Marketing a Membership Site

Q:  Because spam is a no-no, how do I market my new membership site?
Donna Caissie
www.Extra-Assist.com

Hi Donna–

I'm glad you realize that if you build it, they will NOT come, unless you do things to drive them there.

Here are a couple of ideas for you:

1.  Develop a list by creating a free giveaway that solves a pressing problem of your list.  Create a squeeze page that promotes the giveaway and encourages visitors to sign up for your list.  It's best if you do this prior to the launch of your membership site.

2.  You can drive people to join the list through social networking, article marketing, blogging, and finding out where your target market for your site hangs out online.  A great tool I use for target market research is www.GetMoreClientsResearch.com, which has just released a new free version.

3.  Once you have some people on a list, start to reach out and touch them regularly with an ezine or blog, and upsell the membership site when you email your list.

4.  Create a panel of experts for your site and ask them to promote their selection to your site to their lists, or find other suitable JV partners who would be willing to promote your site to their list for an affiliate fee.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of promoting a membership site.  The two components that need to be in place to have a successful membership site are:
1.  a  large pool of hungry prospects who are already buying info about your topic
2.  a niched target market that is very focused (i.e. small business owners is too broad, but US-based accountants in small practices with less than 5 employees and who specialize in family business tax returns is very specific)

I would also encourage you to check out Tim Kerber's Membership Site Owner for great info and insight for people who run membership sites.

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.