4 business benefits your current members can provide

If you run a membership site, the value of your members might seem like it starts and ends with revenue – but there are actually several other ways they can benefit your business.

Along with the membership content itself, members make up the very foundation of a membership site. As such, they can be a great source of information, but it doesn’t stop there; your members are essentially the ambassadors of your brand! They can be particularly helpful when it comes to marketing your membership site, creating new products, and promoting brand growth.

With that said, we’ve highlighted some of these benefits to help you make the most of them!

A pre-qualified audience

One of the biggest benefits to running a membership site is that your members are pre-qualified for things like new content, new products, and marketing messages. They’ve already shown that they are interested enough in your stuff to sign up for a membership in the first place, and are simply much more likely to be responsive in the future.

You can tailor emails, newsletters, special offers, and optimize targeted marketing, retargeting, and segmented marketing by understanding your current members, often saving you the time, trial and error, and resources it can normally take to refine these methods. Plus, the efforts you do make will be more effective, as existing members generally have higher levels of engagement and conversion.

Another benefit is that your audience will be more receptive to upselling things like related products and services, extra downloadables or add-ons, as well as consulting and 1-to-1 coaching. When it comes down to it, members are just more likely to be interested in these things based on their existing membership commitment.

A source of useful information

It might not seem obvious at first, but members can actually give you a lot to work with when it comes to analytics, feedback about your products, the user experience, and other important data. They can even inspire all kinds of new ideas for fresh content, new products, or even changes to your site design.

Want to create meaningful memberships, or maximize your membership revenue? Want to find out what’s working and what’s not? Ask your members for feedback! Want to figure out where to direct your marketing efforts, or which types of content are getting the most action on your site? Your members can show you. Ultimately, members can give you all kinds of insights that can help you improve your content, site, and marketing – and potentially save you some time and money along the way!

The ultimate brand ambassadors

Can you think of a household name that your friends or family absolutely swear by? Whether they realize it or not, they’re advertising that product!

Members represent your brand when they talk about it with others. Word-of-mouth can be a magical thing – and when you offer something truly game-changing for people (especially when it enables them to level up their own life or work in some way), they are often compelled to talk about it!

With this (often unintentional) advertising comes more brand awareness, and that means more and more growth for your business over time. There is nothing more compelling to potential customers than proof of real-world results!

Social proof

With a competitive eCommerce landscape, increasingly savvy consumers, and the prevalence of online scams and fraud, social proof is more important than ever. The good news is that members can be excellent resources for things like testimonials, reviews, and use-case examples.

Building a community around your membership site fosters even more social proof through social media presence, which is perceived as legitimacy and authority through the eyes of the modern consumer. Whether you decide to offer a dedicated Facebook group, create a discussion forum, or host live Q&A sessions on interactive platforms like YouTube and Instagram, you’re showing (not telling) potential customers that you’re real – and you’re engaged.

Growing your community is huge in terms of your overall brand presence, and your members are an integral part of that process!

The true value of your members can not be overstated

As a membership site owner, you’re probably sitting on a wealth of information, resources, and support for your brand that can give you serious value and momentum. It’s not just about taking advantage of these things; it’s about maximizing, optimizing, improving, and/or growing your operation.

When it comes to reaping the benefits of your current members, think about the different aspects of how they interact with you and your content – and how you can tap into their experience to make improvements that benefit all involved, including you. It’s a win-win game!

What business benefits have you experienced in relation to your own members? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so drop us a comment below!