If you currently operate an online business, then you realize how vital it is to get the word out concerning your product. You will want to do the same with your membership site if you want it to be a winner.
Try these steps to begin your campaign. A few of the same marketing strategies that you used for your online business ideas will work, but they may need to be tweaked a tad. You will understand what we portend in a minute.
1. Target the correct marketplace. This more often than not goes without saying, but your market may have changed a bit with the membership site. If your target market was those interested in fitness, the group that would pay for a fitness membership website might be a much more focused group of fitness buffs who are resolute about staying in shape or who would like to be fitness trainers. You’ll have to modify your sales pitch just a bit.
2. Use unique content. Your visitors already get the run-of-the-mill stuff everywhere else. Present them with something that is novel or has a different twist on an old problem. Utilize snippets of your articles on the home page so that they get a sample of what they will see if they sign up to become members. Furthermore, don’t forget about SEO marketing. High search engine rankings, as you know, attract extra traffic to your membership website. Make use of one way backlinks from blogs to increase your rankings.
3. Make contacts like crazy. Use all of the avenues open to you. Guest blog for some of your business connections. In your bio, publicize the membership site. Find your way onto guest spots on online radio shows and business podcasts. Avail yourself of social networking venues like YouTube to establish a viral marketing campaign utilizing video media. It can be a plain video utilizing an energetic PowerPoint presentation put to music or with audio.
4. What about an affiliate program? This will be promoted from within the membership. Present the affiliate program to your members as a means to make a profit from the membership with your site. Also propose incentives at various levels as their sales rise, like a second tier affiliate program that provides residuals for referrals.
5. Offer a free trial membership. For three or four days (a week if you choose), offer those who will sign up for emails and newsletters restricted access to the membership area. Entice them by giving them access to a few articles, but as soon as they click on links for eBooks, exclusive reports or video for more in-depth information, they are redirected to a page that says those items are only accessible with a paid membership. Or…Offer a trial membership for only one buck. Would-be members can pay just $1 and receive trial access to the members area for a full 7 days. If they determine not to go on with their membership, they can simply login and cancel their subscription. If not, in 7 days time, they will be billed the standard subscription fee and get access to everything in the membership.
To drive traffic and swell your membership, you will have to market a lot. But, if any of your existing patrons are interested in taking their knowledge to the next level, encourage them to become members and bring their friends. Utilize the abovementioned steps to launch your own membership site and you will be successful. You can then join the happy company of elite membership site owners. Then, you can relax and feel the enthusiasm intensifying in you, as you realize that… finally… you’ve taken perhaps your most decisive steps yet to establishing the type of financial freedom you long for.
