Teachable Membership Site: Increase Engagement and Drive Revenue With Membership

Creating a membership site is a powerful way to build a community, offer exclusive content, and generate recurring revenue. Teachable is a popular platform that makes it easy to launch and manage a membership site, offering robust tools for content creation, payment processing, and community engagement.  

Whether you’re an educator, coach, or content creator, Teachable allows you to monetize your expertise by offering subscription-based access to your courses and resources. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up your own membership site on Teachable, from planning and setup to marketing and retention strategies. But first, the basics.

What is a Teachable Membership Site? 

A membership site is a type of online platform where users pay a recurring fee to access exclusive content, resources, and a community of like-minded individuals. This content can vary widely, including video courses, articles, downloadable resources, live webinars, forums, and more. 

Membership sites often operate on a subscription model, with users paying weekly, monthly, or yearly fees to maintain access.

Learn more about our top membership platform picks here.

How Membership Sites Differ from Regular Courses

While both membership sites and regular courses offer educational content, they differ significantly in structure and approach. Here are a few ways membership websites are different from regular courses.

• Content Access: Regular courses are typically one-time purchases where students pay for a defined set of content. In contrast, membership sites provide ongoing access to content that is regularly updated or expanded upon.
• Revenue Model: Courses usually involve a one-time fee, whereas membership sites operate on a subscription basis, leading to a more predictable and continuous revenue stream.
• Community Engagement: Membership websites often emphasize community engagement, offering features like discussion forums, group coaching sessions, or live events. This creates a more interactive and supportive environment compared to standalone courses.
• Content Delivery: With courses, the content is often delivered in a linear, structured way. Membership sites can offer more flexibility, with content delivered at intervals, available on demand, or unlocked as members progress.

Overall, a membership site can be a dynamic and lucrative addition to your online business strategy, providing ongoing value to your members and a sustainable income stream for you.

Key Benefits of Having a Teachable Membership Site

As previously stated, membership sites offer an advantage over one-time course sales because they provide a reliable, recurring revenue stream. Members continue to pay as long as they find value, making it easier to predict and stabilize your income.

Other key benefits include the following:

• Community Building: Membership sites foster a sense of community and belonging among members. This can lead to increased engagement, as members interact with each other, share experiences, and provide feedback. It also allows you to build a loyal audience that feels connected to your brand.
• High Perceived Value: By offering ongoing access to exclusive content, tools, and support, you increase the perceived value of your offerings. This can justify higher subscription prices and encourage members to stay subscribed.
• Scalability: Once your Teachable membership site is set up, scaling it becomes easier. You can continue to add content, attract new members, and offer higher-tier memberships without significantly increasing your workload.

What is the Learner Experience Like on Teachable?

Learners can view membership tier options on your Membership sales page, where they can choose between free, monthly, and yearly plans and select the tier that best suits their needs. 

After purchasing a tier, learners can access all included products through the “My Membership” page in their account. They can browse your members-only content by section and click on any available product. Learners can also manage their subscriptions anytime from their profile. 

Pro Tip: You can see how your membership site content appears to learners by navigating to the membership tier and clicking “Preview as a student.”

Core Features of Teachable’s Membership Sites

Here are some of the most prominent features on Teachable that will help you launch and manage a successful membership site. 

1. Ease of Use

When it comes to creating and managing memberships, Teachable makes the entire process extremely easy. 

The dashboard is simple to navigate and there are prompts to help you through any process you choose. For instance, with just a few clicks, you can bundle your online course, community, coaching, and digital downloads into tiered pricing levels. 

This setup lets you control product access according to a learner’s tier plan. Each tier can be uniquely tailored in terms of pricing and included content.

Here are the simple steps to creating a membership tier: 

Go to the “Memberships” tab in the left-hand admin panel of your school, then click on Create a Membership Tier.

In the “Name” field, input the desired tier name, and click “Next”.

Use the “Sections” to add and organize your published products within the tier. After adding products, click “Next”.

Set the tier price by selecting the currency from the dropdown menu. You can also choose to set a monthly and/or yearly price for your online space. To offer the membership for free, select the “Offer for free” option. Click “Next”.

Once the tier is set up, you can continue editing and publishing or return to the Membership page.

If your school is on the Pro plan or higher, you can add more tiers to your membership to provide extra levels of access to products and services. Simply navigate to the Membership page and select “Create a new tier”. As you can see, this offers you a lot more flexibility than a simple private Facebook group.

2. Seamless Management of Membership Tiers

On your Membership dashboard, you can manage each membership tier separately. Each tier can have its own distinct pricing, content access, and settings. To update a tier, simply click the “Edit” button. If you need additional assistance, you can click the “Help” button located on the bottom right-hand side of the page. Once you’re satisfied with the results, click “Publish”. 

You can easily manage product access from your dashboard.

After creating and publishing a tier, all learners enrolled in that tier will have access to the products included within it. You can modify their access at any time by adding or removing products from both new and existing sections.

You can make quick pricing adjustments. 

You can adjust a tier’s pricing at any time using the “Pricing” tab. You can create a free tier, or set prices on a monthly or annual basis. Additionally, you can offer a tier as a free trial, with options for 7, 14, 30, or 90 days. The trial period starts when a student enrolls. 

Just keep in mind that pricing changes apply only to new members; existing members will retain their original price. 

3. Conversion-Optimized Sales Page

Teachable’s membership sites come with a customizable membership sales page that you can alter to match your brand using the simple page editor blocks. 

The membership pricing block will automatically show all published and visible tiers, making it easy for you to keep track of your content and offers. 

4. Detailed Membership Settings 

In the membership dashboard, use the “Settings” tab at the top of the page to modify various settings. Here are some of the things you can do: 

• Change the name of your membership product
• Add an optional subtitle
• Upload a product image

You can also adjust the Visibility settings to control whether your Membership product appears on the “All Products” page.

Pricing: How Much Does Teachable’s Membership Site Cost?

Note that although Teachable does have a free plan, in order to access their membership feature, you will need a paid plan.

Teachable has four premium plans that range in price from $39/month to $499/month if you choose an annual plan, which saves you 30% off their monthly plans. Your subscription choice will depend on what your needs are. 

For instance, the Basic plan only offers 500 members and 1 membership tier, so if you need more than that, then you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro plan with unlimited members and membership tiers. 

Learn more about Teachable’s pricing plans here.

Should You Create a Membership Site on Teachable? 

A membership business model is ideal for creators and entrepreneurs seeking to generate recurring revenue with the potential for limitless growth. 

It’s also perfect for those who want to build and engage with a community, fostering customer loyalty, trust, and superfans. 

This model works across various niches and industries and suits different types of content, from educational to entertaining.

While many industries can benefit, it’s particularly effective in industries where long-term commitment drives results, such as wellness, fitness, or talent-focused membership sites.

It’s also a great fit for education, such as business coaching or language learning, as it aligns with the continuous nature of teaching and learning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, setting up a membership site on Teachable offers a fantastic opportunity to generate recurring revenue while building a dedicated community around your online courses. 

By leveraging Teachable’s features, such as tiered pricing and exclusive communities, you can create a robust membership experience that engages and retains your audience. 

Whether you’re sharing insider knowledge, fostering a supportive community, or offering valuable bonus content, a well-structured membership site can significantly enhance your business and provide ongoing value to your members. 

If you’re ready to unlock the potential for sustained growth and success in your knowledge business, sign up for a free trial on Teachable to start planning your membership site today!

See Also:

• 19+ Membership Site Examples Worth Emulating [2024]
• 15 Ways to Promote a Membership Site
• Membership Site Pricing Strategy | Everything You Need To Know (2024)