For your community to really support you, you need to give them the opportunity to do so – by letting them know you’re offering memberships!
Before you announce your membership program, it’s time to think about whether you have something extra to offer, to encourage your community to support you.
4 paths to the perfect membership program
Every membership program is different. Offering exclusive content, an ad-free website, shout-outs in podcasts or no benefits at all – all of these options can work. It just depends on what would suit your project best and what drives your community.
37% of Steady’s top 50 publishers don’t offer any benefits – their members simply support them because they want the project to continue.
These four membership models are the most common
Support: members want to ensure the continuation of the project (no benefits are offered)
Exclusive content: members pay to access exclusive content behind a hard or soft paywall
Access to the community: members want to gain a sense of belonging and exchange information within the community
Physical/digital benefits: Members receive merchandise, event invitations or gifts
Which strategy are you most likely to adopt? Once you’ve decided, here are some more ideas for benefits and tips on how to implement them.
Take the Steady membership quiz
Which of these four strategies will suit you best? Take our quiz and find out!
Once you’ve decided
Here are some more ideas for benefits and tips on how to implement them. If you have questions or want to discuss something, you can do so in this thread in our Independent Media Community.
Offer exclusive livestreams
For many freelancers, authors and musicians, livestreams are an excellent way of staying in touch with their fans – and they can be an attractive benefit, too. Read on our blog how to offer exclusive livestreams.
Want to turn the quality of your content up a notch?
Join our Independent Media Community to get some fresh ideas on content quality and swap notes with other media makers.
Still have questions?
Send Manuel a message!
He wrote the crash course and will be happy to help you.
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