Why do people join membership sites?
The process from them initially hearing about your site for the first time to pressing the ‘Join' button and actually entering your community can sometimes be a long one…
And if you asked your members why they joined your membership, it's highly likely that you'll get varying responses…
This is because people join memberships for many different reasons.
It could be that you offer live training, they might want to take advantage of your member-only perks or maybe it's a particular course that's caught their attention…
Whatever the reason, it's important that you know, as this will inform how you grow your membership…
From marketing and content creation to member experience.
So if you're new to the game and trying to figure out how to tick all the boxes to entice people to join your membership site…
Or you're a seasoned membership owner and unsure why your members chose you…
Hopefully I can help!
Here are eight top reasons why people join a membership site.
1. Education
Obvious I know…
But this is the main reason that people join memberships.
Typically a space for online learning, membership sites are filled with courses, materials, and a community.
And if your membership site is one where you’re teaching a particular topic, then that’s going to appeal to people who have an educational need and want to fill a gap in their knowledge.
2. Results
People join membership sites because they want some sort of transformation.
They want to see results, they want to progress from A to B, they want a change in their circumstances…
And they see your membership as the ticket to that destination!
Your site promises the end result that someone foresees themselves achieving.
So, for example, if someone joins a weight loss membership, they’re joining to achieve the result of being a few pounds lighter…
Or if someone joins a carpentry membership, they want to improve their skills so they can, perhaps, build their own shed.
They have a goal in mind, and you’re going to help them achieve it.
3. Community
People might join your membership because of the community attached to it.
Whether it takes the form of an online forum or a Facebook group, your community can make a huge difference to some members.
It gives them the opportunity to network with likeminded people, and be around others with shared interests who are at similar stages in their journey.
Don’t underestimate the power of accountability and the influence of your community.
It could end up being a key driver of your success!
4. Support
Support can come from within your community, or it can come from you and your team.
People might want to enter your community, but not necessarily mingle with others and develop relationships.
They might simply want a support system…
A sounding board for their ideas, people to help them out, and the knowledge that there’s somewhere they can go to get tailored advice and feedback.
The relationships don’t matter as much for people seeking support, but the shared experience and expertise in your community do.
This support element can be a big reason why people join your site!
5. Access to you
If you’re running an expert-centric membership or utilizing guest experts for your membership content and your site is geared towards sharing your knowledge with your members, then the value in having that access to you shouldn’t be understated…
People will join simply to get direct access to you!
They might not actually be bothered about the community or even your courses.
They just want to be around you; they want to be on your radar and engage in conversations with you inside your site.
That access can be a big motivator for why people join membership sites that are built around one or two people essentially being the ‘go-to' experts in their industry.
6. Curiosity
You'll get some members joining who have no real need or interest in the actual material or community of your membership, but are simply curious about what it is you’re doing.
It could be because they’re planning to start a membership site of their own…
After all, one of the best ways to learn about creating an effective membership site is to join others!
It might be a competitor who is wondering what you’re up to…
Or it could be someone who’s never heard of you, but they found your sales page and want to know more.
Not everyone is going to join your membership because they want your material and your expertise.
There is definitely a curiosity factor.
7. Research
Some people will specifically join your membership site because they want to research something about you, what you’re doing, or your industry.
That’s not always a nefarious thing.
It doesn't mean they're competitors spying on you and trying to steal your ideas and content.
It could be a reporter, someone considering their own venture, or a student doing research.
In a lot of cases, members who join for research purposes (and the curious types mentioned in point 6) probably won’t stick around for long, sometimes won't identify themselves as members, and won’t really participate.
8. To reward you
If you focus on content marketing and have helped people with an extensive body of free content, you may get some members who join as an act of thanks.
So them joining is a sort of reward or a vote of support for you and your membership.
We actually have a client whose whole journey with online business started with them putting out a blog in which they gave away a lot of value.
So when their membership finally launched, they had people who didn’t really need the membership, but joined anyway to show their support and gratitude.
There aren’t going to be too many members who do this, but it does occasionally happen.
As always, it’s never black and white…
People might not join for just one of these reasons – it could be a few combined.
Someone might be interested in achieving results, but also your community…
Or someone might join out of curiosity, but stay for the educational content.
It’s important to have an understanding of the spectrum of reasons why someone might want to join your membership site, because that can inform the way in which you promote and position your business in the future.
And there’s no better way of finding out why people joined your membership site than to simply ask them!
Survey your members to find out how they found you, why they joined, and what appealed most to them.
From there, you can uncover patterns and content to focus on in the future and do more of the things that attract your members…
And going that little bit further can also give you an insight into what your audience really want from your membership.
That’s how you create sustainable, reliable growth…
That’s how you build a successful membership.
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