The Membership Model: How to Build Recurring Revenue as a Creator
One-time sales are great. Recurring revenue is better. Here's how to launch a membership that grows every month.
One-time product sales are unpredictable. Memberships give you predictable monthly revenue. Here's how to build one.
Why Memberships Work
With one-time products, you start each month at $0. With memberships, you start with your subscriber base already paying. 200 members at $29/month = $5,800 before you do anything.
What to Include in a Membership
The key is ongoing value. Members should feel they're getting more than their money's worth every month. Options include:
- New content monthly — Fresh templates, tutorials, or resources
- Community access — A private space for members to connect
- Live sessions — Monthly Q&As, workshops, or office hours
- Resource library — An ever-growing archive of past content
- Early access — First look at new products before public launch
Pricing Your Membership
- $9-19/month — Lightweight access, content library
- $29-49/month — Premium content, community, live sessions
- $79-99/month — High-touch, coaching elements, extensive resources
Start at a price you're comfortable delivering value at, then raise it for new members as the library grows.
Setting It Up
With AwayBase, you can create a membership product with:
Retention Is Everything
Acquisition gets members in. Retention keeps them. Focus on:
A membership with 90% retention will grow itself. A membership with 70% retention is a treadmill.
Start Small
You don't need 1,000 members to launch. Start with 10-20 founding members at a discounted rate. Use their feedback to shape the membership, then open it up at full price.
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