Four examples of content you can develop for your membership website |
The process of creating contents for your membership website might be a daunting task at beginning however it doesn't need to be. You can simply give these proven templates a try.
And then, at the dark of the night, you awake with a cold sweat then realize:
If you're anything like me, you'll need two cups of coffee in order to exit the near-panic and come up with some ideas.
Since no one ought to be required to drink this much coffee this late at night , except for writers working on a deadline and students approaching the end of their finals and finals season, I've decided that I'll share my strategy -- with some examples of content types that you can make for your membership website.
#1. Downloadable resources
What are the most common ways to search for online templates when you need to create a new workbook or throw together a form that is professional?
It happens quite often, don't you think? It happens all every day. You can find me in Typeform's theme gallery anytime I need to create something sleek without putting too much effort or my day into it (or even worse, pestering the designer).
Are you not a model or a person? No worries. Downloadable resources don't have to mean templates and forms. However, they're among the best examples.
Ebooks are especially helpful if your audience is predominantly female and, indeed. About twice as many women read ebooks as men.
The success of creating short ebooks in Google Slides -- part of the suite that we recommended in the first section -- was proven. One entrepreneur uses it to create all of his lead magnets (short tasty ebooks that allow him to create his own email list).
Open Jazz Studio includes audio downloads and leads sheets, transcriptions and workbooks as part of their services for the Piano Access Pass membership program.
Worksheets and guides are also a popular staple for downloadable items on membership websites.
It is possible to see an example of this through this " Quick Wins " perk of Smart Insights' membership program.
As for topics to tackle with your free documents, return to the drawing board , and examine your target audience. What type of resource can help them reach the goals they have set for your membership?
Do they need to keep track of their progress? Put together a checklist for them or a workbook.
Does your association offer business consultations? Build up an editable spreadsheet so that they can input the data they want to input and then run it through the most important indicators.
You get the idea. If the content is beneficial to your members, it's something you need to create..
#2. Mini-courses , tutorials and lessons
Speaking of being helpful What could be better than a step-by-step guide which backs its suggestions with evidence and steers the reader in the right direction?
(Probably, but I'm biased about the data. It's kind of my thing.)
Blog Biz School's Chantel Arnett is the the master in combining this type of content and downloadable materials. Take a look at the resources she has available:
When her content isn't directly usable in the form of templates, it's applicable through a short, pointed education on material that is relevant to her target audience.
Fortunately, short tutorials and mini-courses don't need to be huge time drains to produce.
They can be as simple as video screen sharing in which you guide participants through a particular set of things -- for example, doing a task using a program or even the best way to prepare for an interview or even exclusive blog posts that outline the steps in depth.
But for the best result, integrate video in as many ways as you can. Videos can be used to provide on-demand instruction and increases retention of learners, among other benefits .
Furthermore, it's far more mobile friendly than an endless wall of text This is crucial given that the majority of students make use of smartphones to access learning materials.
Chantel isn't alone who's seen success with this type of content by joining a subscription. MarketingProfs also uses video tutorials and learning to provide the resources they offer for their members, and also.
Did you notice how they've also included other elements found on this content list? If MarketingProfs' two-time best-seller and marketing guru Ann Handley has been doing this and you're not surprised, then you're in the right direction.
As a plus, this allows you to track a customer's advancement in your online classes that's another reason to make use of this particular form of content whenever you consult the research behind using and assessing the effectiveness of video-based learning.
The topics of content and the inspiration will (again) be based on what's relevant to the users using the content.
The good news is that you have the capability to keep track of your tutorials' as well as mini-courses' performance using multiple information points -- not just the comments and feedback from participants, but also the progression of the students while they navigate through the documents -- knowing the most beneficial content is now easier than ever.
Not all content has to be static. If you'd like to interact with members more directly, consider this third type of content you can offer on your site for members.
#3. Interactive content
The problem with downloadable resources and mini-courses is that they're essentially passive. Whatever charming you are, they're still an inert resource where the primary interaction is through observation.
It also adds more onus on you as a content creator to develop more comprehensive content.
Eighty percent of professional marketers claim that their interactive content sets their brand apart from competitors.
Unlike the other materials However, it is important to be careful not to overly scholastic when it comes to interactivity. Even though a short quiz about the concepts taught in your mini-courses may indeed be helpful, people are choosing the self-paced option because of a reason.
At the minimum, they probably don't have enough time to emulate a more traditional classroom experience however much they would want it.
Therefore, it is best to make sure that your interactive contentespecially quizzes -at a moderate level as that which you can see below. .
If your group is made up of new marketers, as an example it is possible to make the following tests:
What are your top burger toppings? describe your top marketing strategy.
Pick five colors, I'll show you how marketing excellent you are.
Are you Don Draper or Walt Disney? Find out in just two minutes.
Of course, this tongue-in-cheek type of material might not resonate with the audience you are targeting, but here lies the rub.
Since it's interactive the audience can notify you that this is true and then you'll be able to change direction.
In the serious aspect of the matter, live webinars are another type of content that you can create for your customers. The name suggests that it's content that you make in real-time, but the preparation should be planned ahead.
Entrepreneur Tiffany Williams offers monthly webinars for her members within her Rich Girl Academy program.
Every month, she picks an interesting topic that is relevant to her viewers and a person from the "team of Oprahs" interacts with the viewers via live seminars.
Since live webinars are extremely time-consuming, this schedule is the perfect plan for those who are looking to dive deeply into engaging content, without weighing down their work load.
Quizzes and polls, on the other hand they are less invasive they can be made and released at any point. Every week, once per week is an excellent starting point however, if you notice your participants pulling back or showing low participation, you might want to spread the quizzes and polls out more.
Then, top off your content with a dash of the spoken word.
#4. Audio files and podcasts
This last form of content is part-interactive and part-downloadable , however it's such a different content form as what we've covered to date, that it is worthy of the attention of its own.
That's a pretty far cry from blog posts which typically have a read-time of around 37 seconds regardless of how long they are.
This is, however, the most important aspect of this type of material:
Amy Porterfield makes the most of them too employing several of the strategies which Justin utilizes to keep her listeners entertained with expert interviews, discussing relevant topics and trends within her field, as well as providing actionable advice for listeners.
Bottom line:
Live podcasts and audio files can be a simple, affordable kind of content you could create on your website for membership in advance and frequently as well. With such an impressive level of engagement with your audience, they're definitely worth adding to your arsenal.
In order to make the most of these opportunities, bring in industry experts and other creatives to talk about current trends in your industry and then jam-pack the session with action-oriented advice to give your guests.
Loose lips might sink ships however, for membership site content, they're the perfect floating device to ensure you're at the top of the levels of customer satisfaction.
Your content cornucopia
Making content for your website can be daunting on the first pass However, it doesn't have to stay that way.
Bear the following points in mind when you're looking for content to watch:
The data should be saved using a cloud-based storage device. Loss of data can cause serious negative consequences for small companies, and with so many easy choices, there's no reason to put yourself at risk.
While it is important to create certain contents before getting up and running, you don't need to have everything ready from day one. Actually, you don't. The content your customers respond to and feel a connection with will guide your content plan as you go along.
When you are ready to dig into, start with downloadable sources like workbooks, templates, ebooks, and infographics.
There's a good chance that someone is signing up for your membership because they want to learn about something. Deliver that desire with mini-courses and tutorials that give them quick victories all throughout the day.
You can then mix it by adding interactive features such as quizzes, polls, and live webinars. These will transform your website's membership from being a collection of doodles to a captivating one-of-a-kind.
Let loose your lips and make audio files as well as podcasts.
Podcasts, in particular, have proven to be extremely successful on other websites that offer membership and are relatively easy to create compared to other kinds of media.
Don't be afraid. Although it may seem daunting initially, once you've started to create content and content, you'll discover your style and the members you have will be perfectly in it with you.