Popular associations aren’t the only go-to source for educational content, news, or any other form of value. Private companies now offer a significant level of value as well. For instance, these companies provide great courses, top-notch resources, and, sometimes, meet-ups among members of the community.
If you are in charge of a membership site, it’s imperative that you sustain a high level of value, whether it’s a free community or not. Most importantly, you should be able to convey this degree of value to parts of your audience that still need to become a member of your community.
10 tips that would help your audience see the need for a membership
1. Clearly state membership benefits
The first step to conveying your membership value is highlighting its advantages. Without a clear understanding of the pros of joining your community, your audience may avoid subscribing. So, identify what sets your members apart from the general audience.
Once you have figured out what could set your membership apart from others, articulate them in ways that resonate with your audience. Consider focusing on solving pain points and using compelling storytelling techniques.
2. Give your members a quick and sustainable win
Everyone wants to see what works before getting into it. For this reason, you need to make your members great examples of what you promised. To achieve this, closely monitor and guide members on how to make progress. This process will be a continuous loop of feedback.
A continuous feedback loop and guide will help your members learn and grow, making their successes more sustainable.
3. Provide members with priority access to products or services
It’s imperative to give your members priority access to whatever you do. Doing that will not only make members feel more valued, but your audience will also consider membership. For instance, if there is a live workshop or event coming up, your members should know first and get early tickets.
When your members are first in line to get priority access, it creates an extra value stream. This additional level of value will help you build on the exclusive nature of membership when marketing.
4. Offer a trial period to non-members
Offering a free trial period is a way to allow non-members to try out your service or product with zero risk. The primary purpose of providing your audience with a free trial is to give them an idea of what they could get if they were members. Companies use free trials to increase conversation rates, build brand trust, and improve customer retention.
Consider offering a trial with a money-back guarantee. However, clearly state your terms and conditions to help non-members build trust. You can utilize KPIs (key performance indicators) to monitor the financial growth or progress from this technique of offering trial periods. An example of a key performance indicator to track is the return on investment (ROI).
5. Connect members to one another
Helping members know each other provides a chance for them to grow, which attracts more of your audience. Even with your consistent follow-up and feedback loop, members need each other to stay on track. This is the purpose of a community. Some members could need a practice or accountability partner within the community. So, allowing them to get to know each other is imperative.
6. Provide ongoing support
Ongoing customer support could involve providing educational resources, webinars, expert advice, and workshops. When trying to convey the value of your membership using this approach, ensure you let your audience know that membership provides access to an ever-evolving resource. You can also highlight how your members get regular updates on insights and the latest industry trends.
Consider mentioning any personalized guidance or resources available to members, including assessments, tailored recommendations, or action plans that reflect ongoing support.
7. Create a good sense of belonging
In a community, creating a good sense of belonging is imperative. Fostering a sense of community within your membership helps create a supportive and valuable environment for members to learn and collaborate. This sense of belonging will significantly improve the perceived value of the membership, which helps attract individuals looking for a network of like minds.
8. Offer exclusive discounts
Like businesses do when trying to increase sales, you can offer discounts too. However, this discount should be channeled towards members. Taking that step makes your membership seem more valuable to your target audience and makes members feel valued and appreciated.
Discounts and other special perks are seen as immediate and tangible benefits. It leads to a higher perception of overall membership benefits.
9. Get members featured on your platform
If you’re involved in content marketing, look for ways to put your members out there. For instance, if you run a podcast, Facebook Livestream, or even a blog site, let people know about your members and their successes. You could create a blog series that discusses community members and the benefits they enjoy. When doing this, ensure the write-up is organic or follows a storytelling approach.
10. Organize events and networking opportunities only available for members
Creating networking opportunities within your membership establishes a sense of exclusivity and provides unique experiences that non-members can’t access. These networking opportunities should follow a structure and involve organizing events, networking sessions, or creating a platform suitable for members to connect and engage.
Examples of events to focus on include seminars, conferences, workshops, and webinars that feature industry experts or thought leaders. Networking opportunities build connections, improve professional growth, and increase knowledge sharing within the membership community.
Sharing the value
Rightly conveying the value of a membership to your audience will help attract new members, increase member retention, build trust and credibility, and differentiate from competitors. In most cases, communicating the value of membership promotes word-of-mouth marketing and fosters referrals. There’s a higher likelihood of members sharing their positive community experiences with others, increasing organic growth with the help of referrals.
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