According to the author of the following video, membership software is imperative. Oddly enough, he also happens to be selling membership software and only gives one choice of membership software.
I respectfully disagree. Watch the video because his other tips are valuable and read below to learn about creating your membership program without membership software.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8rZxNtcT4k
All you need for a basic membership program is an e-mail program. It could be something as simple as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird (which is still free!). Depending on the size of your list, you could use an actual autoresponder program like AWeber or iContact.
If you’re just starting out, think about what you are offering in your membership program and how many clients you wish to serve. For example, let’s say you have a $97/mo coaching membership and you have 20 clients, you may not need a membership software program. Once you’ve gotten a few $2k months under your belt, you may decide to begin another membership program and are better able to handle the additional software expense.
You want your membership program to deliver content to your membership clients in a timely manner and you want them to be able to “opt out” when they’ve had enough. It’s really that simple.
If you provide too much content to your members at one time, they may become overwhelmed by the amount and opt out because they cannot possibly digest that much in one session. So spoon feed them a bit at a time and give them time to process the information and put it into use.
Remember to employ the simple solutions first and fully utilize the resources you already possess before you invest in software that may or may not give you a return on your money. The software does not always determine the success of your membership program.
The marketing of your membership program will give you a much larger return on your investment…then you can afford and will need the fancy software. Get the clients in the door first and use the magic of OPM (other people’s money) to purchase the membership tools.