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Membership Engagement Playbook (12 Strategies That Really Work)

Feb 20, 2025

Reader Disclosure

    It's a topic we discuss often on our blog...because it's the most important thing! Active members renew their subscriptions as well as participate in forums and bring in referrals. However, when engagement decreases then churn begins to take hold.

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Some time ago, I talked about the issue of churning memberships and how expensive replacing the members who have gone away than keep your current ones.

So, what do you think? keep members engaged, active, and excited to stay on the list and more active, contribute, spend more, and even get new subscribers.

In our company, our clients have collectively collected nearly $2 billion of revenue.

Let's look at methods that are effective!

What Is Membership Engagement and What is the significance of it?

What exactly is member engagement? It's how often and how effectively your users engage with your website as well as your community and offers.

A extremely engaged member frequently:

  • Logs in and browses multiple pages
  • Commentaries are posted, discussions are joined and participates in events
  • Completes courses and actively participates

Members recognize the value in their membership, which makes them more likely to renew, suggest others to join, and make use of cross-sells, upsells, and other benefits.

  • Struggles to navigate your site
  • Isn't it obvious that you can offer everything and more importantly,
  • (Brace yourself) has completely forgotten about the fact that

Some members might still remain subscribed, but not communicate with them. Having a passive membership is a possible warning sign.

Not everyone engages the same way. Certain people prefer reading content quietly while others thrive on discussion forums and live occasions. The tracking of various types of engagement will help you to understand and support your members.

We'll go over exactly that in our twelve strategies.

How to measure the level of engagement in a membership

As we've already touched on, high membership engagement looks different depending on what you offer. Also, it depends on what your target audience is.

If your website is for the self-paced study users may primarily engage by consuming content and taking courses on their own, rather than participating in discussions.

Because engagement isn't one-size-fits-all, the most effective way to gauge the quality of your engagement is by comparing it to your prior results. Ask yourself:

  • Are members engaging in more or less in the past than they did previously?
  • Does engagement increasing in tandem with membership growth or are you seeing a slowdown?

Key KPIs for Engagement to Monitor

Choose the metrics that best represent what is most important to your membership site:

  • The frequency of logins What is the frequency of members signing in?
  • Forum activity & post engagement - Are discussions active?
  • Module/course completions - Are members making advancement in their education?
  • Open and click-through rates Are they being engaged with your emails?
  • Attendance at events Do participants show in for live events?

Keeping track of the correct KPIs will allow you to spot trends, identify disengaged members, and refine the strategy for engagement.

The Key Strategies to Increase Membership Engagement

You don't have to wait until engagement becomes an issue to begin making improvements.

Here are a few methods our clients employ to keep their members interested. We've included guidelines, tips and other tools that can help you create an engaging membership website with WordPress.

1. Start building an Online Community

Have you noticed how often Reddit is on the first page of Google search results? Google hasn't explained the reason however, we can make an educated guess: People value conversations with real people as well as shared experiences.

A new mom looking for what she requires for her baby can rely on advice from other moms over a generic checklist of items.

A freelancer trying to land higher-paying clients may turn to a community of freelancers to get tips and strategies.

Your site's membership service is geared towards an niche audience with shared interest, and connecting those people adds enormous value.

When they're forming networks, looking for advice, or sharing experiences, a private group can be an important parts of your membership.

Create premium forums for community members in .

With social media frequently appearing to be a chaotic, hostile environment it is important to have a members-only community provides an environment that is secure and high-quality in which people can interact in a meaningful way. There are no ads, trolls or other irrelevant noise.

 How Do I Configure It

WordPress comes with a number of excellent plugins that can help you build a community right on your website. customers have found satisfaction with

  • BbPress - A simple yet effective forum application.
  • A feature-rich alternative for group and social network discussion.

If you're willing to host your online community on other websites take a look at:

  • Ideal for live chats in real time Particularly if your audience is tech-savvy.
  • It is convenient if your customers are already active on Facebook.

2. Incorporate Gamification

I'm an avid fan of gamification. In fact I owe my capacity to communicate in Spanish due to a specific green owl, a stack of badges, and a highly competitive contest to be at the highest position on the leaderboard along together with a friend.

If points or leaderboards won't be much use to you I'm confident that you'll find a certain percentage of your members that thrives on them.

For some (myself included), earning rewards is so gratifying that they'll consciously search your site to get their next high!

 How to Configure It

With GamiPress, you can add points, badges and awards to various activites on your membership site, including:

  •   Registering or logging into  
  •   Completing lessons or courses  
  •   Participating in community discussions  
  •   Leaving comments or replying to posts  
  •   Referring new members  
  •   and many more!  

No matter what plugins you're using on your site for membership, GamiPress likely has an integration to it as well as the ones we've listed in the following article:

  • (for subscriptions and online course (for subscriptions and online course)
  • BuddyBoss & the bbPress (for forum communities)
  • (for interactive quizzes and surveys)
  • Easy Affiliate (for rewarding referrals)

Then, to top it all off, it's totally free!

If gamification gets members excited to engage, what better way to make use of it?

3. Create a Loyalty Program

Do you want to improve the gamification process and engage your members longer? A Membership loyalty program may be the best strategy.

Point systems as well as VIP perks and exclusive rewards make people remain loyal and buy more. The results of airline miles and coffee shop rewards speak for them. But guess what? It works equally well on websites for membership.

Studies show that nearly 90% of peopleare more inclined to stick when they are a member of a brand which offers a loyalty plan. Even better? The fact that over 90% of businesses declare that loyal members are spending up to four times more than non-members.

 How to Reward your most engaged members

Through the help of a loyalty plan that you join, you are able to turn rewards and points into rewards in real life. Here are some suggestions:

  • Offer members the opportunity to earn a incentive after one year of membership, maybe an exclusive Q&A session or Discounts for VIPs.
  • You can offer an incentive incentive for the completion of the course or program of coaching,like an exclusive certificate or even a gift card.
  • Use points-based perks for engagement. Examples include more content, or a shoutout in your community.

An Business Coaching membership like this might provide "Platinum Membership" status following one year, unlocking exclusive coaching calls and networking benefits.

 How Do I Install It

It makes this simple. The system allows you to provide tiered access and set up the possibility of sending an automatic email with an upgrade link each time a user reaches an important milestone, whether that's time-based (X years of membership) or action-based (completing a course or program).

If you want to go further Utilize your gamification plugin to track participation and reward manually those who are most active with:

  •   Discounts on renewals  
  •   Special Content or VIP benefits  
  •   Physical items like shirts or event tickets  

There's another plugin that can be used to give badges and points according to activity and then convert engagement into real reward.

4. Make use of email campaigns

Are you thinking email is an old fashion thing? Think again. Email remains one of the strongest methods to keep your customers active. It's direct, personal, and - unlike social media algorithms it ensures your message will be seen.

Consistency and relevancy is important. Your emails should be a reminder to members of the reason they joined in the first place and make them feel excited over what's to come.

 Types of emails that Drive Engagement

Remain committed to keeping your members returning using:

  • Exclusive Content Updates Update your library with new information as well as behind-the-scenes information, or an early glimpse of upcoming content.
  • Invitations to Events and Reminders Promoting live workshops, Q&As or networking occasions (and send a reminder to make sure they don't miss the event! ).
  • Personalized Recommendations - Suggest courses, articles, or discussions based on their activity.
  • Have you not seen them for a while? Offer a soft nudge along with the highlights reel of events they've lost.

 How to Set It Up

Through an online marketing tool, such as , you can:

  • Automated email sequences for onboarding, course progress, or membership milestones.
  • Segment your audience according to their behavior so members only get emails that matter to them.
  • Make use of dynamic contents to tailor subject lines and suggestions.

An effective email message is able to reignite interest, spark participation, and keep members interested for the duration of time.

5. Special Perks and Giveaways

Everyone enjoys freebies giveaways - special offers and giveaways bring excitement, encourage the participation of members, and help them feel valued.

Your members will be delighted by exciting perks and surprising reward that will make them visit more often, engage more deeply, and stay longer.

 Ideas for giveaways and Perks

  • Member-Only Contests Offer giveaways in which the active members are eligible to win unique benefits. (Example: "Comment on this post for a chance to win a complimentary 1-on-1 coaching session!")
  • Extraordinary Bonuses - Send random discounts or exclusive content to engaged users to keep them engaged.
  • Referral Reward offer perks such as the chance to get free membership months or exclusive content to members who sign up new customers.
  • Milestone Rewards Reward anniversaries, course completions, or contributions to the community with a customized reward.
  • Partnership Agreements Partner with popular brands and provide exclusive cross-promotions for your members.

 How To Install It

You don't need a complicated setup. It is easy to give discount coupons that are time-bound to encourage participation.

If you truly want to create buzz, we

We love this plugin (and employ it on our own!) to run giveaways. The participants could earn extra entries by engaging in your posts, inviting a friend, or following your social media accounts to name a few of the many available actions.

It also helps you choose a winner at random.

An well-run giveaway or exclusive reward keeps your audience excited, engaged, and people talking about the benefits of joining.

6. Surveys and Quizzes

Have you noticed a pattern already? Interactivity keeps participants engaged. The best membership experiences go beyond delivering contents - they offer members ways to be active and actively shape the course of their lives.

 How to Add Interactivity by incorporating Surveys and Quizzes

  • Utilize surveys to collect valuable member insights and discover what members like and would like to see more of.
  • Create questions on online courses so that students can self-assess and monitor their improvement.
  • Allow for deeper involvement with assignments - they need 1:1 feedback to give users a more personal experience.

 How To Configure It

  • It is the most popular among our users. It has built-in templates for surveys which make it simple to create interactive feedback forms. It also offers AI-generated forms or a drag-and drop creator that allows for complete customization.

 The more interactive your member experience, the more invested your members will be.

7. Live Chat

When members have a question and need answers, they do not want to wait hours for the response to their email They want their answers right now. Real-time support makes your membership site look more responsive, useful, and driven by community.

Live chat connects members through real-time access to support. Fast responses help members remain engaged, avoid disappointment, and make the most out of their membership.

 How To Set It Up

  • Provide instant assistance for common questions Helping users stay on the right track instead of getting stuck.
  • Chat is a great tool for building community - Live chat features enable real-time conversations between participants.
  • Automate responses with AI chatbots Give quick responses to FAQs while keeping your staff available to handle larger issues.

 Top tools for Live Chat on Membership Sites

  • - Ideal for combining live chat and a complete support ticket software.
  • - Great for small teams that require an easy, reliable chatbot and live chat solution.

 Adding live chat keeps users engaged, decreases the amount of friction and makes your website feel more like a social network instead of a mere content hub.

8. live events, webinars and Office hours

We enjoy helping customers develop automations and passive income streams to keep their membership websites sustainable and profitable.

 However, live events possess particular engagement abilities which make the effort worthwhile.

If it's an event, events give members the motivation to login at a specific time.

Why is this so crucial? Since when something is accessible anytime, users often put off participation - and sometimes forget about it entirely.

Live events can also provide an distinctive relationship between the participants and you. You can give your members the treatment they deserve by paying them your full focus, thereby building connections and confidence.

 What makes Group Sessions work So Well

Discussion groups, group Q&As, and webinars can also be an opportunity for participants to gain knowledge from each other. When members hear questions, insights and examples of real-world situations from peers They're more likely:

  • Join a large, active community.
  • Gain new perspectives or suggestions they've never considered.
  • Get inspired to share their personal experiences and build more engagement.

The events could provide a feedback loop in which members grow together and are more involved within the local community.

 How To Configure It

Here are some tools that will host live events as a breeze:

  • - An excellent all-around tool to host webinars, calls with groups and even 1:1 office hours.
  • Ideal for professional webinars, with sophisticated attendees trackers.
  • Google Meet - A simple, free alternative for sessions with fewer participants.
  • Great for live webinars with easy-to-use engagement features.

Live events give participants a reason to show up, connect and remain active. Whether you host an informal Q&A session or a full-scale webinar, it's worth it to bring your members to one place in real-time.

9. Member Challenges & Milestones

I'm in love with the 30-Day Challenge. The idea of making an positive impact within a predetermined, manageable time frame is so appealing.

And content creators have known this for years - and who doesn't know someone who's joined the Yoga with Adriene challenge?

The challenge is also an excellent means of showing your members how you can provide significant worth within a brief duration. They're motivating, take action and a proof of how your participation can create a meaningful difference in the lives of your members.

This is why challenges can be an engaging mine of gold. They keep members engaged, motivated as well as re-evaluating their performance.

And don't forget milestones. Breaking longer challenges in smaller joyful moments helps motivate participants and helps keep the momentum moving.

 Ideas for Member Challenges

  • 30 Day Productivity Challenge - Help members boost their focus with every day productivity tips and tools.
  • seven-day writing sprint - Perfect for bloggers and writers who want to start their next venture or to establish a regular writing routine.
  • 21-Day Kickstart to Fitness This program was created to increase strength, flexibility, or endurance in small, achievable stages.
  • 30 Days to Learn an Ability Learn a crucial skill like photo editing, code, or public speaking through brief, concise lessons.
  • Personal Finance Challenge - Help members get their finances in order by taking actions-oriented steps such as tracking their spending, creating a budget, or saving a certain amount before the end of the contest.

 How To Install It

The process of creating and managing the challenges are easy.

  • Create goals-driven programs that provide members with step-by-step instructions.
  • Utilize routine tracking to increase daily, weekly, or biweekly participation.
  • Automatically reward members when you reach milestones by rewarding them through personalized messages or exclusive material.

This is just scratching the surface of what could do using CoachKit(tm). Take a look at this video to learn more:

How to Create an ONLINE Coaching Program On WordPress using CoachKit (tm) (Full Tutorial)

10. Member Spotlights & Success Stories

It makes the featured members feel special and motivates others to join your group, while highlighting the importance of your membership to the world.

It's also an excellent way to foster connection. If your participants see people hitting milestones, tackling difficulties, and excelling, it creates the ripple effect of motivation and participation.

 Ideas for Member Spotlights and Success Stories

  • Blog Features- Write a article about an individual who has accomplished their goal, complete with their tale, their insights and suggestions for others.
  • Social Media Shoutouts Highlight users of Instagram or Facebook with photos, quotes, or a quick video.
  • Video Interviews- Hop on Zoom with an outstanding member and hear them talk about their experiences in their own phrases.
  • Award for MembersStart a "Member of the Month" tradition and celebrate the achievements of members with a special feature.
  • Milestone Spotlights - Share updates as members achieve milestones, such as finishing an entire course or being part of the 30 day challenges.

 How To Install It

  • Send out emails to your clients via email or surveys and inquire about their successes.
     Use a tool like Formidable Forms to let members submit their stories effortlessly.
  • Tell their tales within your network, on your blog, or even as part of the new email-based campaign.

As well as being an enjoyable moment, recognizing your members' success can be a great method to increase involvement, foster community and show your members that they're at the center of your site.

11. Drip Content

It is well-known that maintaining the flow of unique material is the basis of any great member experience. However, offering that content every week, at regular times isn't an easy feat!

Drip media is tried and tested that is a well-known strategy to keep members engaged over long periods of time. It also builds anticipation and helps ensure that they don't get inundated by too much information all at once.

 How Do I Set It Up

It's easy to set up drip rules for content to be released on every page, blog post as well as a course or lesson.

  • The freedom in deciding:
  • Which are the items you would like to drip-release
  • Frequency (daily, weekly, etc)
  • The exact date of release
  • Whether you want the content to end after a certain length of period.

12. Accountability Groups & Mastermind Sessions

Did you have any idea? 70 percent of people who establish goals never achieve them. Think of those resolutions for the new year made in January, but then completely abandoned by - wait, which month does it happen to be? Yes, it's February.

But here's another interesting stat: A study by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) found that people are 65% more likely to achieve a goal if they tell someone else about it - and that number jumps to 95 percentage by having a specific accountability time.

 Accountability can turn your good intentions into tangible progress - including engagement on your site.

If members join in small groups and form small groups, they keep themselves motivated, encourage one another, and can make tangible advancement for themselves - whether trying to achieve a goal in business, leveling up a skill, or completing a course.

 How to Set It Up

  • Make co-coaching groups by using CoachKit(tm)
  • Set up private forums by using bbPress or BuddyBoss
  • Hosting weekly or biweekly Check-ins that allow members to report on their how they are doing, make goals and receive feedback.
  • Mastermind live calls via Zoom or Crowdcast where participants are able to collaborate, problem-solve, and stay accountable

Accountability groups are great to increase engagement and retention since members build solid bonds with others in your community. And if they feel connected, they're more likely to sign up.

If you do not have a system of accountability set up it may be the missing component that will take your commitment to the highest stage.

Last Thoughts: Make sure that Members are engaged and invested

We've covered a lot of ground. Don't you think? We hope that this will open your eyes to possibilities to improve membership engagement on your site.

We've reviewed 12 ways that your subscribers can connect, participate, and gain value from the ongoing membership.

The key word is: ongoing. Keeping engagement current, interesting and relevant throughout the course of time is what makes a membership truly useful.

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Start today!

Start getting paid for the content you create.

The majority of your success is down to seeing what the members of your team react to, and adapting as you go.

You don't have to implement all 12 strategies right away. Start with small steps. Choose a few options which are suitable to your organization and try them out. Simple, deliberate actions can result in big successes.

 What strategies do you plan to try initially? Tell us in the comments section below!

If you've found this post helpful, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!

author avatar

Victoria Lloyd       Victoria has a knack for creating small, humble beginnings into massive achievements, and has taken her jewelry brand from the vibrant buzz of London's street markets up to more prestigious locations such as that of the Royal Academy of Arts and Topshop's Oxford Circus flagship store. Her expertise doesn't stop at physical items. Victoria has a proven track record of boosting online engagement for a variety of brands. From innovative startups to household names like Nokia and Jack Daniels, Victoria has employed her unique blend of wordsmith magic along with strategic thinking and digital expertise to boost higher engagement with brands and increase SEO. In her blog , Victoria leverages her diverse experiences to help simplify and decode the intricate world of online membership and growth for businesses. She's on hand to assist users with her exclusive insights, helping them to successfully and effectively build their communities online and membership websites.