I heard a great saying once (although I can’t for the life of me remember where I heard it) that said:
“They come for the content, they stay for the community.”
And it’s true.
People are drawn to your site based on content they have already seen. They make a decision based on your blogs, based on your videos and even based on your social media posts. If you’ve given them some trial content, then this is especially true.
Let’s be honest though, they could smash through your content fairly quickly and, if your site allows it, they could even download all of the content.
So what keeps them around? The community.
They stay for the support you offer them, and the support they get from the other members. It is that ongoing support, the answers to the questions, and the feeling of belonging that will keep them hanging around month after month.
So, when you are planning, you need to think about providing that community feeling and staying in contact with your members
A support group
A support group can be a great way to bring your community together in one place.
It could be a forum on your site, a Facebook group, a Linkedin group.
There are pros and cons to each, so make sure you consider where you audience is already spending their time, and where you want them to hang out.
Staying in touch
You need to make sure that they feel loved and wanted.
This could include live calls and Q and A sessions… but it will also include your emails.
You might send announcements when new content goes live, weekly wrap ups, or just email them some love.
Staying in touch is vital, especially if you are taking a monthly fee.
There is no quicker way to feel like you are unwanted as a client, than having paid a monthly fee every month, but having not heard from anyone for over 3 months.
Make a plan
Rather than finding that it has suddenly been 2 months since you’ve sent your last email, make sure you have a plan. Schedule content and touch points to make your audience feel loved and help build your support community.
So, how are you going to stay in contact, build your community and offer support?