Membership Site with an Affiliate ProgramHow Much Should I Charge For My Membership Website?Utilizing Guest Experts for your Membership Content Key Quotes:“You have to think about whether you want to offer a one-off commission or commission on the recurring element of the payment. This depends on how much you’re charging and your profit margin.”“You will not be able to reach the number of people a joint venture partner can get you if you instead choose to spend their commission fees on standard marketing.”“Make sure that any leads opting-in to your email list from your co-promotion have a short funnel before they can be turned into sales… Your joint venture partner isn’t going to want to wait 60 or 90 days!”

Content marketing is the most valuable strategy a membership site owner can deploy. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again and again and again!But having a blog or a podcast isn’t enough – not for the most successful membership sites, at least. To really ramp up your content marketing to the top tier, there are certain approaches you might want to consider that will help you create a killer content marketing strategy.In this episode, you can discover six of the ways you can give your content marketing strategy an extra boost and start recruiting more members with the power of free content.Essential Learning Points:Why content marketing is so effective for promoting your membership siteSix genius ways to create a killer content marketing strategyWhere you can go to talk to other membership site owners to perfect your marketing Important Links & Mentions:Creating Compelling Courses with Janelle AllenHow to Tap Into Your Existing Members to Create Social ProofShould Membership Trial Periods be Free or Paid?Membership Mastermind Facebook groupMembership Academy Key Quotes:“If you can prove to people that you can solve their small problems, they’re going to trust you to solve their larger problems.”“Your community is such a powerful aspect of your membership, so why not shine a spotlight on those people?”“Make people aware of the divide between free and paid content and value in the latter.”

Whether you’re at the start of your journey to running your own membership website or a seasoned pro, there are some universal truths of this world that we all need reminding of every now and again.The Membership Guys and our podcast exist to make running a membership easier, more accessible, and less stressful. These 8 must-know facts are the cornerstone of running a happy, successful membership.So, wherever you are in your membership site journey, these tips will either be revelatory moments or timely reminders of the core tenets of your chosen path.Essential Learning Points:Why new and established membership site owners alike can benefit from these ideasThe 8 truths of being a membership site owner – from compromise to cancellationsWhere you can go for more help, advice, and guidanceImportant Links & Mentions:Key Things to Consider When Preparing Content for your Membership LaunchHow to Choose a Membership PluginThe Membership AcademyWhere to Find Reliable Tech Support for your Membership SiteWhat Should Be Your Membership Refund Policy?Key Quotes:“If you’re not technically inclined, it’s very much worth investing in somebody to help you with that side.”“You need to be in this for the long-haul.”“When people join your membership, they have some degree of expectation that they’ll get access to you.”

Most memberships are based on the owner’s expertise and knowledge, so why would you start giving it away for free?It may feel counter-intuitive, but content marketing has proven time and time again to be a hugely successful way of growing memberships.The fear of free content is one of the most common topics in The Membership Academy, so I’ve brought together the three reasons why you really don’t need to worry about sharing free content and why, in fact, it is likely to help your membership grow.If you want to face your fears and learn to embrace free content as part of your marketing strategy, this episode will do the job.Essential Learning Points:Where the value of your membership truly liesHow you are always in control of your content and how you share itWhy human nature is going to stop most people from abusing your free content Important Links & Mentions:The Membership AcademyPeople Come For Content And Stay For CommunityWhy Your Membership Website NEEDS More Than Just ContentHow to Decide Which Content Should Be Free vs Paid. Key Quotes:“Nobody joins a membership because you have the most stuff. They join memberships because they want solutions to their problems.”“You can control the depth of your free content.”“The best memberships offer so much more than what’s in their content library.”

Consistently producing valuable, relevant content for your membership is not easy work. If you’re feeling stuck for inspiration or ideas at the moment, I might be able to help!In this episode, I go through 5 of the best ways you can find ideas and inspiration for your membership site.They’re all different in their ways, but there is an overarching principle to them all – and that’s that we need to listen. Stepping back and taking the time to observe and reflect can really change things for the better.So, take a break now – step back from what you’re doing and reflect on this episode of The Membership Guys podcast. Who knows what ideas you’ll end up with?Essential Learning Points:Why listening is one of the most underrated skills and will reveal a lot to youHow to maximize your email list to generate ideas and right wrongdoingsWhat you can learn from other membership sites to create better content for your ownImportant Links & Mentions: 11 Ways Membership Site Owners Can Leverage Social Media Groups 4 must-have email automation sequences for your membership siteThe Membership AcademyMembership Mastermind from The Membership GuysKey Quotes:“Just listening, observing, and paying attention to the recurring questions and challenges people discuss is worth its weight in gold.”“So often, as business owners, we overcomplicate things. We overstuff things. We keep selling beyond the sell. We try and pack in 5 or 6 objectives into a single email.”“It’s really easy as a membership owner to become detached from the experience of being a member or student.”

When people want to learn something or make progress, they look for the experts. As a membership site owner, you want to make sure that means they’re looking for you.In the competitive world of online membership sites, being good isn’t enough – you need to be able to prove it and show up as the expert wherever you can.How do you do that?Well, the very first step is to listen to this episode of The Membership Guys podcast! I go through 10 different ideas you can follow to make your authority as an expert in your field abundantly clear to your prospective members.Essential Learning Points:Why you need to be clear on what you do before it’s clear to anyone else10 ways you can become the go-to person in your industry, including: creating a signature product, leveraging social proof, and deciding the role you playExamples of these ideas in action, to prove how well these ideas work! Important Links & Mentions:Why Membership Site Owners Need to Niche Down (And STAY Niched)Smart Passive IncomeFemale Entrepreneur Association12 Types of Content To Include In Your Membership SiteSocial Media ExaminerOnline Membership Industry ReportThe Membership Guys booksGrant Baldwin on Growing Your Membership with Public Speaking Promoting Your Membership Site with an Affiliate Program Key Quotes:“You need to make sure that you’re taking steps to position yourself as the go-to person in your industry.”“If you’re not clear on what your niche is or what your role is, what your message and mission are, then how are your audience supposed to know that you are the right person to help them?”“The online world affords you so many opportunities to have a voice, a platform, to showcase your expertise.”

Have you ever dealt with a hit and run member? If you’re not sure what one is – lucky you! These are the members who sign up, download everything, and dash back out the door before your beautifully crafted welcome email has settled in their inbox.Hit and run members abuse your trust and are generally bad apples. They’re rightly a concern for membership providers, but what can you do to stop them? And, are they even worth worrying about?In this From the Vault episode, I share some of the best ways you can prevent hit and run members, dive into whether they’re a genuine concern for most membership providers, and why you can’t let your fears take your eyes off the prize.Essential Learning Points:If someone wants to access your content and circumvent your membership badly enough, they will always find a wayWhy putting up a few simple barriers won’t cut itFour ways you can prevent hit and run members, which double up to add value to your genuine membersWhy you shouldn’t let one bad apple spoil the bunch – and why you should spend more time making your membership great, not protectedImportant Links & Mentions:Membership AcademyShould You “Drip Feed” Your Membership Content?Chris Ducker on Running Live Events to Grow Your MembershipHow to Use Live Video to Market Your Membership with Luria Petrucci 5 Ways Membership Site Owners Can Capitalize on Facebook Live7 Types of Members That Every Membership Site Has12 Types of Content To Include In Your Membership SiteKey quotes:“If Hollywood movie studios haven't found a way of stopping people from getting their stuff for free, then what chance do you and I stand?”“If you're just repeating content because you're worried that people can access everything – that, to me, isn't a good enough reason to delay the delivery of value to your members.”“It would be absolutely crazy to prioritize locking people out over providing a positive member experience for the good portion of your membership base.”

Having a niche is good. Scratch that. It’s essential. Finding your niche, owning it, and staying there is one of the surest ways you will find success in running your membership.If you want to niche down and dominate your market, there are three ways to do it – we reveal how in this episode of the podcast from our ‘From the Vault’ series!Essential Learning Points:The advantages of being a specialist at something, rather than a generalistThree key areas you must analyze if you want to find your nicheHow a niche can strengthen what you’re selling, not weaken itHow niching down can make running your membership easier for you and more valuable for your members Key Quotes:“Solving a specific problem is essential. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you can’t just blend in with the crowd. You need to have a speciality.”“Fandom comes from resonance. But, it’s harder to connect and resonate with your audience when you’re trying to be all things to all people.”Important Links & Mentions:Our Membership Mastermind Facebook groupMembership AcademyBehind the Membership and Member MachineKevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans essay

Can you start a membership before you’ve grown your audience? It might sound tricky, but there are some sure-fire ways you can get started. Whether you’re right at the start and haven’t told a single soul about your membership or you’re partway there with a small audience, there are ways you can grow your membership right now and get on the path to having a successful business. Every successful membership has its own unique story of how it got member number one (and all the others after them!). These are five ways you can get to that stage. Essential Learning Points: Validate that your audience exists – you need to have more than just a hunch, find proof that your audience is out there and that they want your solution Build, borrow, or buy an audience – there are three ways to grow your audience from scratch Sell a big-ticket product before your membership – give people a one-off product that requires less commitment but proves your value A soft launch is still a launch – don’t be afraid to start small and quietly Offering your membership for free isn’t a sin – but there are some important caveats to be aware of Key Quotes: “There’s a big difference between having your own audience and having a market. You don’t necessarily have your own portion of the market, but there needs to be a market actually there.” “Having a small intimate coaching program is perfectly suited to having a smaller following and a smaller audience.” Important Links & Mentions: How to Generate Email Leads for Your Membership Site 12 Types of Content To Include In Your Membership Site How to Attract New Members by Running a Free Challenge Promoting Your Membership Site with an Affiliate Program Lead Generation Essentials for Membership Site Owners Creating an MVP to Test and Validate Your Membership Idea How to Use Upsells to Generate More Revenue from Your Membership Site The Membership Academy Facebook Pixel guide Google Ads guide

Pinterest, it’s for wedding planning and redecorating inspiration, right?Or is it a platform with over 300 million users that some businesses are generating 200% ROI from?Clearly, it’s time for a rethink on Pinterest!That’s why I asked Cara Chace to join me on this episode of The Membership Guys podcast. Cara is one of the best in the business of Pinterest marketing – and she runs her own membership, so she’s even more clued up about how we membership site owners can get the most out of this underutilized platform!If you want to know how to start marketing your membership on Pinterest, Cara is the only person you want to hear from. My conversation with Cara on this episode has given me so many ideas and lightbulb moments and I’m already starting to implement them on Pinterest. I’ve no doubt you’ll find it just as useful, so sit back and enjoy… Just remember to take notes!Essential Learning Points:Who Cara is, what she does, and her expertise in PinterestThe basics of PinterestWhat best practice on Pinterest looks likeWhat you want to avoid doing on PinterestHow to advertise on PinterestHow to develop a Pinterest marketing strategy for your membership Important Links & Mentions:Pinterest PowerUpChace DigitalCara’s PinterestCara’s InstagramCara’s FacebookCara’s LinkedIn9 Simple Membership Marketing Tactics That’ll Get You More Members How to Generate Email Leads for Your Membership SiteHow to Decide Which Content Should Be Free vs Paid Key Quotes:“The fundamental thing that you have to understand is that it is not social media. It is a visual search engine. It has much more in common with Google than it does Facebook or Twitter.”“People go to Pinterest to get inspired, to learn, to solve a problem.”“Pinterest boards are so important that Google indexes them!”“It’s not about creating more content, it’s about creating more pins for the content you have.”

Some memberships need great video content. Others need a complex email campaign. Some need entirely unique elements.All memberships need a website.So how do you go about it? Do you hire in a professional or do you do it yourself?It’s one of the biggest questions you can ask as you launch your membership, so I got together with two of the finest web designers I know to dive into the best approach for membership owners.Martin and Lyndsay, owners of Jammy Digital and Make Your Mark Online, are web design experts and join me on this episode of The Membership Guys podcast to give some advice you might not be expecting…Essential Learning Points:Why it’s often better to make your own websiteWhen it’s better to hire a professionalHow to hire the right web designerWhat the right web designer looks likeOur own experiences where DIY websites helped our businesses grow and paying a designer would have hampered us Important Links & Mentions:Jammy DigitalMake Your Mark OnlineThe Membership Academy – where you can access our membership site theme, MemberoniWhy Membership Site Owners Need to Niche Down (And STAY Niched)Membership Mastermind from The Membership Guys (Facebook group) Key Quotes:“Unless you’re at a certain point financially and in terms of your understanding of your business, it’s not worth paying a web designer.”“It’s rare that we find a web designer who charges a small amount and can do a good job.”“Some people say they’ve taken 12 or 18 months trying to get their website done and it’s a complete waste of time, because they’ve not been bringing money in.”“You don’t want to be investing cash unnecessarily without making it first.”

In today’s digital-driven society, it often feels like you can’t go far without bumping into a self-proclaimed social media ‘expert’. So, when you encounter someone who everyone else calls an expert, who speaks with a quiet assuredness and conspicuous lack of arrogance, it’s a refreshing surprise.It’s my absolute pleasure and honor to have Gavin Bell on The Membership Guys podcast. Gavin is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and one of the UK’s leading Facebook advertising consultants.In this episode, Gavin and I discuss the most effective ways membership providers can use Facebook advertising, how to work out a sensible budget and achieve a healthy ROI, common mistakes and best practice, and so much more.This episode is chock-full of amazing advice for entrepreneurs and membership providers – I can’t think of any other way you could get more valuable information on Facebook ads in this amount of time.Essential Learning Points:The dos and don’ts of running Facebook ads for membershipsCommon mistakes in Facebook ads and best practice to followHow to calculate appropriate ad budgets based on the value of new membersWhy ads are only one part of a much bigger pictureKey Quotes from Gavin:“Good advertising is getting harder, which means we need to work harder and better.”“When it comes to running a proper Facebook ad campaign, as opposed to randomly boosting posts, we want to set it up in a way that is going to hopefully run forever.”“If you have a website with an audience already, the first thing to do would be to create a retargeting ad. If you’re someone without an audience, your first step is to try and build an audience through ads.”Important Links & Mentions:Gavin’s websiteMembership Academy9 Simple Membership Marketing Tactics That’ll Get You More Members Should I offer a trial for my membership site?

Build it and they will come.While that approach may have worked for Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams; it most certainly does not apply to launching a successful membership website.Time and time again we see cases where people are so entrenched in the process of building their membership site that they haven’t even begun to think about how to get it off the ground.In this episode I share 5 launch strategies that are straightforward but effective, and can easily be combined with your existing launch plans to make sure your membership site gets off to a good start.

Launching a membership site is an exciting but nerve wracking time.You've probably put your blood, sweat and tears into creating this site, no doubt losing some sleep along the way.But when the time comes to actually open the doors, we can often find ourselves hesitating.What if it all goes wrong?Running a beta test can be a great way of assuaging this fear, as well as ensuring that you launch the best possible version of your membership.In this episode, I share my top tips on running an effective beta test for your membership site.

We can all be overprotective of our content, especially when it comes to being open and allowing our competitors into our safe and secure membership site. I choose to have an open-minded attitude and assume the best in people. There are ways to make it work and even benefit from opening your doors and letting them in, while staying vigilant.Essential Learning Points:Learn what it is that makes you different from your competitorsFind out what to do if there’s a competitor in your communityLearn about the red flags that indicate suspicious behaviourListen to our crazy content theft storyImportant Links & Mentions: Episode 198 = What to do when someone steals your membership content: https://www.themembershipguys.com/membership-content-theft/Key Quotes:“It’s natural to be over-protective, but don’t get paranoid.”  “Always see the best in people! Don’t assume that people are joining with negative intentions.” “We know our real competitors won’t steal our content. They don’t need to because they’ve got their own experience, knowledge and expertise to draw on.”“We may be directly competitive, but there’s always a level of respect and professionalism where you would never dream of ripping each other off.” “Ultimately, if you have others in your industry doing good work, and if you can collaborate to do great things, then everyone wins.”

Do you know what people in your audience actually want from your membership?When planning your membership site, it’s easy to fall into the trap of building something that we think would be good, rather than something that’s based on research into what your audience really want (and need).In doing so, you risk spending hours creating content and investing in features, only to be left scratching your head when people simply don’t engage in the way you hope they will.Whether it’s your membership offering; your blog, podcast or video channel; or even just the updates you post on social media – discovering what people actually want and need is critical to connecting with your audience and driving them to action.In this episode, I discuss 4 ways to discover what your audience really want.

Your membership might be the best thing since sliced bread, but if you aren’t marketing it correctly, you aren’t going to be getting the sales you deserve. There are some simple steps you can take to get the most out of marketing, reach more people, and turn those on-the-fencers into fully-fledged members. In this episode, we run through 9 marketing tips that will help you go back to basics - and earn some serious growth in your memberships as a result. Essential Learning Points: You can make small, simple changes at each stage in your funnel that will produce more sales, more consistently If 9 tips sound like too many, take just 2: you need a strategy for cart abandonments and a strategy for thank you pages Show people what you’re selling and keep your email list engaged Go behind the scenes and use your content to give a real insight into your membership Use your content to shout out and speak to your members Use rewards and splinter products to get slow movers further along the funnel

So, 2019 is done and dusted. Hopefully it was a successful one for you and your membership. It was certainly a big one for us, with more highlights than you can shake a stick at - many of which you've heard us 'document' right here on The Membership Guys Podcast.And I know this is so cliche... but I swear the older I get, the faster each year seems to pass. I can't quite come to terms with the fact that tomorrow it'll be 2020.Instead of freaking out about that, we're wrapping up the year with what has become a bit of a tradition here at The Membership Guys - our end of year recap show where we look back at the top 10 most popular episodes of the podcast throughout the past 12 months.

Although every membership site is unique, you’ll usually discover that seven types of members keep showing up in every single one of them. While some of these will mimic your ‘ideal member,’ others will test your patience and frustrate you beyond belief. Whatever the case, you’re sure to recognize some (if not all) of these ‘member profiles’ within your membership site! Listen in to discover the seven types of members you will see in every membership site. Essential Learning Points: The seven member types you’ll find in every membership site Key traits of members who engage and contribute more than others Why some members seem to just disappear from your membership A few unfortunate characteristics of members who are most likely to frustrate you Key Quotes: “The ‘Average Joes’ are the people who make up the majority of your member base. They're awesome. We love them. They are the lifeblood of our membership.” “The Power User are the one percent. These types of members are awesome because they contribute so much inside the community. They instigate discussions, they proactively help other members and they seek out opportunities to be of service in your membership.” Thank You For Listening We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. We would also be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in Apple Podcasts. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Are you thinking about charging a joining fee for your membership? A joining fee is an arbitrary fee that new members pay on top of their first monthly payment. If you ask me, I think that joining fees are unnecessary and there’s often no real justification for it. However, there are situations when a joining fee may be necessary. If you’re considering having a joining fee for your membership, make sure you listen to this episode of the podcast or read the blog post, where I dive into the topic of joining fees and explain everything you need to know about them. Essential Learning Points: Why joining fees are usually nothing more than unjustified arbitrary fees The hard truth that if someone is charging joining fees, they may not have their member’s best interests at heart How to control your members access to your back catalog of content Legitimate reasons when a joining fee may be appropriate Key Quotes: “They've realized that no one is staying in the membership for more than two or three months. Instead of addressing the real problem…they just charge a joining fee instead to make more money from you.” “It's very rare that you get an incredible membership that is very ethically run where the content is amazing, the customer service is phenomenal and that also has a joining fee.” Thank You For Listening We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. We would also be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in Apple Podcasts. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts to make sure that you never miss an episode.

You know your membership is going through a downturn when you notice a reduction in sales, fewer member signups and a potential slowdown to your overall growth rate.When your membership experiences a downturn, it can be pretty nerve-wrecking as thoughts of its impending doom race through your mind. But, before you jump to conclusions, you need to take some time to analyse the situation and come up with ways to turn things around.In this episode of the podcast, I talk about how you can deal with a downturn in your membership so that it’ll survive for many more years to come.Episode Summary:How to assess the severity of your membership’s downturnWhy it’s so important to have context and account for every possible factor as to why your membership is experiencing a downturnHow changes you made to your membership months ago can impact it todayHow to find the root cause of the current downturn in your membershipKey Quotes:“If you think your membership should be going up by 1000 new people every single month, you're just getting started and you have quite a small audience, those expectations might not be aligned with reality.”“You've got to be more analytical. You've got to back-up your interpretation of performance with some data and with some feedback.”

Is now a good time to have a membership site?On this special episode of the podcast, you’ll get to listen in to the opening keynote from our very first conference ‘Retain Live 2019.’ It was an incredible event with some phenomenal speakers gracing the stage eager to share their expertise and insights with the audience.The first keynote was delivered by myself (Mike Morrison) and Callie Willows, the other half of The Membership Guys. Our keynote explored the bigger picture of what is going on in the membership industry, what the future of the industry looks like and what people need to do to prepare for the months and years to come.So, if you missed the keynote the first time around, you’re in luck!Episode Summary:Positive and negative implications from the way the membership industry is goingHow to handle the increased competition for your members’ time and attentionHow to make sure your members don’t cut you from their monthly expenses as a result of subscription fatigueWhy regulation is so important in the membership site industryThe death of SEO and how this will impact membershipsHow to build your members trust in you and your membershipKey Quotes:“Memberships, at the core of their essence, are simply value exchanges. You want people to pay you on an ongoing basis, you need to deliver value on an ongoing basis.”“Third Party links to other websites are being squeezed out. Google is no longer somewhere that gives you a recommendation of the best websites to get your answer. It’s now the place that wants to give you the answer themselves.”“Even the smallest personal touch that you can make, makes a big impression…there's lots of different ways you can do this from personal videos to welcome packs to handwritten cards, are all different ways you can add a personal touch to your membership without actually needing to kind of take a lot of extra time or money to do so.”

Have you lost interest in your membership?When you first launched your membership, you were probably bursting with excitement and enthusiasm. But, over time those positive feelings you associated with your membership faded and now you can’t remember why you ever got into this in the first place, am I right?If you have a lack of interest and enthusiasm for your membership site, it’s time to make a change. Your first instinct shouldn’t be to quit. You should want to try and reignite the spark and passion that inspired you to launch your membership in the first place! In this episode, I share some tips to help you fall back in love with your membership.Essential Learning Points:How to know if your membership idea is something you can pursue long-termWhy it’s important to identify the real reason why you’ve lost interest in your membershipThe benefits of trying new things in your membershipWhy you should take a break from your membership when you need toWhat a ‘happy folder’ is and why you need to create oneWhy you should spend more time with your members to help reaffirm your passion for your membership Key Quotes:“Consider looking into ways in which you can do other activities that stoke your interest in the topic that is at the heart of your membership.”“Most people don't start membership sites because they're really enthusiastic about membership sites as a business model. They start because they're really passionate about a topic that they have knowledge, experience and expertise in.”“Getting away from things, taking a break and disconnecting from the responsibilities of running a membership, even just for a few days, could be all it takes to free up your bandwidth, to give you a bit of clarity and give you the rest that you need in order to come back reinvigorated and get over a little bit of a mental slump.” Important Links & Mentions:Episode 76 https://www.themembershipguys.com/time-away/

A waitlist is a dedicated email list that people subscribe to in order to receive updates about a membership that you are going to launch in the future.We are big believers in setting up a waitlist for your membership. But once you have it organized you have to keep everyone engaged until your launch date.In this episode, we share lots of ways you can keep your waitlist interested and engaged with you so that once you launch, they can’t wait to get on board and consume the content you have on offer.Essential Learning Points:Build your knowledge and content base through research and surveysWhy feedback and input from your list will benefit everyoneHow closed-door membership sites can also engage with a waitlist Key Quotes“Setting up a waitlist is the first thing you should do when you are creating your first membership site.”“A substantial amount of your initial subscribers when you open will come from this waitlist.”“By having input, ownership, and influence over the content in your membership site, your waitlist subscribers will be far more likely to want to join.”

Payment disputes are a reality of running any business, including membership sites. Luckily, they don’t happen often. But when they do, they take valuable time away from your business and revenue generating activities. Since the beginning of the Membership Guys Academy site, we have had over 6,000 members and only 20 payment disputes. We have learnt a few things about this issue along the way. Have a listen to find out what to do when they happen to you, and ways in which you can minimize the risk of them happening again in the future.Essential Learning Points:The typical payment dispute processThings to consider when a dispute is illegitimateWays to minimize the risk of payment disputes from happeningKey Quotes“Having a refund period that is fair is a good way of reducing the number of disputes that are filed against you.”“Even if you can prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that someone is filing a totally spurious payment dispute, a nonsense dispute, and even if the payment provider believes you, they won’t always side with you. ““You won’t be able to escape the possibility of getting rid of a complaint completely, but you can minimize the likelihood of it happening.”