Need to Know Strategies for Customer Retention from Funk Roberts

Feb 6, 2025

Four Insane Strategies Funk Roberts Use to Boost engagement, retention and revenue (PROOF IN INSIDE!) Reader Disclosure

If you're running an online membership site, retaining existing members has always been more difficult than acquiring new ones. While getting new members on board is crucial but keeping them interested and committed to the site is a real game-changer.

Contents Toggle

1. The ‘Shared Rituals' Strategy
2. The ‘Identity Crafting' Technique
The ‘Insider Language' Method
4. The ‘Transformation Journey' Framework
In Summary

A higher retention rate means more predictability of revenue, deeper social connections and the development of a stronger and more loyal member base. You might find countless ways to engage members online, but you'll never know the effectiveness of these strategies until you've tried them yourself.

This is why we reached out to Funk Roberts, a well-known fitness trainer on the internet and frequent member advocate. He was happy to discuss the tried-and-tested strategies that have helped him increase retention, engagement and even revenue.

Here are some strategies Funk Robert shared with us.

1. The 'Shared Rituals' strategy

Shared rituals are consistent routine activities that people take part in on a regular basis, creating a strong sense of community and belonging. These rituals are like glue--they ensure that your members return and deepen their connection to your membership.

Some of the key Benefits from this approach are:

Develops a solid community culture
Inspires participation and engagement on a regular basis.
Increases member loyalty and retention

What do you think this will look like in practice?

I run a membership program that is called " Over 40 Alpha." It's a health and fitness membership for men over 40, 50, 60, and above. There are several rituals shared in this program that help keep members dedicated to their goals as well as the group.

Sweet Selfies: Members post pictures following every workout, sharing their motivation and encouraging other members to do the same.
Alpha Meal Posts The members share pictures of their meals, breaking them into macro elements for accountability, and to educate the community.
Birthday Burpees: On their birthdays, participants film themselves doing burpees in line with their age. This is fun and challenging and creates a shared celebration within the local community.

What can you do to implement these shared rituals for your family members?

Find the key behaviors or activities that are in line with your Tribe's members' objectives.
Use easy-to-follow prompts and hashtags that encourage participants.
Make sure to include these steps in your onboarding materials to set expectations from the start.

By incorporating these shared rituals, you'll create a vibrant and engaging atmosphere that your members don't want to quit.

2. The 'Identity Crafting' Technique

Knowing your audience's needs doesn't only mean knowing their demographics; it's all about understanding their needs, desires to be a part of their lives, aspirations, and struggles. The majority of people don't need to purchase a item or service, they want to belong to some greater thing.

In creating a distinctive and distinctive identity for your community, you'll give participants an identity and pride in who they are becoming as a result of the program you've created.

Many people are looking to become part of an organization, they want to be understood and felt valued. And they wanna become part of something larger that is bigger than them.

The benefits from this method are:

Creates a strong sense belonging
Differentiates your membership from competitors
Promotes deeper engagement and loyalty

Within the Over 40 Alpha program, members aren't just signing up to a fitness club, they are becoming the Over 40 Alpha. It is a symbol of strength, commitment as well as transformation. Every aspect, from the ceremonies to the language is a sign of that identity which makes it a badge of honour.

How do you guarantee the same sense of feelings to your employees:

Create a distinctive identity that resonates with the aspirations of your target audience.
Integrate this brand's identity to your routines, contents and your communications.
Continue to reinforce the identity of this brand through stories, testimonials, as well as community interaction.

If members adopt an identity and brand new look that is in line with their values and values, they are more involved within the community, which increases the likelihood of them staying.

The 'Insider Language' Method

Every tribe that is successful uses its own language, the secret handshake that differentiates those who belong to the tribe from others. The creation of unique words, slogans and hand gestures that only your community uses will create a sentiment of belonging and exclusiveness. The insider dialect helps create an exclusive and difficult-to-copy culture.

Some of the key benefits that this method offers are:

It creates an impression of exclusivity as well as a sense of standing.
Community bonds are strengthened.
Inspires retention over time by making members feel like they're part of something truly special.

In Over 40 Alpha there are members with phrases like:

GID (Get It Done! ): Our rallying cry that reaffirms our dedication to action and persistence.
"Smell The Rose": A reminder to take a breath, pause and take in the experience.

They're not just catchy words but are an integral part of the tribal DNA. They help create a community where members feel like they are apart of something that is unique and distinctive, and want to stay as a member of.

What can you do to achieve this for your members:

Make up unique words or phrases that represent your community's beliefs and goals.
Make sure to use these terms in all of your platform, emails, and events.
Inspire members to take these ideas and apply them on their postings and in their interactions.

Creating a shared language builds the feeling of a community people are proud to be a part of, which directly impacts retention.

4. The "Transformation Journey" Framework

One of the most efficient strategies to improve retention is to lead members through the process of transformation with clear milestones, incentives and support from the community. The motivation for them is to remain and keep progressing within your membership.

The main benefits of this framework:

Members are kept motivated and interested.
It provides a clearly defined path for you to follow, helping reduce overwhelm and confusion.
Encourages continuous membership renewal.

How do you implement the technology: Craft a path that will lead to transformation in which each member begins at a defined point and follows a path towards their objectives, by your assistance every step of the way.

Here's what I do for my program:

Milestones Make signs along the way to celebrate your progress (for instance, the Milestone T-shirts which members in Over 40 Alpha Over 40 Alpha program earn every three phases in the "One Year To Alpha" journey).
Rewards: Reward achievements to encourage the following steps.
Community Support ensure that nobody walks on this journey alone by fostering a culture of encouragement and support.

What can you do to implement this framework for your members:

Draw out a clearly defined and step-by-step plan for a member's transition.
Establish milestones of significance that can be celebrated by rewards.
Make sure that the community is supported throughout the year through regular check-ins, group activities, and encouraging.

Implementing a transformation journey framework gives a compelling reason for the members to stick around. They are always moving toward the goal they have set that is rewarded with tangible results.

In Summary

Retention is the backbone of any successful membership business. This blog should have given you a greater understanding of Fun Roberts' essential strategies for improving the retention of members and increase engagement. Through implementing these four tactics--shared rituals, identity Crafting insider language, and a Transformation Journey, you can create a vibrant community which increases retention, and, ultimately, revenue.

Are you prepared to move your membership to the next step?

Learn more about the strategies listed above and many more using our Tribe Secrets The Tribe SecretsThe 27 Strategies to Psychologically Turn Your Business Into A Customer Tribe . Uncover All 27 strategies and begin building your legacy today!

We're looking forward to building the kind of community in which everyone feels like a crucial part of the picture, helping to make your business successful and theirs.

Make It Done!

Your Friend and Coach,

Funk Roberts

Tribe Membership Coach

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