Enhancing the value of your membership community

Last updated
Nov 29, 2023
How can perks help enhance your online community? Learn how to offer a competitive advantage and delight your members.

Membership communities offer people with shared interests the opportunity to connect with likeminded others, access valuable courses and content, and the gurus who lead them. Whether it's a community for runners, cyclers, or puppy lovers, people are willing to pay membership fees for the value they receive.

Adding value to members

Membership communities are built on the premise of bringing like-minded individuals together and providing them with a range of benefits. Members gain access to a network of individuals who share their passions and interests. Additionally, they have the opportunity to access exclusive content, receive relevant information, and engage in discussions that are meaningful to them. The sense of belonging and shared experiences fostered by membership communities make them appealing to people who are willing to invest in their interests and personal growth.

Communities often cost anywhere between $0 and $500/month, with most around $20-30.

Adding perks into the mix

A great membership community is one that can assist members with recommendations and deals on related, complementary offers that members may already need.

  1. Members can passively browse a perks page accessible only to members – deep, exclusive, relevant deals you can't find anywhere else.
  2. Add complementary discounts on related products and services to enhance your core offering while generating referral revenue.
  3. Thank your members for taking certain actions, like engaging in the community, sharing on social, or finishing a course module.

Impacts of a well designed program

  1. Conversion of free members to paying members: Exclusive access to valuable discounts and savings through a perks program can incentivize free members to upgrade their membership to gain even more benefits.
  2. Regular member engagement: By consistently offering valuable savings on products and services that members desire, perks programs can encourage regular member engagement. Members become actively involved in utilizing the benefits provided by the program, ensuring their continued interaction with the community.
  3. Offsetting membership fees with significant savings: When the discounts are deep, members will feel like it can offset their membership fees by providing them with opportunities to save thousands of dollars on relevant brands and services.

Membership communities thrive on providing value to their members. By adding a perks program to your membership engagement plan, you can increase your conversions, engage members regularly, and help offset membership fees with significant savings. Ultimately, such programs help strengthen the sense of belonging, loyalty, and satisfaction within the community while supporting members in pursuing their passions affordably.

About the author
Adrienne Kmetz
Adrienne is a marketing expert with a career history of working in startups of all sizes, from early stage to series A. She has 17+ years of experience writing about business, finance, and entrepreneurship. She went to Colorado College where she majored in skiing.
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