Terms

Acquisition is often discussed as a crucial element in every business plan. However, Michael Gillespie, who leads Customer Success here at , has observed a largely overlooked aspect of member-based business that happens immediately after acquisition upon boarding.

"A significant portion of members are focused on selling the membership. However, after the sale is completed then the difficult phase commences!" says Michael. Initial interactions with a new member are crucial to membership because it requires an aspect of interaction with humans that you're not likely to encounter in other fields.

What exactly do you mean by be able to successfully board an individual? "Onboarding is a term that may apply to your membership. It may be the reason that triggers an event, for example a welcome email and some members might not be able to continue onboarding," Michael explains. However, he feels that onboarding is meant to set expectations. It lets new members understand what benefits they can expect by joining your community - not just immediately however, also over the following months.

"Onboarding generally is presented as an uninvolved experience and does not offer a clear path for the members" Michael adds. One way to go about this is to assume that, when first interacting with your community, your new member isn't aware of the proper way to proceed. Lack of knowledge creates obstacles that hinder the new member from engaging members with the way they wish to.

Common sequences for onboarding

"In an average membership I register someone as a member. Then, I then send them an email invitation, and they receive up to five or three links to content I'd like them to engage with, and then I'm finished" Michael says. "Members are overwhelmed or unserved."

Members who don't receive the onboarding guidelines, they will not remain engaged, and they will frequently be turned off. But those who are aware of what actions they should take are more likely to remain committed. "It's essential to build the impression of a dedication from the new members," Michael says. "Tell your new members about the places you'll take them on the journey of joining."

"If you're a producer Do you wish for someone to be a part of a particular program? Are you hoping to get people to be involved with another form of content? If you're not able clearly explain to members why you're working and in particular, why you're doing it, they're going to be making an effort to navigate through the users in a vacuum." he explains.

     For those who are producers, your onboarding can encourage people to watch this particular episode    

This is the single event which causes the highest change in membership during the initial phases of joining. "You've been given a window of potential of an hour. Are there any actions you'd like the customer to take? Find out what you hope to gain from the procedure and then design a process to ensure that you provide an enjoyable encounter for all participants," he adds.

Remove barriers to ensure the best possible experience on board

If you are planning your onboarding procedure first, you must consider what you want to achieve. "Do you desire the new customer to upgrade to a different tier that offers more advantages? Perhaps you've joined as a monthly customer, but are you looking to upgrade into a yearly subscription?" Michael asks.

It might be taking an educational course or reading an article. "Most those who are who are beginning their journey don't plan out their intended outcomes," he adds. "Make an outline that includes 3 and 1 intended outputs. Ask yourself 'What are some barriers that may stop the creation of these outcomes Are there any barriers to achieving these outputs? There are always obstacles to those who are involved with your group."

They could come from costs, time or a combination of the three. "Folks only have a limited quantity of time. They are very busy; they have a lot of distractions" Michael explains. "Is there a price barrier that prohibits upgrades? If there's another product similar to the one on the market, what's making this member choose the subscription instead of another?"

The lack of knowledge can be a barrier. "Members aren't always informed about where they are supposed to be' as members of the organisation. What's their purpose? Where would they like to be one year from now?" Michael asks. "The faster members can grasp what benefits they can reap, the more quickly they'll buy into the process and help you achieve the results that you'd like to be able to see." Engagement early on could be beneficial: one method for onboarding involves asking participants to answer a welcome email, including details about the challenges they're experiencing.

Transparency: tell the members what you expect during the process of onboarding - and the benefits they'll receive if they choose to participate. "Don't feel bad about letting the members know about what you're trying to achieve. The ones who have a high alertness to your intentions are the ones who will respond when you require them to. They will remain for the longest time," Michael smiles.

Welcome videos

The welcome emails for new members are easy and powerful to help new members get started. the majority of new members are expecting the welcome email to come shortly when they sign up. But at we think you can go one better: "You have a small possibility of wowing the potential customer," says Michael. "Memberships with an onboarding video in their initial onboarding experience have a 50% reduced churn rate during the initial two months of membership."

Welcome videos can enhance the value of participation. "One of the most exciting possibilities in the current situation of membership is to interact with human beings," says Michael. "Automation and AI-generated content is amazing, however membership has benefits that go beyond having an individual aspect distinct to it. In the event of a conflict between what members believe they're missing in current membership services, it's the human touch."

Jay Klaus from Creator Science offers a great video tutorial on how to get started "In his welcome email it includes a short video that will be welcoming you. The message explains the reasons for why he's doing what he's, and he lays out what you can expect during the next six months," Michael explains.

     Jay Klaus from Creator Science provides a wonderful intro video    

This is a great way to ignite engagement during the first stages of initial onboarding. In the case of video content, the proportion of users clicking on video is more than seventeen times that of text hyperlinks. "Put your message to the center, no matter what you're looking for, but be sure to humanize your message to your target audience. Create it once and then deliver it many times over," he adds.

Roadmaps

The onboarding email must include the plan. Set expectations for how customers can access their benefits? Are there any specific dates for those benefits, perhaps each week? What is the process to access these benefits? Should they verify their email? Should they sign in to their account?

"This can be a nebulous part of membership, but telling your members the benefits they're receiving is essential in order to reduce the amount of churn during the initial 2 months," Michael explains. "Members shouldn't be left to come up with a solution for themselves."

There have been plenty of situations recently. "The welcome emails contain hyperlinks to a wealth of fantastic information, but members are disorientated. When this happens it's possible to have an unengaged member, or you end up having a person who's lost and won't put in an effort to visit your website to learn more regarding the topic." the author continues.

It's not possible to put too much details in front of an individual in the form of the road map. There is a common belief that users are aware of how they are able to consume your content, however it's more secure to think a member knows nothing. "Explicitly provide every detail to users and there will be a reduction in the chance of churn," Michael adds.

Upsells

Many people do not think about selling immediately following having signed up a new customer. If it is done correctly this can become a significant part of onboarding and can result in significant higher profits.

Michael has noticed that new members are the most likely to be receptive to offers within the first two to seven days when they've bought an account. "It's easier to make members within the first few days because they already have the required background information regarding the membership. Already, they're 'one step in'" The author says.

The upsell offers that you can offer during the process of onboarding have a different place than offers on your website. The majority of the time they don't show on your website since they're available only during onboarding. "Once the person is an active member you are able to feel as if they're part of the organization. It's beneficial to give them upsells in order to provide them with a better satisfaction by offering extra benefits." He adds.

"Let's say you have the option of purchasing a monthly magazine, costing $ 6 per month. You offer a subscriber the chance to upgrade to a yearly subscription that provides value for an affordable price on monthly subscriptions. People who have been educated in onboarding are more likely to opt for an upgrade on their annual subscription. There are typically conversion rates that range from 30-40 percent in these promotions," Michael reports.

In addition, they are able to use your content for all the year round to utilize your materials. For members who take advantage of such deals, the lifetime value of those members is approximately four or five times higher than someone who did not accept the offer.

"Think about how you can improve the experience of your members. This could include added benefits to make a plan that is unique," Michael adds. "Every membership has a portion of customers who are active who are more likely to purchase offers in the first days. But, it is important to present the offer in front of the members."

The message in the welcome email that you receive may be something like this: "This week only, we're extending an offer for new members to sign up for an exclusive membership. It includes 3 personal membership coaching calls per month during the entire whole year. Two benefits to this deal that are: it's limited and has a clear date of when it's due to expire Also, it comes with an enormous savings.

It is possible to increase sales, which decreases the chance of short-term loss. "Members who receive 60 percent discount on the cost for an annual membership within the first week after signing up are eighty percent more likely to stay a member two years from now," Michael reports. "The increase in price only needs to incrementally increase by a small amount. But, in the end customers who sign up for the upgrade are long-term customers, which means higher profits for your business."

The conversion rates of upsells in the onboarding series are between seven and 10 times greater than that of purchases completed on the initial occasion. "If you're able to achieve a three percent conversion rate on your current membership, when you've signed up these members in the program, you can anticipate a 30 percent per cent conversion rate," Michael explains. If you provide upsells during the time of onboarding, your members can earn five times the amount of money from your membership on average as compared to those who do not make a profit on the offer.

Pricing

In terms of pricing, we would suggest not exceeding 50% when it comes to increments that differ.

"For example, I'm currently a year-round member. I've signed up for $50 per year. Then I'm presented with an offer to upgrade that grants me access to four or five different products for $75 per year. This is a jump of 50% however, this is a 50 percent increase in the amount you've already earned from the customer during the initial year," Michael explains. Within the next couple of years of membership, this customer is expected to earn an additional five to seven times as much income.

"Think about ways that you can add to the benefits already in place to create an even more enjoyable experience. The right upsell can result in massive amounts of cash which would otherwise be left to waste. There will be people within your company who are looking to have more experience." Michael concludes.

One advantage of upsells is the ability for users to immediately locate those individuals on the right date to enjoy the benefits. You'll get to maintain these gains for the next years and months if the client decides to make the switch.

We're hoping this can help in your strategies for onboarding. You are welcome to reach us via social media for questions. Best of luck!

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