how to structure a course as a membership

by Emmet Cormier MD 5 min read

How to structure a membership club or service?

Jan 23, 2021 · This playlist, which is actually course, number two, would need a separate audience tag, which I called tag number two. Okay. So now you're starting to think about, Oh, I could have a course in my membership and they would have to be restricted by audience tag. That audience tag would be applied when they bought something.

Does your membership model structure align with your Association’s members’ value?

Structure your membership course like a pro www.membershipwebsiteslab.com [email protected] 2 How are you going to deliver your course P.s if you’re delivering your course via video, you should keep them less than 20 minutes to make sure your members are engaged the whole time.

What is the best membership structure for your business?

Use Modules or Courses. Creating modules or courses is another way to provide some structure to your content. By breaking your content down into pieces, your members can follow through on their own time. Courses and modules allow you to segment your content based on topic and provide a clear path from start to finish.

What are the different types of membership clubs?

Jan 23, 2011 · For example, for membership of the A-list Blogger Club (which Leo Babauta of Zen Habits and I run jointly) we offer free access to any future A-list Blogging Bootcamps, as well as to all the material of past Bootcamps. Members get a monthly interactive masterclass, plus members-only monthly training seminars.

How do I organize my membership site?

Define your ideal member and target market. ... Validate your membership site idea. ... Pricing your membership site. ... Choose a platform to host your membership site. ... Design your membership website. ... Creating membership site content. ... Building your community.Jul 28, 2020

What is a membership course?

Access. With online courses, you grant students complete access to your course content after they've purchased it for a one-time fee, either for a certain period of time or an extended period. With membership sites, you grant members access to the content inside, for as long as they continue to pay their membership.Feb 19, 2019

How do you create a successful membership program?

Step 1: Understand Your Own Organization.Step 2: Be Clear on Your Offerings to Your Stakeholders.Step 3: Align Your Organization's Mission, Vision, and Goals with Your Stakeholders.Step 4: Weigh Your Membership Structure.Step 5: Dig Deep into Return on Investment When Setting Membership Price Levels.More items...•Jun 5, 2018

How do you structure a course?

3:378:04How to outline and structure an online course (Make an AMAZING course)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThink about where your student is now and the end result you'd like to create has opposite banks ofMoreThink about where your student is now and the end result you'd like to create has opposite banks of a river what major milestones. Will they need to achieve to arrive on the other side of the bridge.

What are 4 types of membership?

Types of membershipMember. ... Associate Member. ... Fellow. ... Honorary Fellow. ... Other membership conditions.

What should a membership include?

What should a membership site include?Written content like blogs or videos.Online courses.Live webinars.Perks for members like digital products or even physical merchandise.A community section or forum where other members can interact.Your archive of content.Exclusive downloads like worksheets, templates and more.

What makes a good membership program?

The best loyalty programs reward customers when they least expect it. While rewarding customers for making a purchase is effective at creating positive reinforcement, it doesn't create a memorable customer experience. Rewarding points on a customer's birthday is an easy way to enhance the customer experience.Jul 15, 2020

How do you structure an online learning course?

In this article, you'll find an overview of the 10 major stages of online course creation:Pick the perfect course topic.Ensure your course idea has high market demand.Create Magnetic and Compelling Learning Outcomes.Select and Gather your Course Content.Structure Your Modules and Course Plan.More items...•Sep 1, 2021

How do you write a course outline example?

A course outline should include the following sections:Course Name, Number, Credits and Description.Prerequisites/Co-requisites.Instructors Name, Contact Info and Bio.Course Schedule.Learning Outcomes.Content Breakdown by Session.Instructional Methods Used.Course Evaluation Process, Policies and Grading Scale.More items...•Jun 9, 2016

How do you structure an online course?

6 steps to creating an effective online course structure.Create an outline for your online course. ... Develop well-organized, bite-sized courses. ... Add interactivity to your lessons. ... Ensure a user-friendly navigation. ... Incorporate both synchronous and asynchronous eLearning styles. ... Ask for student feedback throughout the course.Oct 28, 2021

What is linking pages?

With linking pages, your user moves through your content by moving from one page to the next.

Why is it important to lay out content?

Strategically laying out your content shows your members exactly where to begin. Not only does this make their experience more enjoyable, but it will also prevent them from skipping around, getting confused, and leaving your site. Instead, they can find the information they need easily and efficiently.

Initial questions

Before I share my tips with you, let’s consider a few important questions.

5 Critical mistakes that can kill your program

You need momentum in order to start a membership program. That is, you need a bunch of people who are ready and eager to join. I reckon that you need at least 50 members in order to make it work. If you have less than that, the program will most likely fizzle out. Nobody likes hanging out in a dead forum where zilch happens.

How to monetize a membership program

The best way to monetize a free program is to create digital products that are tailor-made for your ‘captive’ audience. For example, I’m in the process of creating ebooks and podcasts about fitness and motivation for the Fitness Challenge at Goodlife ZEN.

How to set up a membership program

Setting up a free membership program is easy. All you need to do is to add a forum to your blog. I use the free WordPress plugin Simple:Press. It may not the best forum software, but it’s easy to install, and it preserves the appearance and branding of your blog.

So should you create a membership program right away?

Whatever your plans for a membership program may be, don’t be in a hurry to create it—especially if it’s going to be free. Wait until you have enough momentum, as well as a real reason for setting up a program. Then think carefully about the structure you are aiming for.

Content Library

Unlike the Content Update Model, the primary value offered with the Content Library Model is access to an existing collection of content that was published in the past.

Group Coaching

If you’re a coach or consultant — or want to become one — the Group Coaching Model, like the one Justin Jackson uses, is a terrific way to grow your business.

Professional Service

If you offer professional services like design, consulting, writing or anything where you’re paid for tasks or time, then a Professional Service Model membership is worth considering.

Product Bundle

If you already have other digital products like courses, ebooks, templates, cheat sheets or any other downloads, the Product Bundle Model can help you get more of your products into people’s hands.

Community

In a Community Model membership, members get value from being a part of a community of like-minded people who share a goal. (Note that mastermind groups also tend to follow this model, though they can occasionally include elements of other models.)

What is membership site?

Essentially, a membership site is a part of your website that is gated off from non-members. That means that members have to purchase or signup for access to the closed-off portion of your site. Location Rebel is a perfect example. Anyone can access the blog, home page, about page, and resources page.

What are the features of membership sites?

One of the best features of a membership site is the members . The more you allow for user interaction, the more information that’s being created within the site. This only makes the site more valuable as time goes on.

How long does it take to get a WordPress website up and running?

WordPress is flexible and relatively easy to use. Once you get hang of it, you can have a site up and running in an hour or two .

Is it bad to get all the benefits in one package?

Generally, the price is the biggest negative with these types of platforms. Getting all the benefits in one package does not always come cheap. You will usually have to pay a monthly fee to start, and if you get a lot of members who sign up, the fee will generally rise.

What is LearnDash plugin?

LearnDash is of the most popular LMS plugins out there right now. It’s a premium plugin, offering a number of advanced features including membership management, quiz and test management, content dripping options, and payment integrations.

Is LearnPress a free LMS?

LearnPress is one of the few free LMS plugin options out there, but you will have to make sure you have a theme that is compatible, so there could be some costs included. Because the plugin is free it’s not nearly as robust as many of the others, but it still has a landing page template, some gamification features, and allows you to drip course content.

What is LifterLMS plugin?

LifterLMS is another popular plugin that also offers a lot of add-ons for affiliates and eCommerce too. It allows you a bit more flexibility with creating courses, allowing multi-tear courses and pre-requisites for courses and it has some fun gamification features. You’ll also get the option to drip content, payment integrations, and membership management.

Coming up with creative membership level names

You’ve seen the membership tier cliches, and you don’t want your membership program to fall into that trap.

How many membership tiers should you offer?

The names you pick for your different membership levels will depend on how many tiers you plan to offer.

Pricing your membership site levels

Pricing a membership site is an art and a science, and you can get more advice on how to do it right in our membership pricing guide. Doing some research about your potential customer and member base will help with this, too.

Membership levels for different types of membership sites

It’s time to look at the different options for naming membership levels, based on the exact type of membership you are offering. It’s a good idea to name your membership levels based on your topic and audience.

Moving between membership levels

One thing that can also make or break your membership tier naming convention is how easy it is to move between tiers.

Name your membership levels in line with your brand

You probably have a lot of ideas by this point. Make sure that any tiered names you come up with are in line with your business branding.

How to run a membership club?

To run a successful membership club, you need to have a clear idea of who your target audience is. More than identifying their demographics (age, socio-economic background, educational background, gender, etc.), you should learn about what makes them tick.

What are the benefits of membership?

The Benefits of Running Membership-Based Businesses 1 Recurring revenue. While you can’t predict how much money you’ll be making with a standard business model, under a membership model, you can instantly tell how much you’ll be making per month. This doesn’t just reduce your anxieties about meeting your targets and covering overhead costs per month, it also reduces your marketing cost. 2 Consistent site traffic. This is especially true if you run a membership site—an online community/resource center where members can access exclusive content/services. If you regularly release content to a large following, you’ll be able to make a decent sum from PPCs and pop-up ads alone. 3 Instant feedback from customers. Having a direct line of communication to your customers allows you access to data that you otherwise wouldn’t get with a standard business model. 4 More opportunities to make money. With the audience that you currently have, you can workshop ideas and market more products or services on your site. You can sell related merchandise or offer a similar product at an additional cost to the pre-existing subscription plans. 5 Creating a community. Monetary benefits aside, there’s something beautiful in connecting like-minded folks and helping form life-long bonds between people.

What is the key to retaining membership?

Therefore, member retention should always be at the top of your list of priorities. Offering consistent, quality content or services is the key to retaining and (eventually) growing your membership base.

Is it easier to start a membership club?

These days, with social media and easy-to-use software, creating a membership club has never been easier! However, that isn’t to say that starting a membership club is a walk in the park. It still requires a great deal of patience, as well as having the right tools at your disposal.

Can an organization operate without funding?

An organization can’t operate without funding. Before you proceed with building your club, you need to know how you’ll cover operational costs, pay committee heads, and acquire the services or perks promised to members.

What is value based membership?

A value-based membership model allows members to bundle services and benefits or choose them a-la-carte depending on where they find the most value. This model offers different levels of flexibility to your members making it more in line with other non-association services your audiences already interact with.

What is ability to pay membership?

The more familiar ability-to-pay memberships are single-cost, all-access plans that offer the breadth of your services to anyone who joins. Long considered the industry standard, this model creates predictable revenue streams for your association. However, they are less attractive to members seeking flexibility.

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The Tiered Membership Structure

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The structure of your membership club depends on the kind of club you’re running and the services you offer. For memberships that provide content, music, entertainment and similar services, the tiered structure always works. Operating on a “get what you pay for” scheme, this structure’s leveling is based on how much …
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Category-Specific Levels

  • Another effective way to structure a membership club or service is to offer different products, perks and services to different types of people. For example, a professional organization in the advertising field can offer plans based on their members’ demographics such as Agency, Freelancer, Vendor, Educator andStudent. Membership clubs that usually operate on a category …
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Payment Term Levels

  • Unlike tiered levels that are divided according to how much members are willing to pay, the payment term membership level is split by how OFTEN members are willing to pay. Usually, members can choose to pay on a monthly, bi-annual or annual basis. This is one of the most popular membership level structures because it’s easy to understand. And if your membership si…
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How to Name Membership Levels

  • There are two important things to remember when deciding on a membership level name: 1. It has to be on-brand with the membership club, and 2. It has to give a clear idea of its position in the leveling hierarchy. First, it’s always a good idea to name your membership levels something thematically aligned with your brand. For example: 1. A professional organization for business p…
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