Are you creating great content that can help people?
If so, then you can leverage your content and create recurring income to make money online.
You can monetize your content by creating a platform and giving people access through a subscription model. Membership site platforms are great for creating an online recurring income. They also help you protect your content assets.
Membership sites also have other benefits that you can use as you build your online business:
- You can build an online community
- Membership sites help businesses create customer loyalty
- You get user-generated content from members in the form of questions and answers, and discussions
- A membership site makes it easy to get repeat purchases
- A strong brand community reduces marketing costs by decreasing your customer acquisition efforts
Building a membership site also means that you can automate several tasks. Users can sign up or register on their own. You can set up automatic invoices and receive payments every month.
Membership sites let you share content via drip feed and manage who has access to different parts of your site. You can protect your content and earn an income from it. Thanks to the automation features available, you can even run several such online businesses.
It’s evident that membership sites are a great way to launch your business. Let’s look at the different types of content you can make on a membership platform. Here are several ideas for membership sites that will inspire you to build a unique website.
Online Courses
Sometimes, membership sites are considered to be distinct from online courses. However, membership sites and learning management software share many similarities. You can easily build an online course with a membership site platform.
Create a membership site platform to share your educational material exclusively with customers. Such a platform benefits users since they learn something that brings them value. It also helps you by making it possible for you to get paid for your content.
Support Group
You can create a support group to discuss a specific topic online. Topics can include rare and shared experiences where people can help each other by providing useful information.’
For example, you can build a membership site for people from a specific country who are moving to another country. Your membership site can be about sharing tips and tricks about hobbies. It can revolve around experiencing certain life events or illnesses.
Review Site
You can create a site where people add their reviews about a particular service, product, or brand. The idea is to build a niche review site that people will be willing to share their email to access.
One real-life example of a very niche review site that also serves as a hub for information is Real Self. Here, people review cosmetic surgeons around the world. They share detailed information and helpful images around procedures. This is an interesting example of a niche review site.
Professional Networking Site
A membership site helps build a networking site for professionals in a specific field. A niche networking site can help people within a domain collaborate, share tips, and information. They can also use such networks to find jobs or develop skills.
A great example is a membership site for women entrepreneurs in a specific location. People will register to access such membership sites for networking and business opportunities.
Industry Directories
An industry directory can provide data about businesses and the market concerning a specific industry. This type of specialized knowledge is not readily available and serves B2B companies.
Content Cache/Library
A content library is a handy repository of information for people who want a single source of information. The selling point of a content cache or library is the convenience of having all the information you need in one place. Content libraries are typically well organized and easy to search through.
Newsletter
You can create a membership site for users to access and discuss newsletters with helpful information. Creating a newsletter can be helpful when there have to be weekly or monthly updates about a topic. One practical example is a newsletter for traders. Traders are willing to pay for daily and monthly trading news and updates through a newsletter.
Sites for Market Research and Technical Information
Reports about specific locations, markets, and industries are very valuable. They are difficult to find and can be spread across different sources. A membership site can help you create a single place for such information.
Online brand community
Creating an online brand community is useful for a business as it builds loyalty. Users will identify themselves with the values of the brand and engage with it.
A membership site can create a hub for discussions around the brand. It can create a space for people to get questions answered and is a way to boost engagements.
Your brand benefits by getting greater engagement on social media. Users benefit by getting access to a single place where they can have meaningful discussions.
SaaS Offerings
By offering a SaaS solution that’s payable with a monthly subscription, you’re creating a membership site. You can use a membership site to restrict access to premium levels of your software. It makes it possible for you to offer people lower prices for just the features they need.
Classifieds
Classified sites are another type of popular membership site. You can focus on a niche, a location, or have a broad target. You can get people to sign up and post content for selling items, jobs, and other helpful information.
Membership Sites Create Unlimited Possibilities
Now that you’ve looked at some examples of membership sites, you can come up with one of your own. One helpful plugin you can use for WordPress is MemberPress, which can help build a community or host exclusive content.
By creating a membership site, you create an income for yourself and help people find solutions to their problems using content.
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Syed Balkhi is an award-winning entrepreneur and online marketing expert. He is the co-founder of OptinMonster, WPBeginner, MonsterInsights, and WPForms.