Essential Tools You Need To Run A Membership Site
I created Pin Power Method™ way back in 2017/2018 as a typical online course. I launched it with a small group of beta-testers to get feedback on the content and test the market.
What I quickly realized was, since Pinterest is an online app that is constantly changing and improving - I was having to update my course content - A LOT.
It didn’t seem to make sense to charge a one-time fee for content I was constantly having to spend time and money updating.
I also learned that what my students loved the most about Pin Power Method™ was the opportunity to have group calls with me to discuss updates, work on strategies, get feedback, and learn.
Then I read the book Surge by Mike Michalowicz - about spotting trends before they’re over-saturated - and the idea to re-create Pin Power Method™ as a membership was born.
(Related Post: The Best Entrepreneurship Books To Grow Your Business)
Running a membership as part of my business is way different than creating and selling an online course.
I’ve learned a lot of lessons since launching in December 2018, and I know which tools are essential to keep Pin Power Method™ working well for both me and my members.
The Membership Academy
When I first started considering switching Pin Power Method™ from a course to a membership, I dug into researching everything I could about planning and running memberships.
At first I came across a lot of the “Entrepreneur Bros” (you know what I mean) that were promoting their “how to make millions with memberships” programs - using cart open/close, huge paid ads budgets, scarcity marketing, and their buddy’s email lists.
Then I found The Membership Academy. This husband and wife team (Mike + Callie) not only run a successful membership site about memberships, but they both have podcasts that are well worth listening to.
The Membership Guys Podcast - is made up of bite-sized episodes that answer lots of questions about planning, building, and running a membership site. It’s my favorite podcast to listen to in the morning while I’m getting ready.
In fact, I wish I had listened to more of Mike’s episodes before I launched Pin Power Method™ because he addresses a lot of issues and considerations that came up later for me.
The Membership Academy is a massive resource for anyone building a membership site. Not only do they have an extensive library of training, they have exclusive discounts, live Q+A calls, and an active community forum.
Podia
Deciding how and where to create your membership site can be a daunting decision. Comparing features, costs, and user experience can make you cross-eyed!
Some people choose to create a custom site using Wordpress, themes, and lots of tools and plugins. While that does give you a lot of custom control, I knew I didn’t have the bandwidth to take that on.
After comparing Podia and Teachable, I decided on Podia to host Pin Power Method™ for several reasons:
All-in-one hosting of courses, downloads, and memberships.
All-inclusive price - NO nickel-and-diming you for extra features.
Intuitive and easy to use platform.
NO transaction fees - cha-ching!
Unlimited everything - no file size or type issues.
INCREDIBLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT
The customer support I’ve experienced every time I have a question or need help is second to none. The one and only time I had an issue that wasn’t resolved, the owner of Podia stepped in personally and took care of it.
After having met their Marketing Director, Len, at Craft + Commerce, I’m even happier to support their business. Just. Good. People.
Speaking of Craft + Commerce, that leads me to my third essential tool for running Pin Power Method™.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is my chosen email marketing company and I love them.
(Related Post: Back to Convertkit: Painful Lessons Learned + How-To Checklist)
I attended their conference for creators - Craft + Commerce - in 2019 and loved it so much I immediately bought my ticket for 2020.
Like Podia, they are good people, and I can’t foresee switching to another email marketing provider.
But besides being good people, their software and the services they provide are the best. I am in ConvertKit almost daily, working on emails, sequences, and maintaining a healthy subscriber list.
Using ConvertKit allows me to target, tag, segment, and create automated workflows for my audience (to lead them to Pinterest PowerUp) and for my Pin Power Method™ members.
Try ConvertKit for 30 days for free!
I also have in-depth training inside Pin Power Method™ on using email marketing (specifically ConvertKit) to build your email list with Pinterest and opt-ins.
Other Tools:
There are other tools and apps I use that help me run Pin Power Method™, but I don’t consider them essential - meaning I could make other choices to accomplish similar tasks.
See the complete list of recommended resources here.
These are totally worth mentioning:
Canva - graphics for marketing and creating opt-ins.
Facebook Groups - currently serving as my community forums.
Bonjoro - sending personal welcome videos to each new member.
Zoom - hosting our monthly group mastermind calls.
Are you considering a membership as part of your business? I’d love to know! Tell me in the comments below.
