Managing your Membership Site

Membership sites are a great way to create passive revenue in your business, or build a community of raving fans. They can offer an affordable way for people to try out your content or coaching programs, or you can use them as a free way to build a community and your list. I’m actually using a membership style program at another one of my site’s, www.projectsocialmedia.com, for content delivery. I also just finished setting up a membership site for the National Association of Women Business Owners – Salt Lake City as well. They’re an association that wants to be able to provide a members-only area for certain events, information, and community development.

While a lot of people just think of the standard subscription membership, there are actually lots of different ways you can use a membership site.

• Create a free membership site with members-only content as a way to build your mailing list
• Add a members area for coaching or consulting clients
• Ongoing content membership for a fee
• Protected download area for a course
• Modular course delivery system – great for courses or products that allow multiple payment options for clients. They can get immediate access to portions, as they make their payments.
• Online Employee or Team Project Management System

I came across a great interview with Chris Garrett (a high profile blogger) and he was interviewed on how he has developed several membership sites using WordPress. If you’re interested in some of his tips for building a successful membership site, check out the interview. Best part, it’s free!