4 examples of content to make for your site's membership |
Creating content for your membership site may feel daunting at first pass 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 in a sweaty state then realize:
If you're anything like me, you'll need two cups of coffee in order to get out of the panic and devise an idea.
But since no one should need to consume that amount of coffee that late in the evening, unless they're writers with the edge of the end of their finals and finals season, I've decided that I'll share my plan -- along with some examples different types of content you could develop for your membership site.
#1. Resources that can be downloaded
What are the most common ways to browse for templates on the internet when you need to create a new workbook or throw together a professional form?
Pretty frequently, right? It happens all the time. I can be found on the theme gallery of Typeform whenever I want to make something stylish without investing too much cash or the rest of my day in it (or worse, harassing my designer).
Are you not a model individual? No worries. The term "downloadable" doesn't necessarily have to mean templates and forms even though they are one of the oldest examples.
They are particularly helpful when your audience is predominantly female and, indeed. About double the number of women read ebooks as men.
The success of making short ebooks using Google Slides -- part of the suite that we suggested in our first section -- is proven. An entrepreneur makes use of it to create all of his lead magnets (short tasty ebooks that allow him to build his email list).
Open Jazz Studio includes audio downloads and transcriptions, lead sheets, and workbooks, as part of the services they offer for their Piano Access Pass membership program.
Worksheets and guides are also an essential element of downloadable products on membership sites.
You can see an example of this through this " Quick Wins " benefit of the Smart Insights' membership program.
In terms of topics that you could tackle with your free documents, return to the drawing board and examine your target audience. What kind of resources would help them accomplish the goals they have set for your membership?
Do they need in keeping track of their progress? Make a checklist to help them, or even a book.
Does your membership provide assistance for business? Create an editable spreadsheet so that they can input their information and analyze crucial metrics.
It's easy to see. If it's helpful for your members, it's the kind of content you'll need to develop..
#2. Mini-courses and tutorials
In terms of helping, is there anything better than a step-by step guideline that actually backs up its suggestions with evidence and guides you in a clear direction?
(Probably However, I'm bias about information. It's kind of my thing.)
Blog Biz School's Chantel Arnett is the master at combining this kind of material with downloadable resources. Find out more about her offerings:
If her material isn't useful in the form of templates, it's applicable through a short and precise education about material pertinent to her readers.
It's good to know that mini-courses and tutorials don't necessarily need to be huge expenses to make.
They can be as simple as videos that screen share in which you guide participants through a specific series of things -- for example, learning a new skill using a program or even tips for preparing for an interview or exclusive how-to type blog posts where you outline procedures in great detail.
For the most effective outcomes, you should incorporate video as much as you can. Learning via video is available on demand and improves learner retention, among other benefits .
Plus, it's much more portable as opposed to a text wall It's important to consider this considering that 70% of students make use of phones to get access to learning resources.
Chantel isn't the only one who's seen success using this type of material through a membership, either. MarketingProfs has tutorials and videos for learning to provide their content to members as well.
Did you see how they also include other elements found on this document's content? If MarketingProfs has a best-selling book that's been two times and master of marketing Ann Handley is doing it and you're not surprised, then you're on the right path.
Plus, it the new version lets you keep track of a user's progress throughout your online course that's all the more reason to implement this kind of content when you consult the research for evaluating and using the effectiveness of video-based learning.
The content topics and inspiration will (again) boil down to what's relevant to the users using it.
It is a blessing to be able to keep track of your tutorials' as well as mini-courses' performance using multiple metrics and not just comments and feedback from participants, but also the progress of users as they move through documents -- knowing what's beneficial is simpler than ever before.
The content you create should not all be static. If you'd rather engage members with more personal interaction, you might consider this type of content to be included on your membership website.
#3. Interactive content
The snag with downloadable resources and mini-courses is that they're essentially passive. However charming they have become, they're just an inert resource where the primary interaction is through observation.
This also puts more pressure on the content creator to create more detailed content.
The 88% majority of professional marketers claim that their interactive content sets their brand apart from other businesses.
Contrary to the other courses The key is to stay away from being too academic with interactive content. Although a test on the topics covered in your mini-courses might indeed be helpful, people are choosing the self-paced option to learn for a reason.
At the minimum, they probably don't have the free time to recreate a classic class environment regardless of whether they do wish to.
So instead, try to make sure that your interactive contentespecially quizzes -to be light like the content below .
If your membership is for young marketers for example, you might make the following tests:
What your favorite burger toppings describe your top advertising channel.
Pick five colors, I'll tell you which marketing great you are.
Are you a Don Draper or Walt Disney? Find out in just two minutes.
This tongue-in-cheek kind of content might not resonate with the audience you are targeting, but here is the problem.
Because it's interactive the audience can inform you if this is the case and you can alter your course.
On the more serious side of things, live webinars are an additional form of interactive content you could create for your customers. As the name implies, it's content that you make in real-time, but the preparation should be completed in advance.
The entrepreneur Tiffany Williams offers weekly webinars for her subscribers within her Rich Girl Academy program.
Every month, she chooses the latest topic relevant to her audience and someone of the "team of Oprahs" interacts with the audience with a live seminar.
Because live webinars can be extremely time-consuming, this schedule is an ideal one to emulate for people looking to dive the depths of multimedia content while not overloading their schedules.
Polls and quizzes, on the other hand they are less invasive and are able to be designed and released at any point. Every week, once per week is a solid starting point, however, if members begin withdrawing 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 a partially interactive and also downloadable. It's such a different content form as what we've covered in the past, it merits an additional mention.
It's quite a distance from posts on blogs which average 37-second read time regardless of the length of their posts.
This is, however, the most important thing about this type of content:
Amy Porterfield makes the most of them too using many of the same strategies used by Justin employs by keeping subscribers entertained with expert interviews, discussing relevant topics and trends in the field and offering practical advice to listeners.
Final word:
Podcasts, audio files and live streams are an easy, cost-effective form of content you could create on your website for membership in advance and regularly, and with such an impressive level of engagement with your audience it is definitely worthwhile adding them to your repertoire.
For the best results from these opportunities, bring in industry experts as well as other experts to discuss the latest trends within your field, and then jam-pack the session filled with practical advice for your listeners.
The loose lips could be a sinking ship however, for membership site content, they're a perfect way to stay on top of the customer satisfaction waves.
The content of your blog
Creating content for your website can be daunting on the first pass however it doesn't need to stay that way.
Bear the following points to keep in mind while searching for information:
Backups should be made using a cloud-based storage device. Data loss can have detrimental consequences for small businesses, and, with the abundance of alternatives, there's really no reason to put yourself in danger.
While you should create certain contents before getting started, you don't have to have everything ready from day one. You probably don't. How your audience members react to and connect with will influence the content strategy you develop as you progress.
If you decide to get into, start with downloadable resources like workbooks, templates, ebooks, and infographics.
It is likely that they are enrolling in your program in order to gain some thing. Give them that knowledge with mini-courses and tutorials that give them easy victories throughout the day.
Mix things up with interactive content like quizzes, polls, and live webinars. These will transform your website's membership from dime-a-dozen to an engaging standout.
Finally, loosen up your mouth and record podcasts and audio files.
Podcasts, in particular, have been wildly successful for different membership sites and they are relatively simple to build compared with other kinds of content.
Be encouraged. Though it can be overwhelming in the beginning, once you're able to get your content flowing it will become easier to find your rhythm and your team members will blend perfectly with you.