Creative Hosting News

A Playbook for Membership Engagement (12 Strategies That Really Work)

Feb 20, 2025

Reader Disclosure

    The topic of membership engagement is discussed often on our blog...because it's everything! Active members renew their subscriptions, participate in discussions, and also bring referrals. However, when engagement decreases, churn sets in.

WHAT'S INSIDE          Toggle

In the past few weeks, I talked about the issue of churning memberships and the cost replacing lost members than to keep the ones you've got.

Well, guess what? keep members engaged, active with the organization, and they'll stay subscribed to participate in more activities, pay more and bring in new members.

Our customers have collectively raked in more than $2 billion in revenue.

Let's look at strategies that actually are effective!

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

The first question is what is the term "membership engagement"? In simple terms, it's the amount and frequency with which effectively your users engage with your website, community, and offerings.

A very active member often:

  • Logs in and navigates through multiple pages
  • Leaves comments, joins discussions as well as attends meetings
  • Participates in classes and takes part actively

These members appreciate the benefits from their membership, making them more likely to renew, suggest to others and benefit of upsells and cross-sells.

  • You're having trouble navigating your site
  • Doesn't realize everything you offer, or worse,
  • (Brace yourself) have completely forgotten about the fact that

There are members who may have a subscription, but they don't engage - the passive status is a possible alarm sign.

There are many who do not engage in the same way. Some prefer to read content in a quiet manner and others prefer to participate in discussion forums as well as live occasions. Monitoring various types of participation will help you to understand and support your members.

That's exactly what we'll cover in our twelve strategies.

Methods of evaluating Membership Engagement

As we've previously discussed, high membership engagement looks different depending on what you offer. Also, it depends on the type of audience you're targeting.

However, if the site is designed for the self-paced study, members might primarily engage by consuming content and working on courses by themselves and not engage in debates.

Since engagement doesn't come in a single size It is the most effective way to gauge the level of engagement is to compare it against your past results. Ask yourself:

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

Key Engagement KPIs to Follow

Choose the metrics that best define what's most important for your site's membership:

  • Login frequency - How often do users signing in?
  • Forum activity and participation in discussions Do discussions remain ongoing?
  • Module/course completions - Are members making progress in their learning?
  • Email open & click-through rates Are they engaging in your email marketing?
  • Event attendance Does the group show at live events?

Keeping track of the correct KPIs can help you identify trends, find disengaged participants as well as refine your engagement strategy.

Key Strategies to Boost Membership Engagement

It's not necessary to wait until engagement becomes an issue to begin improving your business.

Below are a few techniques our customers use to keep their members interested. We've included suggestions, the best practices as well as instruments to help you build an engaging membership website with WordPress.

1. Build an Online Community

Are you aware of how frequently Reddit appears at the top of Google search results? Google hasn't explicitly explained why, but we can take an educated guess: People value conversations with real people and shared experiences.

An first-time mom thinking about what she needs for her newborn is likely to seek advice from fellow mothers rather than a standard listing of products.

A freelancer trying to land higher-paying clients will look at a group of fellow freelancers who can offer advice and tactics.

Your site's membership service provides your specific audience that has common interests that connects those members is a huge benefit.

If they're looking for networking opportunities, guidance, or sharing their experiences, the private community could be one of the most valuable aspects of your participation.

Design and build premium community forums .

In addition, with social media being a chaotic and unfriendly place, it is important to have a members-only community offers a protected, high-quality environment in which people can interact in a meaningful way. There are no ads, trolls or irrelevant noise.

 How To Install It

WordPress comes with a number of excellent plugins that will aid you in create a community on your website. customers have found satisfaction with

  • BbPress Simple yet effective forum application.
  • A feature-rich alternative to social networks and group discussion.

If you're open to hosting your community outside your website Consider:

  • - Great for real-time chats Particularly if your customers are technologically adept.
  • - Convenient if your members are already engaged on Facebook.

2. Incorporate Gamification

I'm an avid fan of gamification. Indeed I owe my capacity to learn Spanish to a particular green owl, an assortment of badges and the highly fierce contest to be at the top of the leaderboards together with a friend.

If points or leaderboards aren't doing much for you I'm confident that you'll find a certain percentage of your members that thrives on them.

For a few (myself included), earning rewards is so gratifying that they'll consciously search your site for their next dopamine hit!

 How to Install It

GamiPress is a great tool for enhancing your membership experience. GamiPress, you can earn points, badges and achievements to all sorts of activites on your membership site. This includes:

  •   Signing up or logging into  
  •   Learning lessons or courses  
  •   Participating in discussions within the community  
  •   Comments or replies to posts  
  •   New members are referred to as "referrals"  
  •   and more!  

Whatever plugins you're using for your site for membership, GamiPress likely has an integration for it as well as the ones we've listed in the following article:

  • (for subscriptions, online courses and other (for subscriptions and online course)
  • BuddyBoss & bbPress (for community forums)
  • (for interactivity quizzes and surveys)
  • Easy Affiliate (for reward-based referrals)

And to top it all off And to top it off, it's absolutely totally free!

If gamification gets members motivated to participate, should we not make the most of it?

3. Create a Loyalty Program

Want to improve the gamification process and engage your members more? A membership loyalty program could be the perfect weapon.

Points systems, VIP perks, and special rewards encourage people to stay longer and spend more. The popularity of coffee shop rewards speaks for their own merits. But guess what? is just as well for the membership websites.

The research shows that almost 80% of consumersare more likely to stay in a company that offers a loyalty program. Even better? More than 90 percent of companies say loyalty members spend up to 4 times more than those who are not members.

 What Can You Do to Reward Your Most Engaged Members

With an loyalty plan it is possible to convert the points you earn and achievements into tangible perks. Here are some suggestions:

  • Provide members with a reward after one calendar year and maybe an exclusive Q&A or Discounts for VIPs.
  • Give an incentive reward for completing an educational or coaching course,like an exclusive certificate or a freebie.
  • Make use of reward points to encourage engagement. For example more content, or the opportunity to be featured in your group.

A Business Coaching membership like this could offer "Platinum Member" status following an entire year and grant access to private coaching sessions as well as networking perks.

 How To Configure It

It makes this simple. It is possible to offer the option of tiered access and set up the possibility of sending an automated email with a link to upgrade whenever a member reaches a milestone - whether it's time-based (X years as a member) or an action-based (completing an activity or course).

To take it further Utilize your game-based plugin to monitor engagement and then manually reward your most active members with:

  •   Coupons for renewals  
  •   Exclusive content or VIP privileges  
  •   physical swag such as the t-shirts and event tickets  

There's another plugin you can use to assign points and badges in relation to the activity you've done, then transform engagement into actual reward.

4. Use Email Campaigns

You think email is outdated? Don't be. Email is still one of the best methods to keep your customers interested. It's direct and personal. It also unlike the algorithms of social media it ensures your message is seen by those who read it.

Consistency and relevance is essential. Your emails should be a reminder to members of the reason they started the club in the first instance and make them feel excited over what's to come.

 Types of emails that Engage Users

Make sure your members come back by providing:

  • Exclusive Content Updates - Discuss new content including behind-the-scenes insight, as well as earlier access to content that is coming soon.
  • Reminders and Event Invitations - Promote live workshops, Q&As or networking events (and send a reminder to ensure that they don't forget! ).
  • Personalized Recommendations Provide suggestions for topics, courses, or discussions based on their activity.
  • Have you not seen them for long? Give them a friendly push with the highlights reel of events they've missed.

 How Do I Set It Up

By using an online marketing tool, such as , you can:

  • Automated emails to help training, onboarding and milestones for membership.
  • Segment your audience based on behavior - such that users only receive emails that matter to them.
  • Use dynamic contents to tailor subject lines and guidelines.

The right email sent at the right time will revive interest, stimulate engagement, and keep the members active for long periods of time.

5. Prizes and exclusive perks

Everyone enjoys freebies - special offers and giveaways generate excitement, increase engagement, and let members feel appreciated.

Make your friends feel special by offering them fun perks and unexpected benefits They'll keep checking in more often as well as engage with you more thoroughly and stick around for longer.

 Tips for Giveaways and Perks

  • Member-Only Contests - Run giveaways where the active members are eligible to win unique rewards. (Example: "Comment on this article to have a chance to win a free 1-on-1 training session!")
  • Surprise Bonuses Offers random discounts or exclusive content to active members to keep them excited.
  • Referral Reward In exchange, you can offer benefits such as free months of membership or exclusive content to members who sign up new members.
  • Milestone gifts Honor milestones and course completions or other community involvement by giving a special reward.
  • Partnership Deals Join forces with the brands that your customers love and give exclusive cross-promotions to your customers.

 How To Install It

You don't need a complicated setup. Make it simple to provide discount coupons that are time-bound to encourage participation.

If you truly are looking to make a splash, we

We are awestruck by this plugin (and we use it too!) to host giveaways. The participants could gain additional entries by engaging on your blog, sharing it with someone else to follow your social media profiles to name a few of the numerous actions you can take.

It also helps you choose the best winner randomly.

A well-run giveaway or exclusive perk keeps your community excited, engaged, and talking about your membership.

6. Surveys and Quizzes

Are you noticing a trend in the past? Interactivity keeps participants engaged. The best membership experiences don't just provide content - they give members the opportunity to take part and influence their journey.

 How do I add interactivity with Surveys and Quizzes

  • Utilize surveys to gain important information about your members and learn about what they like and would like to see more of.
  • Create questions on online courses so that students can self-assess and track their progress.
  • Provide deeper engagement in assignments These require 1:1 feedback, giving users a more personal experience.

 How to Set It Up

  • is a favorite amongst our clients. It is pre-built templates for surveys which make it simple to create form-based feedback that is interactive. Additionally, it offers automated forms as well as a drag-and-drop constructor that lets you fully customize.

 The more interactivity you can provide your member experience will be, the more engaged your members will become.

7. Live Chat

When members have a question, they don't want to wait hours for an email reply and they're looking for answers now. Real-time support makes your membership site appear more responsive, accessible, and a community-driven.

Live chat connects members through immediate access to assistance. Fast responses help members keep their attention, prevent disappointment, and make the most of the benefits of their subscription.

 How To Set It Up

  • Provide instant assistance to common queries Helping users stay on the right track instead of getting stuck.
  • Chat is a great tool for building community Live chat functions allow for real-time interaction between members.
  • Automate response with AI chatbots - Provide quick answers to questions while having your staff available to handle larger issues.

 Best tools for Live Chat on Membership Sites

  • - Ideal for combining live chat along with a comprehensive support ticketing software.
  • Ideal for smaller teams that require an easy, reliable live chat and chatbot solution.

 Live chat can keep members engaged, reduces stress, and helps make your site feel more like a place for interaction rather more than just a hub for content.

8. live events, webinars and Office Hours

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

 Live events, however, have unique engagement capabilities which make the effort worth it.

Whether it's a , these occasions give users the motivation to login to a certain date and time.

What is the significance of this? Because when something is readily available all the time, people often put off taking part - or even forget about it entirely.

Live events also create an unique two-way connection between the participants and you. It's a chance to give them VIP treatment with your direct focus, thereby building connections and confidence.

 How Group Sessions Work So Well

Discussion groups, group Q&As, and webinars are also an opportunity for members to learn from each other. When members hear inquiries, tips, and real-world examples from their peers and are more inclined to:

  • Join a large vibrant community.
  • Learn new perspectives, or get tips they might not have previously thought about.
  • Get inspired to share their personal experiences and build more engagement.

The events could result in a feedback loop that lets members are able to grow closer and feel more invested within the local community.

 How Do I Set It Up

Here are some tools that will host live events as effortless:

  • - An excellent all-around tool for group calls, webinars, and time-based office hours.
  • Perfect for professional webinars, with sophisticated attendee trackers.
  • Google Meet - A basic, cost-free choice for small-sized sessions.
  • Great for live webinars that can be easily engaged with.

Live events provide your members an incentive to be there, stay connected and remain engaged. Whether you host the occasional Q&A event or large-scale webcast, it's worth the effort to bring your community online in real-time.

9. Member Challenges & Milestones

I'm in love with 30-day challenges. The idea of making an positive change in a specific, manageable period of time is enticing.

Content creators have been aware of this for years - and who doesn't have a friend who has participated in an Yoga with Adriene exercise?

The challenge is also an excellent means of showing your participants how you offer real benefits within a brief duration. They're arousing, action-oriented, and proof that your members can make significant changes in their lives.

That's why challenges are indeed an engagement mine of gold. They keep members focused, driven, as well as re-evaluating their performance.

Remember milestones too. Breaking longer challenges into shorter, celebrations gives members extra motivation and helps keep momentum up.

 ideas for member challenges

  • 30-Day Productivity Challenge help users improve their concentration by giving them everyday productivity tools or tips.
  • seven-day writing sprint This is a great option for writers or bloggers looking to get started on their next writing project or build a writing habit.
  • 21-Day Kickstart to Fitness This program was that is designed to improve endurance, strength, and flexibility endurance through small, manageable stages.
  • 30 Days to Master an Ability Learn a crucial ability such as photo editing, programming and public speaking with short, actionable lessons.
  • Personal Finance Challenge Help participants put their finances in order by taking practical steps, such as keeping track of the amount they spend, creating a budget, or saving a certain amount before the end of the test.

 How Do I Install It

With , creating and managing problems is easy:

  • Build goal-based programs that guide members step-by-step.
  • Make use of the habit tracker to encourage daily, weekly, or biweekly engagement.
  • Reward members automatically when they achieve milestones. You can reward them by sending personalized messages or exclusive content.

It's just scratching the surface of all you can accomplish with CoachKit(tm). Take a look at the following video for more details:

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 also inspires other members in your community all while highlighting the importance of your membership to the world.

It's also a fantastic method to build connections. If your participants see individuals who are achieving milestones, facing obstacles, and succeeding this creates an energizing effect and participation.

 Tips for Spotlights on Members and Success Stories

  • Blog PostsMake a piece about someone who's achieved their objectives including their personal tale, their insights and tips for other members.
  • Social Media Shoutouts Highlight people of Instagram or Facebook with photos, quotes, or a quick video.
  • Video InterviewsJoin Zoom with one of our top performers and allow them to share their journey with their own speech.
  • Members AwardsStart a "Member of the Month" tradition, and honor the achievements of members with a special feature.
  • Milestone spotlights Updates are shared as members achieve milestones such as completing a course or participating in the 30 day challenge.

 How Do I Set It Up

  • Contact your clients via email or surveys and inquire about their successes.
     Use a tool such as Formidable Forms to let members send their tales quickly.
  • Tell their tales in your community and on your website, or even as part of your future email marketing campaign.

As well as being an enjoyable moment, recognizing your members' achievements is an effective way to drive participation, create community and let your members know that they are the heartbeat of your business.

11. Drip Content

We all know that keeping an ongoing flow of exclusive material is the basis of any successful membership experience. But offering that content each week on regular time intervals is no small feat!

Drip-based content is a tried-and-tested solution as well as a popular method to keep users interested for long periods of long periods of time. It also builds anticipation and ensures they're not overwhelmed by too much all at once.

 How to Configure It

It's incredibly simple to set up drip content rules to release any page, post or course class.

  • You have complete flexibility to choose:
  • Which items you want to drip-release
  • Frequency (daily, weekly, etc)
  • Exact time of release
  • You can choose whether you wish for the content to end at a specified duration.

12. Accountability Groups & Mastermind Sessions

Did you not know? 70 percent of those who make objectives never reach their goals. Think of all the New Year's resolutions that were made in January, but then completely aborted by which month does it happen to be? Oh yeah, 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 percent by having a specific accountability time.

 Accountability turns your good intentions into tangible growth - and that includes engaging visitors to your website.

When members connect in smaller groups and form small groups, they keep themselves motivated, encourage each other, and make real advancement for themselves - whether striving to meet a specific business objective, leveling up a skill, or completing a course.

 How to Install It

  • Form co-coaching groups using CoachKit(tm)
  • Private forums can be set up using BbPress or BuddyBoss
  • Host biweekly or weekly check-ins in which participants report their the progress made, establish goals and receive feedback.
  • Mastermind live calls using the platforms of Crowdcast or Zoom in which participants can work together with each other, solve issues, and remain accountable

Accountability groups are great to increase engagement and retention as members develop solid bonds with others in the community. When they feel connected, they're more likely to stay signed for.

If you don't have a system of accountability in place yet This might be the missing element that takes your engagement to the next stage.

Last Thoughts: Make sure that Members are Involved and Engaged

We've covered a lot of ground, didn't we? I hope this article has opened your mind to some of the ways you can improve participation on your site.

We've reviewed 12 ways that your subscribers can join, be active, and realize the value of their subscription.

And that's the key word: ongoing. Keeping engagement current, interesting and valuable for a long time is what makes a membership truly worthwhile.

cta character

Take Action Now!

Get paid to create the content you produce.

The majority of your success comes in observing how people respond to, and adapting as you go.

It's not necessary to apply each of the twelve strategies at once. Start with small steps. Pick one or two that are appropriate for your membership and test them out. Intentional, small steps can lead to big victories.

 Which strategy will you test first? Let us know in the comments below!

If you've found this post informative, make sure to connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!

author avatar

Victoria Lloyd       Victoria is a pro at making small-scale beginnings into huge achievements, and has taken her jewelry business from the vibrant buzz of London's markets, to high-end locations like the Royal Academy of Arts and the Topshop's Oxford Circus the flagship shop. Victoria's expertise extends beyond physical products. Victoria has an established track record of boosting online engagement for a variety of companies. From innovative start-ups to famous brands such as Nokia and Jack Daniels, Victoria has employed her unique mix of wordsmith wizardry as well as strategic insights and digital expertise to boost higher engagement with brands and increase SEO. In her blog , Victoria leverages her diverse knowledge to deconstruct and simplify the intricate world of online membership and business growth. She's here to guide readers through her insightful knowledge, assisting them in successfully and effectively build their communities online and membership sites.