"When should you start a membership?"

· 2 min read

This month marks the start of year three in my membership community, ​The Lab​. Since launch, we've kept the community at 200 members or less, and it's generated $629,700 for the Creator Science business.

I don't share those numbers to brag – I actually find myself sharing numbers like this less and less. But I share those two numbers (200 members, $600,000) because it makes peoples' eyes bulge.

What these numbers show is the absolute life-changing power of a great membership (without requiring a massive customer base).

The most common question I get asked about memberships is, "When is the right time to start?" And I get it! A community needs people – but not as many people as you'd think.

My first online community started with five people. Three months later, we had 20.

The great thing about slow growth is that you can go above and beyond in cultivating relationships. The role of a community builder includes being the bridge between members – and when you're small, it's easier to do that.

So the real answer to "when to start a membership" is when you have CONVICTION that you want to be doing a membership (for years). If you can get five initial members, I think you're ready. And you can get those five members by having 1:1 conversations with people you think would benefit from the membership.

Memberships can be a slow build, and in the beginning, it may feel like a lot of work for a small financial return – but that really depends on your pricing, So it's important to make assumptions and run the numbers – will this membership be sustainable? Will you be happy with the outcome?

Too many people launch their memberships with the assumption that they need to have a monthly option. They assume pricing should be $49/mo or $490/yr. But that's not true – YOU get to make all of those decisions. You can (and should) design your membership to best suit YOUR audience and needs.

You can play with pricing, how often your membership renews, and the member experience!

If you're interested in building your own membership and want help thinking through these variables, I cannot recommend my course, ​Build A Beloved Membership​, more highly. Students of that course have had their own five and six-figure membership launches – just read the testimonials.

Build A Beloved Membership
How to create a paid community with real engagement and real retention

And if you're really serious, ​consider joining The Lab​. This course is included in all membership levels.

👋
Want to see your question answered? ​Submit it here​.

Join the conversation

Recommended Next

Join 60,000+ Creators

Subscribe to the Creator Science newsletter for real-life experiments, expert interviews, and evidence-backed advice every week.

CTA