STARTING A MEMBERSHIP · 7 MIN READ
You've got the knowledge, the experience and the big idea. But where on earth do you begin?
By Gemma · The Membership Maven
Let's talk about that membership idea...
You've got knowledge. You've got experience. You've probably got people asking you the same questions over and over again.
And somewhere along the way, you've found yourself thinking... “Could I turn all of this into a membership?”
Maybe you've seen other people doing it. Maybe you've been dreaming about creating a space where people can learn from you, connect with each other and stick around for more than a one-off purchase.
Or maybe you just really like the idea of having recurring revenue coming into your business every month. (And honestly, who wouldn't?)
But then come the questions. What would I actually put in it? What platform should I use? How much should I charge? Would anyone even join?
Before you know it, you've got 37 browser tabs open, you're comparing platforms you've never heard of, and the membership you were so excited about suddenly feels like a massive undertaking.
Sound familiar?
Well, before you build anything, there are a few things I want you to know.
1. You don't need to have it all figured out
One of the biggest mistakes I see people making is believing they need to have an entire membership mapped out before they can even think about launching.
Twelve months of content. A beautifully organised resource library. Courses, challenges, events, downloads, welcome videos...
Please don't do this to yourself.
You don't need a year's worth of content. You need a clear idea of who you're helping, what you're helping them achieve and how you're going to support them along the way.
Start there. The rest can grow with your members.
In fact, I'd encourage it. Your first members are going to teach you an awful lot about what they actually need, and that's far more valuable than spending six months creating content nobody has asked for.
2. A membership isn't just a subscription
This is a big one.
Putting a load of videos behind a paywall and charging people monthly doesn't automatically create a successful membership.
Yes, people might join because they're interested in your content. But why would they stay? That's the question I want you to start asking.
Because a good membership isn't simply about what people get access to. It's about what they get out of being there.
Maybe it's accountability. Maybe it's access to you. Maybe it's meeting other people who understand exactly what they're going through.
Or maybe it's having somewhere they can turn when they're stuck.
“People might join for the content, but they stay for the value they continue to experience.”
And that value doesn't always have to mean more content.
Sometimes a single conversation is worth more than another ten videos sitting unwatched in a resource library.
3. You don't need thousands of followers
I wish more people understood this.
You don't need to be internet famous to start a membership.
You don't need 50,000 Instagram followers, a massive email list or a personal brand that everyone recognises.
What you do need is a group of people with a shared problem, interest, goal or ambition that you're well placed to help them with.
Think about it.
If you had 50 members paying $29 per month, that's $1,450 in monthly recurring revenue.
At 100 members, that's $2,900.
Now, I'm not saying getting those members is effortless, or that everyone who joins will stay forever. There are costs, cancellations and plenty of work involved in running a membership.
But I am saying that you don't need an enormous audience to start building something worthwhile.
You need the right people and a reason for them to keep coming back.
4. Please don't choose your platform first
I know. I know the platforms are exciting.
You start looking at Mighty Networks, Circle, Skool and all the other shiny options, and suddenly you're imagining your beautiful new membership with all its lovely spaces and features.
But here's the thing.
Your platform is where your membership lives. It isn't your membership strategy.
Before you start building spaces, uploading resources or choosing colours, ask yourself:
Who is this membership actually for?
What problem am I helping them solve?
What will their experience look like?
How will I deliver value consistently?
Why would they want to stay?
Once you've answered those questions, choosing the right platform becomes a whole lot easier.
And you might even discover that you don't need half the features you thought you did.
5. Stop guessing what your members want. Ask them.
Here's something I wish more people would do before spending months building their membership.
Have a conversation with the people you're building it for.
Sounds simple, doesn't it?
But you'd be surprised how many people spend weeks creating courses, resources and entire membership spaces without actually asking their potential members what they need.
And I get it. You've got this brilliant idea, you're excited about it, and you want to get stuck in, but what you think people need and what they actually need can be two very different things.
Ask them what's frustrating them. What they've already tried. What they'd love some help with. And, importantly, what would make being part of a membership genuinely worthwhile to them.
When I started building The Membership Maven Academy, I invited 10 beta testers to come in and experience it before opening the doors properly.
And the feedback was invaluable.
“One of my testers told me how clear the onboarding experience was. They knew exactly where to start, could easily add events to their calendar and felt comfortable finding their way around.
They also mentioned that some of my welcome videos were a little long for someone already familiar with the platform.”
Now, that's the kind of feedback I love.
It told me what was working, what I could potentially improve and, most importantly, how someone was actually experiencing the membership I'd built.
And I wouldn't have known any of that without inviting people in and asking.
So before you disappear down a rabbit hole of building, find a handful of people who fit your ideal member profile and start having conversations.
You don't need a complicated survey or a massive research project.
You just need to listen.
Because the best memberships aren't built on assumptions. They're built around real people and what they actually need.
6. Think about the business you actually want to run
This one doesn't get talked about enough.
It's easy to get carried away designing the most amazing membership experience imaginable. Weekly live calls! Daily prompts! Monthly challenges! New courses every month!
Sounds brilliant, doesn't it?
Until you're three months in, completely exhausted and wondering why you've built yourself a business that requires you to be online every waking hour.
A membership should work for your members, absolutely, but it also needs to work for you.
If you love showing up live and having conversations, build around that. If you're better at creating thoughtful resources and giving people space to work at their own pace, that's fine too.
“There isn't one magic membership model that works for everyone.”
The goal is to create something sustainable, valuable and enjoyable to run, not another full-time job you accidentally created for yourself.
So, where do you actually start?
If I were sitting down with you over a coffee and you told me you wanted to start a membership, I wouldn't ask which platform you were thinking of using.
I'd ask you three things.
Who do you want to help?
Get specific. Not just coaches, business owners or parents. Who are these people, and what's happening in their lives that makes your membership relevant?
What do you want to help them achieve?
Think beyond the content you'll provide. What's the actual outcome, progress or experience they're hoping for?
Why would they want to keep coming back?
This is where we start thinking about the ongoing value of your membership.
Because when you can answer those three questions, you've got the beginnings of something really interesting.
And that's when we can start building.
You don't have to figure it all out alone
If you've made it this far, hopefully you're feeling a little less overwhelmed and a little more excited about the possibilities.
Starting a membership doesn't have to mean spending months building something behind closed doors and crossing your fingers when you finally launch.
You can start small, learn as you go and build something alongside the very people you're creating it for.
And that's exactly the kind of thing we do inside The Membership Maven Academy.
We work through the practical stuff, tackle the tricky questions and turn those membership ideas into something real.
No endless content for the sake of it. No unnecessary complications. Just practical support, useful resources and a community of people building alongside you.
About The Author
A little about me
I'm Gemma, The Membership Maven. I help entrepreneurs turn their knowledge and ideas into memberships people genuinely want to be part of. I'm all about people before platforms, practical advice and building a business that works for you.
READY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?
Got a membership idea? Let's build it together
You don't have to figure everything out on your own. Inside The Membership Maven Academy, you'll find practical masterclasses, helpful resources and a community of people building memberships just like you.