It’s been one year since I opened the doors for the Signmaker’s Society (my online membership site) for the very first time, and man, have I learned a lot. It was one of the scariest leaps of faith I ever took. So many questions bombarded my mind in the weeks leading up. Would people have fun? What if my talents aren’t good enough to share? Will anyone actually want to join?
I’ve been painting and lettering signs for years, yet I still was insecure about what people might think about me and my business launching my membership site. Yet, I persisted and did it anyway, because really, life is too short to care about what other people think about you.
I’m glad I did. Almost 70 members later, I created something to be proud of. Not to mention the amount of learning and growth this group has fostered in these women. They’ve learned how to paint and letter their own door hangers, devoting time to a fun hobby – but more than that, they learned a thing or two about being proud of themselves and taking small leaps of faith in everyday things.
Among these profound moments, here are five more things I learned in my first year of having a membership site.
1. Keep it Simple.
It’s normal to want to open the floodgates with endless information when you start. After all, you likely started a membership site to help others or to teach them something new. We think information equals value, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Too much information can confuse people! Think about if you were overloaded with information on a topic you didn’t know much about. Your brain would feel bogged down and overwhelmed, leaving you discouraged from pursuing something you were initially excited for.
An overflow of information causes people to fall behind. When people feel behind, they feel like they don’t have time to participate, and when that happens, they leave.
Keep things simple and easy to digest so your members will stay engaged and keep coming back for more fun.
2. Communicate with your members in multiple places.
Post on the group page if you have one. Post on your membership platform (like Kajabi). Send them emails and use a text service if you have that. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but people aren’t checking every single channel, and they’re likely to miss many important announcements if you communicate on one platform.
Things are busier than ever, and people forget to check messages. Multiple platforms will help guarantee that everyone will see the information.
3. Just because you said it once doesn’t mean everyone remembers it.
Or even saw it. I used to think if I recorded a video and posted it just one time, people would remember what I said. You have to remember your members are taking in a lot of new information. Just because you gave them information once doesn’t mean they saw it or remembered it.
On average, people only remember 10% of what they hear and 20% of what they read for the first time. Telling people over and over and over is key to knowing that they’re digesting the information.
4. Always test out your technology before going live.
I can’t tell you how many times in the last year I went to do a Facebook Live, and my Zoom wouldn’t work. Either the link to the live didn’t connect or it wouldn’t broadcast. We joke about technology going awry but brush it off like it won’t happen. It will—many times.
I had multiple issues constantly because of the changes made to Facebook and Zoom. Always test things out 30 to 45 minutes before actually going live, and be early EACH TIME to be ready and prepared.
5. Have your content ready 2 to 3 months in advance.
Woah, Jen, that’s a lot. I know, but you need it. It’s hard to get ahead, but things are so much easier when you do. It will ease the pressure on you to get the information out on time. Life happens, and things come up. This will delay you in creating new content. If you have your content planned out 2-3 months in advance, then you won’t have unnecessary pressure, and you won’t be running behind. Then, you’re free to look ahead and brainstorm like the creative you are!
