Four examples of content you can make for your site's membership |

The process of creating the content you want to publish on your membership site can be daunting on the initial stages however it doesn't need to be. You can simply give the templates that have been tested.

Then, in the dead of the night, you awake with a cold sweat and realize:

If you're like me you need at least two cups of coffee in order to exit the near-panic and formulate an idea.

Since no one ought to be required to drink this much coffee this late at night , except for writers working on an assignment deadline or students preparing for the dreaded finals season and finals season, I've decided that I'll share my ideas -- with some examples different types of content you could create for your membership website.

#1. Resources that can be downloaded

What are the most common ways to browse for templates on the internet in the event you have to design a new workbook or throw together a professional form?

A lot of times, surely? I do it all of the time. I'm on the Typeform theme gallery anytime I need to create something sleek without sinking too much money or the rest of my day in it (or more importantly, causing trouble for the designer).

Are you not a model or a person? No worries. The term "downloadable" doesn't necessarily have to mean templates and forms. However, they're among the best examples.

Ebooks are especially helpful if your demographic skews towards women actually. Nearly twice as many women read ebooks as men.

Its success in creating short ebooks in Google Slides -- part of the free suite we mentioned in the previous section -- is shown. A businessman uses it to create every one of his lead magnets (short, sweet ebooks that help him create his own email list).

Open Jazz Studio includes audio downloads as well as transcriptions, lead sheets, and workbooks, as part of their offerings for their Piano Access Pass membership program.

Guides and worksheets are a popular staple for downloadable items on membership websites.

You can see the example in the " Quick Wins " benefit of Smart Insights' membership program.

In terms of topics that you could address with your downloadable materials, return to your drawing board and look at your audience personas. What type of resource can help them reach the objectives of your members?

It would be helpful to track their performance? Make a checklist for them or an exercise book.

Does your membership provide assistance for business? Build up an editable spreadsheet for them to input their information and analyze crucial measures.

It's easy to see. If it's helpful for your members, then it's something you need to create..

#2. Mini-courses and tutorials

In terms of helping What could be better than a step-by step guideline that backs up its suggestions with evidence and guides the reader in the right direction?

(Probably, but I'm biased about the data. It's sort of my thing.)

Blog Biz School's Chantel Arnett is the the master of combining this kind of material with downloadable resources. Check out what she offers:

If her material isn't useful in the form of templates, she's able to use it by offering a quick and precise education about material that is relevant to her target audience.

It's good to know that small-sized tutorials and courses don't have to be major cost to create.

They can be as simple as screen share videos where you walk members through a particular set of things -- for example, learning a new skill using software or tips for preparing for an interview or unique how-to blog posts where you outline the steps in depth.

But for the best results, incorporate video as much as you can. Videos can be used to provide on-demand instruction as well as improves retention for learners in addition to other advantages. .

Additionally, it's more mobile friendly than an endless wall of text It's important to consider this given that 67% of learners use their phones to get access to learning resources.

Chantel isn't alone who has seen results using this type of material via a membership. MarketingProfs uses tutorials and video learning to provide their content for their members, too.

Have you noticed that they've included additional items on the content list? If MarketingProfs is a two-time bestseller and marketing guru Ann Handley is doing it then you're definitely in the right direction.

Plus, it now lets you keep track of a user's progression throughout your online course and provides another reason to make use of this particular content type when you study the science for evaluating and using the effectiveness of video-based learning.

The content topics and inspiration will (again) boil down to the content that is useful to those who are accessing the information.

Luckily, with the ability to monitor your tutorials' progress and mini-courses' success using numerous information points that include not only the comments and feedback from participants, but also the development of students while they navigate through the files -- determining what's helpful is easier than ever before.

Not all content has to be static, however. If you're looking to engage your members with more personal interaction, you might consider this third type of content for your membership website.

#3. Interactive content

The snag with downloadable Mini-courses and resources is that they're essentially passive. Whatever charming you are, they're still an inert resource where the primary interaction is through observation.

This also puts more pressure to the content creator to produce more in-depth materials.

88% of professionals who work as marketers believe that content that is interactive differentiates their business from the rest of the market.

Unlike the other materials The key is to be careful not to overly scholastic when it comes to interactive content. Although a test on the subjects covered in your mini-courses might prove beneficial, but people are choosing the self-paced option to learn for an reason.

At the minimum the students probably won't have the free time to replicate a traditional class environment however much they do desire it.

Therefore, it is best to ensure that you keep your interactive content- particularly quizzes -to be light, similar to that which you can see below. .

If you have a membership that is geared towards fledgling marketers, for instance it is possible to make the following tests:

What your favorite burger toppings tell you about your most effective marketing channel.

Select five colors, and I'll let you know how excellent you are.

Are you Don Draper or Walt Disney? Find out in just two minutes.

Naturally, this humorous type of material may not be popular with your audience, but therein lies the issue.

As it's an interactive medium the audience can let you know if that's true and then you'll be able to alter your course.

For those who are more serious of the matter, live webinars are an additional form of interactive content you can produce for your customers. The name suggests that it's content that you create in real time However, preparation must be done in advance.

The entrepreneur Tiffany Williams offers regular webinars to her clients in her Rich Girl Academy program.

Every month, she picks a new topic of relevance to her audience and someone from her "team that includes Oprah" engages with her audience with a live seminar.

Because live webinars can be extremely time-consuming, this plan is a great plan for those who want to dig in deep to interactive content without overburdening their schedules.

Questions and polls in contrast they are less invasive and can be created and released at any point. Once a week should be an excellent starting point however, if you notice your participants withdrawing or showing low participation, you might want to spread them out further.

And then, finish your content with a dash of the spoken word.

#4. Audio files and podcasts

This last form of content is part-interactive and also downloadable. It's such a different content form that what we've talked about in the past, it merits its own quick mention.

This is a far cry from blog posts that have an average read-time of 37 seconds  regardless of how long they are.

But this is the best part about this kind of content:

Amy Porterfield makes use of them as well using several of the strategies which Justin employs by keeping subscribers engaged with interviews from experts, discussing relevant topics and trends in the field and offering practical advice to listeners.

Final word:

Audio files and live podcasts are a cost-effective, simple kind of content you can develop for your membership website in advance and regularly in addition to having such a an impressive level of engagement with your audience, they're definitely worth adding to your collection.

To make the most of these opportunities, bring in industry experts as well as other experts to discuss the latest trends within your field, and jam-pack a session filled with practical advice to give your guests.

Lips that are loose could sink ships, but for membership website content, they're a perfect way to stay in the forefront of customer satisfaction waves.

Your content cornucopia

Making content for your website can be daunting on the beginning however it doesn't need to remain that way.

Keep these points at the forefront when scoping out content:

The data should be saved to cloud storage systems. Loss of data can cause serious effects for small-scale businesses and with so many easy alternatives, there's really no reason to put yourself at risk.

Although you must make some content before you get going, you don't need to have everything ready from day one. You probably shouldn't. How your audience members react to and feel a connection with will influence your content plan as you progress.

When you are ready to dig into begin with free sources like workbooks, templates eBooks, infographics, and ebooks.

There's a good chance that someone is enrolling in your program in order to gain about something. Deliver that desire with mini-courses and tutorials that give them rapid victories throughout the day.

Then, mix things to create interactive content such as surveys, quizzes, or live webinars. Your membership site will go from dime-a-dozen to an engaging top-of-the-line.

Then, relax your lips and make audio files as well as podcasts.

Podcasts, specifically, are wildly popular for other membership websites and are fairly easy to create compared to other forms of content.

Take heart. While it might seem overwhelming at first, when you get rolling with content, you'll find your groove and your members will fit perfectly with you.