In this episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I discuss alternatives to cancelling a membership that membership owners can offer to their members. I explain the importance of providing options to members who want to cancel and offer suggestions for retaining their membership in a non-intrusive way.In this episode:How can membership owners collect feedback from members who want to cancel their membership?What is the benefit of offering the option to pause a membership instead of cancelling?How can changing the billing frequency be a viable alternative to cancellation?How can offering different membership tiers help retain members who are considering cancelling?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"So if they've already gotten their head, okay, I'm gonna take a bit of a break. I'll probably come back later. Giving them the option to pause is a far better alternative to canceling...""But there's absolutely nothing wrong with making that last effort, that last effort to turn things around. And in fact, doing that shows that you care. You will get people who wanna leave who end up disgruntled at how easy it was to leave. That's kind of the irony of it.""Those little conversations, even though it's taking, you know, 10, 15 minutes out of your day or out of your team's day, that could not only reverse the decision to cancel, but also build up enough goodwill and loyalty from the fact that you're willing to actually have that face time."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Membership Geeks, I discuss the essential do's and don'ts of member retention. I dive into the importance of making retention a priority, taking care of new member onboarding, and collecting feedback from outgoing members. I also highlight the risks of assuming that when someone leaves, they're gone forever and the benefits of having a failed payment process in place.In this episode:Why is it important to make member retention a priority?How can we ensure a solid new member onboarding experience?What are the risks of assuming someone is happy just because they haven't cancelled?How can collecting feedback from outgoing members benefit our membership offering and win back campaigns?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"When you realize that someone leaving isn't the end of their journey, then that nullifies any reasoning you might have for making things difficult for them to leave or punishing them when they do leave.""Failed payments account for a lot of churn. It's called involuntary churn. Someone leaving your membership when they might not have intended to because their credit card payment, their PayPal subscription - however they pay you - for some reason, has failed, and they don't address it in time, and therefore, their subscription ends.""If you make the process of leaving difficult, they're never gonna come back, and they're not gonna speak positively about you to anyone else"Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Membership Geeks podcast, I dive into the 3 pillars of membership growth. If you have an existing membership and have been struggling with knowing where to focus in order to grow and scale your membership, this episode is for you. I discuss the importance of marketing, member attention, and management, and how to implement strategies and tactics for each pillar.In this episode:How can I attract new members and continuously build my audience?What are the key elements of a solid core sales funnel for my membership?How can I retain members and ensure they stay subscribed for the long term?What are the essential elements of managing and scaling a membership business?Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Membership Geeks podcast, we explore 7 ways to generate FOMO (fear of missing out) for your membership. FOMO is a powerful tool to attract non-members and create a sense of urgency and excitement about joining. Join host Mike Morrison as he shares strategies to create that FOMO and drive membership growth.In this episode:What is "member first messaging" and how can you use it to your advantage?What role does insider language and identity play in generating FOMO?How can branded merchandise and swag contribute to generating FOMO for your membership?What are the benefits of organizing in-person member meetups and how can they generate FOMO?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"That feeling when someone sees something really cool, really exciting going on that they're not part of, and they get that itch they get that urge, they get that sense that they are missing out.""Make sure you're promoting ahead of time what is happening over the next month. So release a schedule of new content or live calls every single month so that people know what's ahead.""It's always great to be able to meet your members, to actually put these people in a room, see the connections that happen, see the conversations, and it's all like minded people. You've already brought your people together online. If you can replicate that in the real world, even if it's just ten people from your membership having dinner together, it's fantastic, fantastic thing."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I dive into the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications for online membership businesses. Get my analysis of the hype surrounding AI as well as practical insights on how membership site owners can navigate the AI landscape.In this episode:How should membership site owners react to the rise of artificial intelligence?Does AI signify the end of online education or memberships?Should membership site owners prioritize AI or stick to their current business models?How can AI be practically applied in your membership businesses?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"These are just tools, they should be used as such, which is to say they should be used to solve actual problems, not just for the novelty factor.""The rush to capitalize on AI is leading to a lot of pointless and generic content, and the content that's created is actually quite inaccurate a lot of the time and requires a lot of checking and correction."Get more detailed insights about AI for memberships hereThank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Online summits can be a fantastic way to promote and grow your memberships; tapping into the attention and urgency created with 'event marketing' and converting a captive audience into paying subscribers.In this episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I'm joined by Krista Miller from Summit in a Box to share her strategies and top tips for selling your membership via an online summit.In this episode:What is the ideal length and number of sessions and speakers for your online summitThe most effective strategy for generating membership sales on the back of your summitTop tips for reaching out to guest experts to participate as summit speakersHow to ensure you get plenty of people attending your summitFind out more:Get more from Krista at Summit in a BoxThank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Membership Academy just turned 8 years old!Listen in as Callie and I discuss the in's and out's of the past 12 months at Membership Academy and look ahead to what’s in store for the coming months and beyond.In this episode:Dissecting the most significant change we've ever made to Membership AcademyHow we finally solved a problem that's stumped us for almost a decadeThe big new addition to the Academy that had people thinking we're crazyWhy we've started coaching after years of turning down requestsThank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

It may not surprise you - given where you are - that we're HUGE fans of podcasting as a way to promote and grow a membership business.This podcast has been the cornerstone of our marketing strategy since 2015.But a LOT has changed since then as the podcast industry has experienced multiple boom periods and in more recent years seems to have hit a whole new level.In this episode I'm joined by one of the leading voices in the industry, Mark Asquith from Captivate.fm, o dive into what - if anything - this means for membership owners using podcasting as part of their strategy and how we should be adapting our approach to stay ahead of the curve.In this episode:The most significant ways in which podcasting has changed, and what that means for the "average" podcast hostThe importance of self-editing to stay focused and ensure you're delivering valuable content that helps you stand out in a crowded audio spaceUsing podcasts as a promotional tool for memberships and ways to more closely integrate your membership business with your showHow podcasting can enhance your member experience and open up additional revenue streamsThank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

We regularly get asked for our recommendations on the top tools for membership website owners.The truth is that there’s no such thing as the “perfect” membership site setup that will work for everyone – it all depends on what it is you want to achieve with your membership site, what features and functionality you need it to have, which email and payment software you’re using and a whole bunch of other details that determine which membership tools are the best fit for you.In this episode, we talk about the tools we use for our own membership website – Membership Academy – as well as the reasons why we chose those particular options.In this episode:Which membership plugin and other software we're using to power Membership AcademyWhy you don't need to use the exact same setup that we use (or anyone else is using)Changes we're considering making to our tech stack and frustrations we haveWhat WordPress theme do we use for our websites?

Join me on Episode 373 of the Membership Geeks Podcast as we dive deep into the fundamentals of the online memberships model! Get the scoop on the differences between courses and memberships, pricing models, and how to explain memberships to potential customers. In this episode:How memberships and subscriptions differ and why one does not always have to involve the otherKey differences between online memberships and signature coursesWhat is typically meant by the term "online membership" and which types of business this does NOT apply toKey Quotes & Takeaways:"A subscription is just a payment arrangement, a way to collect the recurring payments needed in most cases for continued access to a membership. The two go hand in hand for the vast majority of online memberships, but they are separate things. You don't need to have one in order to have the other.""The term membership is broad. It is ubiquitous, it can mean all sorts of different things, and it gets used by people for all sorts of different things."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this comeback episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, we dive into the importance of having a cart abandonment strategy for your membership business, exploring practical tips and proven strategies to prevent potential customers from leaving the sign-up process.In this episode:Understanding the reasons behind cart abandonment, such as unexpected extra charges and confusing payment termsSimplifying the checkout process and minimizing distractions to encourage sign-upsAddressing technical issues that may lead to abandoned checkoutsClarifying and simplifying pricing to avoid customer confusion and abandonmentSetting up email automation to follow up with customers who abandon their checkout processKey Quotes & Takeaways:"Anyone selling anything online should have a solid cart abandonment strategy. It really is that important.""A study found that a significant number of people who abandoned carts did so because of extra charges they weren't expecting. Extra costs, unclear payment terms, and unexpected taxes can discourage people from joining or making a purchase immediately.""Ensure that you have an email automation that's triggered by an abandoned checkout, which tries to get people back to your site to finish signing up and make sure you're sending out that first follow-up email within an hour of that happening."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. IWe'd be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode

Did you miss me?That's right, your favourite source of membership tips and advice is back in town after a bit of a hiatus, and we've got a whole bunch of fantastic new episodes lined up for you in the coming weeks and months!Time to really level up your online membership...

Wow… 7 years of Membership Academy!It’s been an exciting year as we began 2022 with a rebrand. Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength as we’ve focused on growing our membership.Listen in as Callie and I discuss the highs and lows of Membership Academy and look ahead to what’s in store for the coming months and beyond.Go behind-the-scenes of our Academy roadmap launch and learn what surprised us the most. Plus, discover the changes we’ve made in order to grow our business.Join the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/For more membership growth tips,subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast and listen on the go!

In this episode going Behind The Membership, ClickUp consultant, Layla Pomper, chats to Callie to discuss how she went from accidentally creating a waitlist of buyers to running a membership with over 600 members.Layla reveals how she made the leap from service-based provider to thriving membership owner…Plus, she also shares how getting into the minds of her active members has been crucial towards her success.Essential Learning Points:The accidental marketing that led to a SURPRISE waitlist of potential buyers.How starting a membership has given people value while solving practical issues around software updates.How Layla made the transition from service provider to full-time membership owner.The ONE thing she’s used to overcome the challenge of supporting her members colleagues.The aspect that’s been one of the hardest things to build due to the nature of her niche.Reasons behind her pricing strategy in correlation to understanding member pain points.How recognizing the main value of the membership has led to worrying less about what free content to provide.The GREAT tip that Layla gives fellow membership owners on not making assumptions about their members. Important Links:  ProcessDriven Layla’s YouTube channelProcessDriven Collective FacebookLayla’s InstagramJoin the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/For more membership growth tips, subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast, and listen on the go!

How can you create a personal touch in your membership when you have hundreds or thousands of members to serve?...The bigger your membership grows, the more difficult it is to create a personal connection with individual members…But, if you want members to stick around in the long-term, and set yourself apart from your competition, forming a deeper relationship with people is essential!In this episode, Mike shares 8 simple ways to add a personal touch to your membership. Discover the one thing you can do to create an instant impact on new members, why short video messages can provide maximum value, and how to provide individual attention in a highly leveraged way. Join the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/For more membership growth tips, subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast and listen on the go!

Creating a membership is an exhilarating time…The creative juices are flowing…And there’s no better feeling than the buzz of a new member joining…But what happens when that excitement begins to fade?...In this episode, Mike explores 8 effective ways to prevent your membership from becoming a burden. Discover why content doesn’t equal value, the one thing you should do to prevent your membership from taking over your life, and why keeping things simple is important!Join the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/For more membership growth tips, subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast and listen on the go!

In this episode of Behind The Membership, artist, Josie Lewis, chats to Callie to reveal how she attracted over 800 members during her very first launch of the Art Revenue Coaching membership. Josie shares how pivoting her existing audience helped her to double her email list and validate her membership idea…Plus, she discusses the one thing she will do differently when her membership doors reopen. Essential Learning Points:How Josie overcame her fear of creating an online membership.The MAJOR benefit of online memberships that led to her adding this income stream to her business.The TRAP that many business owners fall into when they have an existing audience.The ONE thing that resulted in her DOUBLING her email list.How learning what the audience wants has been pivotal towards her success.What Josie plans to do differently for her next launch.The HUGE membership benefit that she didn’t anticipate.The model she plans on implementing within her membership to aid her members growth.Important Links: The Josie Show (Instagram)Josie Lewis Art (Instagram)Josielewis.comMembership waitlist – josielewisarcJoin the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/For more membership growth tips, subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast, and listen on the go!

What happens when the buzz of your initial membership launch dies down?In many ways, launching your membership is some of the easiest marketing you’ll ever do!But keeping people interested is a challenge….In this episode, Mike reveals 7 effective ways your membership can continue to make sales after launching.Discover what you can do to create FOMO (the fear of missing out), the one thing that exposes gaps in your marketing strategy, and why you should remarket to ‘almost’ buyers.Join the Membership Academy: https://www.membershipacademy.com/For more membership growth tips, subscribe to the Membership Geeks podcast and listen on the go!

Do you know what the average churn rate is for a typical online membership?How about revenue benchmarks?Average conversion rates?What about the most popular tech solutions? Or the most effective marketing channels?Truth is, there's very little reliable data available about the online membership industry.That's because this market is relatively tiny.It's a niche, of a niche, of a niche.What data we do have tends to come from either the broader subscription industry, or from membership associations.Neither of which reflect the online membership world.A few years ago we made it our on a mission to change that by conducting a survey of thousands of membership owners designed to shine a light on the real data and benchmarks for the online membership industry.And now it's time for an update...We’ve spent the past fews months tapping into our audience of tens of thousands of membership business owners to identify how they’re performing, what challenges they’re facing and which benchmarks and trends are prevalent.And we've compiled those results into the Online Membership Industry Report 2022In today's episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I'm sharing some of my top observations, takeaways, trends and other interesting tidbits and insights taken from this year's report.

How do you create the best member experience?That’s a big question to tackle, but we’re taking a swing at it in this episode of The Membership Geeks podcast.You’ll hear why the first four weeks are the most vital in the membership journey as far as setting the tone for the member experience is concerned. There’s also a five-phase approach and a comprehensive list of things to do within and after the first four weeks of a member’s journey.Armed with this information, you’ll get your members settled and engaged right off the bat.  Essential Learning Points:The importance of linking your deliverables to tangible resultsWhy you should draw out a roadmap for your member’s journeyThe bare minimum approach to enriching membership experience vs. the comprehensive approachHow pattern interrupts brighten up the membership experienceImportant Links & Mentions:The Membership GeeksMembership AcademyKey Quotes:“Gamification is a big thing that goes a long way to keep your members motivated because while it may seem like such a little thing, everybody likes to be recognized and rewarded for their progress.”“When it comes to providing a great member experience, don't overdo it. This isn't about doing it all because that's just going to overwhelm your members. Instead, pick the elements that will best help your members maximize your membership site to the fullest.”“A good member experience will not only create loyal and engaged members, but it will also turn those members into advocates. And happy members are your absolute best marketing asset."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.We would also be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in Apple Podcasts. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts to make sure that you never miss an episode.