Creating Content For Membership Sites
One of the things that first scared me about membership sites was the idea of having to generate fresh content every month.
Sometimes, it can be hard enough coming up with content for a stand alone product let alone doing it on a monthly basis!
However, there are several strategies that can dramatically help you speed up the process - especially if you are running a membership site because many of these strategies rely on your members who are creating the content for you!
Ryan Lee who is arguably one of the greatest “Membership Marketers” online (he runs over 25+ membership sites simultaneously every month) has just produced a new video where he shares a variety of his strategies for getting content created very quickly.
Even if you aren’t running a membership site, I found many of his strategies helpful for creating content for new information products, articles, blog posts etc.
Take a look:
At about the 7 minute mark, Ryan shares a strategy I have used during high level brainstorming strategies. I learned this technique from a very highly paid inventor/marketer named Doug Hall of the Eureka Ranch (www.EurekaRanch.com).
This technique can be extremely effective for generating fresh new ideas because it utilizes random stimuli and sparks regions of the brain that probably wouldn’t normally be engaged. Plus it gets you away from the “same old”.
After watching the video and hearing Ryan suggest this a big smile came on my face because I have never thought about using it to generate content ideas for a membership site - it just shows how sometimes even when we “know” what to do we never really “know” what to do!
Anyway, the video is full of many other great ideas and it’s a perfect source of stimuli for generating your own content ideas - especially if you are thinking about running a membership site.
Do you use any techniques to help you generate ideas for new content?
If so, share them below by adding your ideas in the “Comments” section.
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About The Author
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Stu McLaren is an trainer, consultant and affiliate manager for some of the world's top internet marketers. Access his free training sessions by entering your name and email in the form provided below in the "Get Updated" section.
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Other Websites of Interest:
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IdeaSeminar.com
MarketingWebGraphics.com
GetStartedWithInternetMarketing.com
GetStartedWithInfoMarketing.com
BasicListBuilding.com
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Jason said,
July 20, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
A few days ago you asked for comments from people that belong to memberships sites.
I belong to David Allen’s GTD Connect site for $48 a month. I joined to improve my productivity skills and get the latest and greatest from David … the inside track to to say. In that regard, I think you should be scared if you are not able to produce new content frequently. David produces maybe two items of new content a month, sometimes more, but I find for $50 a month I still want more.
Once your members get through the existing content catalog, they need new content consistently. If I were you, I would publish a calender of release dates and stick to the plan. Also, I would publish an insider blog of all updates. Otherwise, you get lost on what was released when.
Don’t do a member podcast because Apple stinks at secure podcasting. You will be flooded with support calls because iTunes does not warn when you enter an invalid user name or password, plus it confirms your login every time you open iTunes, very annoying and bad for your brand.
One reason I trust you, Stu, is that you take it easy with the e-mails and play it conservative in your tone. You don’t fatigue your customers. I also was a member of the 2k teleseminar secrets. I love Alex, but man … I am fatigued with Alex e-mails. Every time he does a mailing I get 300 e-mails. (gross overstatement) I love the guy, but gees … I think I’m under one to many of his pillars.
Please don’t think that if you get enough content to keep your members busy for a few months that will be enough, because eventually they will leave … but think about the consequences. They join and eventually leave unsatisfied? Ouch, that hurts your future business. But, if you sell a fixed duration membership … say 4 months for $x or 6 months for $y, that protects your brand and hopefully, your custovers leave happy. They are not on the hook for a purpetual bill and you are not on the hook to produce perpetual content.
The best news about the model I mention above is that your cutomers can always join again when they feel they’ve missed enough of the new updates … at the end of which they can, again, leave feeling satisifed.
I think this is ultimately, what would work the best. And also, consider me. I already belong to a membership site or two. While I would not join another one that bills monthy, I would pay $x one time fee for one that gives me access for an entire year, or 6 months.