Repurposing your YouTube content allows you to maximize its reach and impact across different platforms. Here are 10 ways to repurpose your YouTube videos to market your membership website:
YouTube is one of the most effective platforms for attracting, engaging, and converting potential members to your membership website. With billions of users and an ever-growing appetite for video content, leveraging YouTube can help you build brand authority, drive traffic, and grow your membership.
The principles of promoting a membership website haven’t changed much over the years. It requires innovative strategies that attract and retain paying members. What does change are the tools and tactics. In this article, we’ll talk about how to leverage the latest cutting-edge tools and trends to maximize visibility and engagement in 2025.
AI Tools in some ways are nothing new. Much of the marketing software that has been available for several years could be considered AI. But in the last couple of years, AI tools have come to mean something more useful and elaborate, especially when it comes to marketing.
As a membership website owner, you probably already spend a lot of time on marketing, so you know how important it is to a thriving business. Consistently getting new members to join your website is the most important mission you have, apart from consistently providing value to current members. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help. By using AI’s capabilities, you can create personalized experiences, fine-tune your marketing, and keep your website fresh and engaging. Here are 3 smart ways to harness the power of AI to keep your business growing.
Speak Directly to Your Visitor with Personalized Marketing
Everyone responds better to a personalized communication than a generic one. AI can look at data from social media, website activity, and even search habits to create tailored marketing messages. When your messages feel personal, people are more likely to pay attention and consider joining.
AI Tools: Facebook or Google ad campaign account, AdRoll to retarget ads based on user interactions with your website, Mailchimp to create personalized email campaigns, Google Analytics to track website visits.
Example: Dynamic advertising tools can be used to recommend your membership site to people based on their browsing history or preferences. For instance, if someone recently searched for "online fitness programs," an AI tool like AdRoll or Facebook retargeting ads could identify this and display an ad for your fitness-related membership site, highlighting its most relevant features. If the person seeing the ad clicks on it and ends up contacting you or signing up for something on your website, you can use the same information to target relevant emails to them. Google Analytics can track the process and record the conversion as well.
Find the Right Audience with Predictive Analytics
AI can help you figure out who is most likely to become a member by analyzing patterns in user behavior. This means you can focus on the people who are most interested in what you offer. AI-driven customer relationship management (CRM) tools can help you create targeted campaigns that really resonate.
Tools:Mailchimp for personalized email campaigns and audience segmentation, HubSpot CRM to identify the leads most likely to convert based on behaviour, Google Analytics to track user behaviour and identify engagement patterns, Pipedrive CRM.
Example: Customer relationship management tools like Pipedrive use AI to help you understand what your website visitors are doing and how you can use that information. It can grade leads by which are more likely to convert, and allow you to send personalized email campaigns and follow-ups.
For instance, someone who visits your pricing page multiple times and opens every email you send may be more likely to join your site. These tools can also remind you to follow up with leads at the right time, such as after they’ve completed your free trial but haven’t subscribed yet.
Let’s say you’re a nutrition membership website. AI tools can tell you if visitors are engaging with your website in the morning, in which case you could offer a “daily breakfast menu” to entice these potential members.
Turn Visitors Into Members with Chatbots
AI chatbots can answer questions, guide visitors through your site, and even help them sign up—all in real time. This instant interaction can make a big difference, especially if you have your chatbot offer free resources, like eBooks or webinars, to showcase the value of your membership.
Tools:There are multiple chatbots available, and most are easy to implement on your SubHub website. Simply add the provided embed code to your site and watch the magic happen! Popular chatbots are Intercom, Tidio, Drift, and ManyChat.
Example: Chatbots are smarter than you think. They can actually do a lot more than just tell your visitor to leave an email address and someone will get back to them. For instance, let’s say your membership website sells professional development courses. When a visitor lands on your site, a chatbot can ask a short series of questions. Based on the answers, the bot can direct your visitor to a particular article, course, or webinar. They can also handle common questions in real time. For instance, a visitor might ask “What’s included in the membership?”, “Can I cancel anytime?”, or “Do you offer discounts?” Your chatbot can provide instant, consistent answers, improving user experience and reducing bounce rates.
There you have it—three powerful ways to harness AI to attract and convert visitors into members, plus strategies to keep them engaged and coming back. No tool is foolproof, and AI doesn’t replace your expertise. But it can help you unlock your website’s full potential, making it more efficient and engaging at the same time. Start small, experiment with tools, and see how AI can elevate your membership website.
BONUS CONTENT: Quick Video - How to Install Tidio Chatbot into Your SubHub Website
Running a membership website is rewarding, but it can be a lot to manage—especially when it comes to keeping your members engaged and organized. That’s where Mailchimp’s automated workflows come in. Think of them as your behind-the-scenes assistant, handling communication so you can focus on growing your community.
Let’s explore how Mailchimp automation works and how you can use it to streamline tasks like welcoming new members, managing cancellations, and sending renewal reminders.
What Are Mailchimp Automation Workflows?
Mailchimp’s automated workflows are like pre-programmed email sequences that respond to specific triggers. For example, when a new member signs up, an automated workflow can send a series of emails to welcome them and show them the ropes.
The best part? It all happens automatically. No more manually sending emails or keeping track of everyone’s status. Mailchimp ensures your members get the right message at the right time, making your life a lot easier.
Why Automation Matters for Membership Websites
Membership websites thrive on connection, but managing communication can be time-consuming. Automation lets you handle these tasks effortlessly:
Welcome new members with personalized emails.
Gently nudge members to renew their subscriptions.
Remove canceled members from your mailing list without awkward manual updates.
With workflows in place, you can focus less on logistics and more on creating an amazing experience for your members.
How Membership Websites Can Use Mailchimp Automation Workflows
Here are five ways you can use Mailchimp’s automation features to make your membership website run more smoothly:
1. Roll Out the Welcome Mat
First impressions count, and a thoughtful welcome series can set the tone for your members’ entire experience.
How it works:
Trigger: A new member joins your site.
What happens next:
Email 1: A warm welcome with an overview of your community and resources.
Email 2 (a few days later): Tips on getting the most out of their membership.
Email 3 (a week later): An invitation to an upcoming event or feature spotlight.
This series helps members feel at home and excited about their decision to join.
2. Handle Cancellations Smoothly
Cancellations are part of running a membership site, but they don’t have to create extra work. Mailchimp can automatically unsubscribe members who cancel, keeping your mailing list up-to-date and avoiding awkward follow-ups.
How it works:
Trigger: Your membership platform (via an integration like Zapier) notifies Mailchimp of a cancellation.
What happens next:
The member is automatically unsubscribed or moved to an inactive list.
If the unsubscribed member has been moved to another list, you can send a polite goodbye email thanking them for their time and inviting them back anytime. (List members have to be “subscribed” to received list emails.)
3. Send Friendly Renewal Reminders
Keeping members engaged is key to reducing churn. A well-timed reminder can make all the difference when it’s time for them to renew.
How it works:
Trigger: A member’s subscription is about to expire.
What happens next:
30 days before expiration: Send a friendly nudge with a renewal link.
15 days before expiration: Highlight the value of their membership and what they’ll miss out on if they don’t renew.
5 days before expiration: Create urgency with a final reminder—perhaps offering a special discount.
This automated workflow ensures your members don’t miss their renewal window, helping you maintain a steady membership base. This functionality is available on some membership platforms, including SubHub, but you can enhance it using Mailchimp.
Trigger: A member hits a milestone, like six months of active membership, or frequently engages with your content.
What happens next:
Send an email showcasing premium-tier benefits.
Include testimonials from happy premium members.
Offer a limited-time upgrade discount to create a sense of urgency.
This approach makes upgrading feel like an opportunity rather than a hard sell.
5. Keep Members in the Loop About Events
Hosting a webinar, meetup, or virtual event? Use Mailchimp to make sure everyone stays informed and excited.
How it works:
Trigger: A member registers for your event.
What happens next:
Email 1: Send a confirmation email with event details and a calendar link.
Email 2 (3 days before the event): Share a quick reminder to keep it top-of-mind.
Email 3 (1 hour before the event): Send a final reminder with the login link or instructions.
With automated reminders, your members are far less likely to forget or miss the event.
Getting Started with Mailchimp Automation Workflows
Here’s how to set up your workflows:
Connect Your Membership Platform: Tools like Zapier make it easy to sync data between your membership site and Mailchimp.
Use Tags and Segments to categorize your lists: Organize your email list by categories like active members, inactive members, or premium-tier subscribers with the Segments feature.
Optionally, you can use the tagging feature to tag certain members of your lists, then segment the tagged group.
Design Your Emails: Use Mailchimp’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor to set up the list or segment you want to mail to, and create a polished, on-brand email sequence.
Test Before Launching: Run a few test workflows to ensure everything works as expected.
The Bottom Line
Mailchimp automation is a game-changer for membership websites. It helps you build strong, meaningful connections with your members while saving time and simplifying operations. From welcoming new members to managing cancellations and renewals, automation keeps your community running smoothly.
Some membership platforms, including SubHub, are integrated with Mailchimp, making these types of workflows a breeze to set up. If you’re on a platform that isn’t directly integrated with Mailchimp, you can most likely use Zapier to create the connection and set up your triggers and actions.
Ready to level up your membership site? Open a free SubHub trial and dive into Mailchimp’s automated workflows.
Creating a successful membership website requires a fundamental change in thinking of how you view your content. It's not just a product but a strategic marketing tool. Content is no longer just something you sell. It is the foundation of your value proposition to attract, engage and retain your audience.
Free content can act as a magnet, drawing in potential members while demonstrating the expertise and benefits your membership website offers. Meanwhile, premium content serves as the hook, enticing users to transition from casual visitors to committed subscribers. By aligning your content with both marketing objectives and member needs, you can create an ecosystem that both drives growth and revenue.
5 Steps to transform your content into a powerful marketing tool:
1. Identify what content is valuable in your market
Identifying what content is valuable in your market is crucial for creating resources that resonate with your audience and drive engagement. Start by understanding your target market's needs and pain points. Analyse trends and competitor strategies to pinpoint gaps in existing offerings and uncover opportunities to stand out.
Focus on creating content that educates, entertains or inspires. By delivering high-value content, you can establish your authority, foster trust and position yourself as an indispensable resource in your market.
2. Treat free content as a customer acquisition tool
Free content is one of the most effective tools for customer acquisition, serving as the first touchpoint to attract and engage your target audience. By offering high-quality, relevant and accessible free content, you create opportunities to showcase your expertise, build trust and demonstrate the value your product. Free content can take many forms, such as blog posts, courses, events, digital downloads or webinars.
Free content acts as a gateway to your premium offerings, drawing in potential customers who appreciate the value you’ve already provided and are more likely to invest in your paid products or services. When strategically designed, free content acts as a lead generator moving prospects through your sales funnel and turning them into loyal members.
3. Change your perspective on “free” content
Free content should be viewed as a strategic tool to drive growth and conversions. Instead of lamenting the inability to charge for every piece of online content, you should embrace free offerings as a powerful means to attract a broader audience. Free content can serve as a gateway, showcasing the value and quality of your paid subscriptions while establishing trust and credibility with potential members. By offering high-quality free content, membership websites can drive traffic and convert visitors into paying subscribers. This approach not only widens the reach of your brand but also creates a pipeline for member growth and revenue.
4. Create targeted content for new members
Purposefully create relevant content that focuses on the needs of your audience. Targeted content for new members fosters engagement and builds trust. Tailored content makes new members feel valued and understood. It could take the form of beginner-friendly tutorials, curated guides or live Q&A sessions. By focusing on the specific needs of new members, you create an environment that encourages active participation and long-term commitment.
5. Build a pathway from free to paid content
Once you’ve attracted new users with free content, the next step is to guide them toward becoming paying members. This requires a strategic blend of education, trust-building, and targeted offers:
Teaser content: Allow free users to sample parts of premium content or offer a free trial with limited-time access.
Harness Social Media: Use platforms like TikTok and Instagram to amplify your content and connect with potential members. Share snippets of valuable insights, direct users to your website and build communities around your niche.
Invest in Analytics: Track user behavior on your site to understand what content resonates most. Use this data to refine your offerings and better address your audience's needs.
Focus on Community Building: Membership websites that foster a sense of community enjoy higher retention rates. Provide forums, live Q&A events, or exclusive webinars where members can engage with experts and peers.
Conclusion
By thinking of your content as your marketing and leveraging these strategies, you can create a thriving membership website. Success lies in understanding your audience, delivering unmatched value and nurturing a clear journey from free content to paid membership. With the right mindset and tools, your content can do more than inform - it can drive sustainable growth and profitability.
As a membership business owner, one of your greatest challenges is driving traffic to your site and converting visitors into paying members. There are two primary methods for attracting this traffic: paid advertising (buying traffic) and organic marketing. Both have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, and understanding these can help you decide which approach best suits your goals and budget.
Let’s break down the pros and cons of buying traffic through digital ads versus relying on organic methods for membership website owners.
Buying Traffic Through Digital Ads: Pros and Cons
Pros
Quick Results
One of the biggest benefits of digital ads is how fast they can bring traffic to your site. Platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads allow you to target your audience precisely and start seeing results almost immediately. This can be especially helpful if you're launching a new membership site and need to build awareness quickly.
Targeted Audience
Paid ads offer highly specific targeting options based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. You can focus your budget on reaching people who are most likely to be interested in your membership, which can lead to better conversions.
Scalable
If you find an ad campaign that works, you can increase your budget and scale up the results. The flexibility of adjusting ad spend based on performance allows you to control your investment and maximize returns.
Measurable Performance
Digital advertising platforms offer robust analytics tools that allow you to track your campaign’s performance in real-time. You can see how much you're spending, how many people are clicking on your ads, and how many of those clicks convert into memberships.
Cons
Cost
Buying traffic is an ongoing investment. The moment you stop paying for ads, your traffic dries up. This can be expensive, especially in competitive niches where the cost-per-click (CPC) can be high. For membership websites with a smaller budget, this approach can quickly become unsustainable.
Low Trust Perception
People often view ads with skepticism. Potential members might click on your ad, but that doesn’t mean they’re fully engaged or ready to commit. You may need to put in extra effort to build trust with leads who come through paid ads.
Short-Term Gains
While paid ads can drive traffic quickly, the results often don't last long. Unlike organic methods, which can create long-term value, the benefits of paid traffic only last as long as you keep paying for it.
Ad Fatigue
Users can get tired of seeing the same ads repeatedly, especially on social media platforms. This can lead to a decrease in engagement and effectiveness over time, requiring you to constantly update your ads.
Organic Marketing Methods: Pros and Cons
Pros
Cost-Effective
The biggest advantage of organic marketing is that it’s free (at least in terms of ad spend). By focusing on strategies like search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and social media engagement, you can build traffic without paying for each click or visit.
Builds Trust and Authority
Organic methods like blogging, podcasting, or creating helpful videos build your credibility over time. When potential members discover your site through valuable content, they are more likely to trust you and your expertise, making them more willing to commit to a membership.
Long-Term Results
Once you’ve built a solid foundation of organic traffic, the benefits last long-term. Content that ranks well in search engines or attracts regular social media engagement continues to bring traffic without requiring constant spending.
Better Engagement
Organic traffic often leads to better engagement because people who find your site through search or social media are actively looking for the kind of value your membership site offers. This can lead to higher-quality leads and more conversions.
Cons
Takes Time
One of the biggest drawbacks of organic marketing is that it can take a long time to see results. Building an audience through SEO, content marketing, and social media engagement can take months or even years, making this a slow strategy for new membership site owners.
Requires Consistent Effort
While organic traffic doesn’t require ad spend, it still requires a significant amount of time and effort. You’ll need to consistently create high-quality content, engage on social media, and optimize your site for search engines. Without this ongoing effort, your organic traffic can stagnate.
Difficult to Scale Quickly
Scaling organic traffic can be challenging. It’s a long-term strategy, and there are no shortcuts to rapid growth. Unlike paid ads, which can be scaled up by increasing the budget, organic methods take time to build momentum.
Less Control
With organic methods, there’s less control over who finds your site. You can’t target specific demographics as precisely as you can with paid ads. You’re also at the mercy of search engine algorithms and social media trends, which can change at any time and impact your visibility.
Which Strategy Should You Choose?
The decision between buying traffic through digital ads and using organic methods depends on your specific goals, timeline, and budget as a membership website owner.
If you need quick traffic and have the budget to invest, digital ads can help you jumpstart your membership growth. It’s a great option for driving immediate sign-ups, especially during a launch or special promotion.
If you’re focused on long-term growth and building a sustainable membership base, organic methods are a better choice. While slower to produce results, they build trust, authority, and lasting relationships with your audience.
In most cases, a combination of both approaches will yield the best results. Paid ads can provide immediate traffic while your organic efforts build a strong foundation for long-term success. By using both strategies, you can maximize your reach and keep your membership site growing steadily over time.
Final Thoughts
Both paid ads and organic methods have their pros and cons, and neither approach is inherently better than the other. By understanding your needs and resources, you can create a balanced strategy that brings in traffic, converts visitors into members, and sustains long-term growth for your membership website.
Hosting an online competition is a great way to enhance member engagement while also spreading awareness about your membership site. It's an effective strategy to create buzz and connect with both existing members and potential new subscribers.
Here are ten guidelines to help you run a successful online competition:
1. It's a numbers game
The whole point of most online competitions is to get as many people as possible to enter so you can get their email addresses. This means you should keep it simple and easy to participate.
2. If it needs instructions, your competition is too complicated
Your entrants should understand what they need to do to enter a competition without needing to read rules or instructions. Indeed, if the explanation about how to enter is more than one sentence it is too complicated.
3. Make it simple to join in
The easier it is for your customers to participate, the more entries you will get. Ideally, they should have to make one choice without having to leave the competition page to find the answer.
4. Make the competition fun
Your competitions should be fun, relevant and memorable. They are part of your brand voice and personality. So many online competitions are dull, unimaginative and dull.
5. You MUST get an email address with opt-in
A competition is a waste of time if you don't get an email address from every entrant with the opt-in right to send them follow up information.
6. Make it easy to pick a winner
A tool like Randomiser can help you pick a random winner, which is the easiest way to handle this. If you're running a competition based on merit, such as a photo comp, then make sure you have good criteria in place to make your job more manageable. You don't want to spend a week wading through piles of essays!
7. A valuable gift for every participant
To greatly increase the number of entries, offer every participant a gift. The best and cheapest way to do this is to add an ebook to an autoresponder email. This will mean the whole process is automated. Make sure you give the gift a real value e.g. Enter this competition and we will send you an ebook worth $20, absolutely free!
8. One big prize versus multiple smaller prizes
Usually offering a few prizes attracts more entries than offering one big prize. I think this is because people believe they have greater chance of winning something.
9. Make it relevant to your business
Competitions should be viewed as part of your website's content and user experience. Make the questions relevant to your site and customers. I saw a competition on a fishing site which asked readers questions about home insurance, which is a bit odd!
10. Measure the results
Keep a record of the results, including date, competition details, number of entrants, etc. After you have run a few competitions you will start to see trends emerge about what works best.
The exceptions to these guidelines
There are a few exceptions to these rules, including:
1. Running a contest to help you create content
Competitions can be used to generate new content for your site. For example, you could ask for a funny photo, a description of a best hotel, favorite lawyer joke, etc. A competition like this needs careful filtering but can create excellent free content and engagement with readers.
2. Find your most loyal customers
Most niche content sites attract a core of very loyal, knowledgeable and dedicated customers. Engaging with these people can be important to your success. By making your competition challenging you can start to identify who these people are.
3. Buy a service or product and be put in a prize draw
A popular marketing technique is to enter all customers who buy a product or service during a particular month into a prize draw. Depending on the quality and relevance of the prize this can have a positive impact on sales. You could run this sort of competitions during slow months in the summer and December.
You probably have most often heard this term as it relates to SEO (search engine optimization). If you have authority in your niche online, that means that people (and of course Google) see you as a legitimate source of good, reliable and meaningful information about a particular topic.
In other words, your expertise is respected and trusted. The more authority you can build in your online presence, the more you will become the “go-to” expert in your field.
But how do we go about getting this kind of recognition? Here are 6 well-documented avenues for building authority – and thereby increasing membership – for your subscription-based business.
Consistently Share Expert Level Content
Publishing valuable, high-quality content regularly, such as blog posts, webinars, or video tutorials, positions you as a thought leader in your niche. By offering in-depth insights and actionable advice, potential members will view you as a credible authority, encouraging them to join your membership site for more exclusive content.
Example: A membership site for personal finance offers a detailed, step-by-step guide on building an investment portfolio tailored to specific income levels, paired with data-driven market analysis that’s updated monthly. This content goes beyond basic advice, providing members with unique insights they can't find elsewhere.
Start a Podcast or Host an Online Summit
Partnering with respected experts and influencers in your field can boost your credibility. Hosting guest webinars, interviews, or collaborative projects with industry leaders will showcase your authority by association, making your membership site more appealing.
Example: A digital marketing membership site hosts monthly live webinars with top SEO experts and marketing gurus. These sessions allow members to ask questions directly and receive personalized insights, which wouldn’t be available in free content. A podcast is a great way to execute this. You can turn your podcast into a summit by inviting everyone you interviewed to an online stream where they answer questions, deliver exclusive insights and provide bonsues.
Build Social Proof and Showcase Testimonials
Sharing success stories, member testimonials, and case studies from current members can help build trust and credibility. When potential members see real results and experiences from others, they’re more likely to perceive you as an authoritative figure and want to be part of your community.
Example: A fitness membership site showcases before-and-after transformation stories from real members, including testimonials about how the personalized workout plans and nutrition advice helped them achieve their goals. These success stories feature photos, videos, and in-depth interviews.
Engage With Your Audience on Multiple Platforms
Active engagement on social media, forums, or within a dedicated community (like a private Facebook group) can demonstrate your expertise and accessibility. Hosting live Q&A sessions, responding to questions, and interacting with members will show that you're knowledgeable and committed to helping others succeed.
Example: You can stream a live session on YouTube, or use the YouTube Premier feature to promote the viewing of a pre-recorded video at a certain time, offering before or after-viewing Q&A sessions.
Establish Authority with Public Speaking
Public speaking is probably one of the most frightening activities, according to many sources. Studies have shown that up to 25% of the population is very or extremely fearful of speaking in public. And yet, if you can get over the fear, speaking’s benefits can be amazing. Public speaking is an excellent way for a business owner to establish authority. Speaking in front of an audience allows you to demonstrate deep knowledge of your industry or niche, positioning you as an expert. This in turn, allows you to build what is probably the most important commodity in business – trust.
Example: Start out slowly – start a podcast, be a guest on someone else’s podcast, give a guest talk in front of a small group, or provide a video testimonial for someone’s product. You can always work up to speaking in front of larger audiences gradually.
Publish a Book
Being a published author, whether on Kindle, Amazon or self-published, lends instant credibility to your reputation. It also gives you a product to offer for free or at a discount at speaking events and on your website.
Example: Even if you have no idea what you might write a book about, consider the above tactics of podcasting and interviewing. You can gather all your material from videos and audios you’ve already done, and put them together into a book.
By focusing on these strategies, you can build a strong reputation, attract more members, and establish lasting authority in your industry.
Getting your first 100 paying customers for a membership website is always the hardest part. But once you reach that number, it becomes much easier to attract new members.
Here is your 90-day plan for getting your first 100 paying customers:
Before you launch your membership website
Before diving into marketing and traffic-building, there are a few key things to consider:
Know Your Audience: Understand who they are, what problems they have, and how you can help them. Also, know how to reach them.
Understand Your Competition: Identify both online and offline competitors, know their pricing, and determine how you’ll stand out.
Clarify Your Unique Value: What makes your site different? Why should someone choose you over the competition?
Create a User-Friendly Website: Your site should look professional and clearly communicate what you offer. Remember, every page is a landing page, so ensure visitors can easily navigate your site from any entry point.
Include Free and Member-Only Content: Offer some high-quality free content to build trust, but also have exclusive content for members. Before launching, have at least 90 days’ worth of content ready to free up time for marketing.
Refine Your Offer: Make an offer that’s hard to refuse. Ensure the perceived value is at least three times higher than the membership cost. Consider offering a money-back guarantee and special deals for early sign-ups.
Pre-Launch Marketing Activities
Build Authority: Establish your credibility in the field. Get testimonials, create a social media presence, and engage with relevant groups.
Prepare a Marketing Plan: Outline your marketing activities before the launch so you know exactly what to do each day.
Interviews: Conduct interviews with key figures in your industry. This not only creates valuable content but can also drive traffic to your site if the interviewees share it with their audiences.
90-Day Marketing Plan
Your plan should be divided into two phases:
Phase 1 (80 Days): Focus on driving traffic to your website and building a relationship with visitors who show an interest in the service you are providing. Allow visitors to sign-up to an email newsletter or other services that will enable you to proactively communicate with them.
Phase 2 (10 Days): Shift focus from traffic and relationship-building to converting your most loyal followers into paying members. Build excitement with an irresistible offer which your most loyal followerswon’t be able to resist.
Phase 1 Activities:
Driving Traffic to Your Membership Website
Since you won’t initially get much search engine traffic, you’ll need to rely on other methods to drive visitors to your site. Some ideas include:
Google Ads: A powerful tool if used correctly. Focus on specific keywords relevant to your niche.
Newsletter Ads: Pay to advertise in newsletters that reach your target audience.
Press Coverage: Use free and paid press release services to announce your site’s launch.
Article Syndication: Publish high-quality articles on third-party sites to drive traffic.
Forums: Join relevant forums and participate in discussions. Include a link to your site in your signature.
Collecting Email Addresses
It’s crucial to capture email addresses from your site visitors. Offer something valuable in return. Your offer should have a perceived value that is at least three times greater than the membership price. Some examples are:
Access to a video series
A free course
A popover sign-up box
A downloadable eBook or report
An example offer package could be:
Your Guarantee – The lower the perceived risk the higher your conversion rate. If you can offer a 100%, no questions asked, money-back guarantee it will increase your sign-up rate.
The early bird catches the worm – reward your first members with a special deal. Everyone likes a bargain.
Set-up an affiliate program – an affiliate program is an automated way of paying people who recommend your service to their customers or site visitors a commission for any sales they facilitate. If you want other website owners to help you sell your service this is the best way to get them fired up.
Try to give away something that has zero or near-zero cost to you, but provides your target audience with real value.
Phase 2 – Converting Followers to Paying Members
After 80 days of building excitement and relationships, it’s time to convert your followers into paying members. Here’s how:
Create a Compelling Offer: Give early members extra value rather than just a discount.
Host a Big Event: Consider organizing a webinar with valuable content, but make the full benefits available only to paying members.
Make Signing Up Easy: Clearly communicate the benefits and include a money-back guarantee to reduce perceived risk.
Everything you will have provided so far – the email sign-up giveaway, the content on your site, the email newsletter, Tweets, etc – has been free.
In phase 2 you must turn your attention to packaging up your paid membership service in such a way that your most dedicated followers are very happy to pay.
You want to build excitement and desire over the 80 days. This will get a much higher conversion rate than allowing members to signup whenever they want.
The Offer
You must create a very compelling offer for the first 100 members. I would strongly recommend that the offer is based around giving them downloadable stuff for free rather than a discount on the membership fee.
You should try to preserve your income as much as possible. As mentioned above create a package of services that have a value much greater than the cost of the subscription.
The Big Event
To launch the 10-day sign-up period you should arrange a big event.
A very popular thing to do is have a webinar where prospects can dial into for free and listen to a talk by you, or better still, a really well-known industry personality.
A webinar is easy and cheap to arrange but has a high perceived value to attendees.
The content of the webinar should not be a sales pitch for your membership site. You need to be more subtle than that.
The content should provide really good information about a particular subject, but the information should be incomplete. The additional information should be available within the membership site.
A few examples:
A wine tasting site – the webinar could be hosted by a recognized master of wine and cover how wine tasting is done. The membership area of the website could then reveal their actual tasting notes for dozens of wines
A site about launching an Internet business – the webinar could cover the 15 things you must do before launching an Internet business. The membership area could list all the resources you need for a successful launch
A site about educating children at home – the webinar could cover how to plan a home-based curriculum. The membership website could provide all the templates for the parent to fill in
Make Signing Up Easy:
Clearly communicate the benefits and include a money-back guarantee to reduce perceived risk.
The Sign-Up Process Checklist
Get your site ready with some really excellent content
Create additional content for the first 90 days so you can focus on marketing activities
Create or source some gifts that can be given away to incentivize email sign-up and paid membership sign-up
Focus on driving traffic to the free content on the site and getting visitors to sign-up for the email newsletter (or other communications channel) using a free offer. Keep building interest and momentum for 80 days
Work with other bloggers, online publishers, journalists to get them to drive traffic to your site
Plan a big event such as a webinar to launch the start of membership sign-up
Create a very compelling offer which gives value well beyond the cost of the subscription
Host the big event. Provide real value but give listeners a compelling and irresistible reason to sign-up for your service
Look after the early paying members and they will do a lot of the future selling for you
Conclusion
This technique for getting 100 paying members in 90 days is tried and tested. The skill is building the excitement about your service to the point where your followers can’t wait for it to go live. At all stages, try to put yourself in your prospects' shoes and think about
“what would REALLY make me want to sign up for this service?”.
Establishing trust with your website visitors is crucial for building a loyal audience and converting visitors into customers. Here are seven effective ways to display trust factors on your website.
1. Maintain a professional design and user experience
A clean, professional design with intuitive navigation can significantly impact how visitors perceive your site. Avoid clutter, use high-quality images and ensure that your site is mobile-friendly. A polished and user-friendly website indicates that you are serious about your business and value your visitors' experience.
2. Match visitor intent with expectation
Matching visitor intent with their expectations when they come to your website is crucial for providing a satisfying user experience and achieving your site's objectives for engagement, conversion and retention. When visitors arrive at your site, they have specific goals, whether it's finding information, making a purchase, or getting support. If your website immediately meets these needs through relevant content, intuitive navigation and clear calls to action, visitors are more likely to stay engaged, trust your brand and take desired actions. Conversely, if there's a disconnect between what visitors expect and what your website delivers, visitors will bounce. By understanding user intent, you can create and effective website that resonates with your audience.
3. Showcase customer testimonials
Featuring testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers provides social proof that others have had positive experiences with your products or services. Display these prominently on your homepage, product pages or a dedicated testimonials page. Including detailed feedback, customer names and photos can add authenticity.
4. Display trust badges and certifications
Trust badges and certifications, such as SSL certificates, payment security icons and industry certifications, can reassure visitors about the security and credibility of your website. Place these badges in visible locations, like the footer, checkout page, and near call-to-action buttons, to signal that your site is safe and trustworthy.
5. Transparent contact information builds trust
Make it easy for visitors to get in touch with you by providing clear and accessible contact information. Include a phone number, email address, physical address, and social media links. A well-designed contact page with a contact form can also enhance trust by showing that you are approachable and available to address any concerns.
6. Use checkmarks when listing features
When listing a website's benefits, highlight each feature with a check mark. Check marks are visually distinct and convey a sense of affirmation. This visual cue creates a positive psychological impact, making visitors feel that that the information presented is verified and important.
Check marks can also help highlight key features or advantages more effectively than bullet points, drawing the user's eye to specific items and emphasising their significance. This can be especially beneficial in marketing contexts, where distinguishing your product's benefits is crucial. Additionally, check marks can contribute to a cleaner, more organised look, which can make your content more engaging and easier to navigate.
7. Regularly update your content
A website that is regularly updated with fresh, relevant content demonstrates that your site is active and well-maintained. This can include blog posts, news updates or product information. Regular updates not only improve your search engine rankings but also show visitors that you are committed to providing them with new and relevant content.
Conclusion
Building a trustworthy website involves a combination of factors: professional design, security measures, transparent communication and consistent updates. By implementing these seven strategies, you can create a site that visitors feel confident engaging with and which will lead to higher satisfaction and better conversion rates.
You've probably experienced scarcity and urgency when marketers are attempting to persuade you to make a purchase 'right now'. These tactics are well-known in the online business world. Furthermore, they are quite accepted by customers, clients, and potential clients. There's nothing wrong with introducing a little scarcity and urgency in your business, as long as you use them ethically.
There are three primary circumstances in which scarcity and urgency may often be used by membership website managers. 1) in marketing, 2) as an engagement strategy, and 3) to tempt purchases through the offer of exclusivity. Let's look at the pro's and con's of each.
The use of scarcity and urgency in marketing
Urgency: doors 'open' for specific time period
A good example of creating a sense of urgency in your membership website is to have a period of time when the “doors” are “open” to enrolment, after which time enrolment is closed. This can be very effective in persuading prospective members to click the “join” button right away. But there is a risk. The time limit might be reached before you are able to sign up enough people to make the membership financially viable. At that point, you may be tempted to “extend” the time limit, which really negates the entire effect of the urgency you originally created. It’s also not fair to those who did jump on the opportunity to sign up right away - they now feel like they didn’t need to.
Urgency: limited time discount
Another possibility is to keep the doors open all the time, but offer a discount for a limited period. But again, you have the potential problem of annoying those who signed up at the regular price. A better strategy there might be to keep the price the same for a limited period, promising to raise prices at the end of the time period. You still get the effect of urgency without alienating anyone who is already signed up. Just be sure to make the price increase applicable only to new sign-ups. Those who are already members should continue to pay the same price as always.
Scarcity: limited number of enrolments
Scarcity can work by announcing that you only have room for x number of members. A common explanation for this is that the business owner wants to offer the most value to each person individually as possible. Prospective members will understand there are limited spots, and they should potentially hurry to submit their application in case the limit on enrolments is soon reached. The downside? None, as long as your business model is suited to a limited number of members.
An example would be the top tier membership in your business, which includes substantial access to you or your high-level coaching team. It would make sense that you only have so many human resources to offer, so the number of recipients would need to be limited. Trouble can come though, if you decide to exceed the number of members, or raise it later on without increasing the resources available. Then original members are going to feel cheated, since they signed up for more exclusive access than you are now able to provide.
Using scarcity and urgency to increase engagement
Restricting content availability
You may be tempted to force members to consume your content within a certain period of time to ensure you have participation, which certainly can foster engagement. The downside is that it can be difficult to pull off technically, and has the makings of frustrating members. A better strategy might be a contest or draw among members, the prize for which is a free session with you or some other kind of access to one-on-one attention. In order to enter the draw, members must participate and engage during the time parameters you set.
Restrict new-member access to content
Another tactic is to restrict content access to new members. For example, let's say a member signs up to a monthly membership in June. That member can only have access to June content or newer. Any content that was created prior is off limits. The trouble is that’s not the industry standard. Again, it can be difficult to set it up on the technical side without custom development. The other downside is that you would be running the risk of comments and community forum discussions referring to the content that only some members are privy to because of when they signed up.
Here is an idea to encourage engagement and has the added bonus of “something in it for everyone.” Let's say you are planning to offer a course in the near future but haven’t yet worked out the content. You could offer your members the opportunity to help you create the content in a group setting. You would be creating a new course, but the participants would gain the benefit of the inevitable discussions that would take place while the content is being planned. Then once the course is finished, participants can purchase it at a discount. That’s a win-win, for you, the participants in the course, and future course-takers.
Using scarcity and urgency to promote exclusivity
There is very little downside to offering exclusive access or content to top tier membership levels. It’s basically expected in today’s membership models. An example is to force sign-up to get a bonus of a one on one strategy call with the coach. Another might be FOMO (fear of missing out). You might create the need to sign up 'now' or else the member misses out on all kinds of bonuses or exclusive invitations to events.
The only caveat here is to make sure you aren’t saving all the good content & access for the VIP group. Remember, you still need to service all your members. And don’t make the price differential too great. Best to make it a ‘no-brainer’ if you can. If the regular membership is $49, make the vip $99. If you try to go for $199 or $299, it’s too big a jump. Or better still, make your VIP membership available for a finite period of time - scarcity - for the $99 price point. After that, you can go up to $149 or even $199.
What this all boils down to is how well you know your audience. All these tactics can be used in a membership website to raise cash, increase long-term income, encourage new membership through marketing, and more. To do it all ethically, simply be cognizant of the downsides, and above all, always continue to keep what’s best for your members as your top priority.
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