A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Paid Community for Your Fans
If you're an artist, creator, or influencer looking to better monetize your audience, launching a membership site can be a great way to go. Membership sites allow you to offer exclusive perks and content to your most engaged fans while earning recurring revenue.
In this post, we'll walk you through how to create your own membership site on Shopify using the Single app. We've helped dozens of artists get started with memberships, so we'll share our best tips for setting yours up for success. Let's get started!
Step 1: Install the Single App
Single is a Shopify app that makes it easy to create a membership site for your fans. It allows you to set up different membership tiers, customize perks and benefits, and manage members all in one place.
Once you install Single, you can get started on their free starter plan. This lets you setup everything we'll cover without any upfront costs.
Step 2: Set Up Your Membership Tiers
When you open Single, start by clicking "Memberships" and add the name for yours. Think of something clever or thematic that fits your brand, like "The Fast Laners Club."
Next, decide when you want to launch and how many tiers you want. Tiers allow you to offer different perks or content to fans based on their level of engagement. For instance, you may have:
- Non-Fan Tier
- Casual Fan Tier
- Super Fan Tier
Aim for the number of tiers you can reasonably maintain. Avoid stretching yourself too thin.
Step 3: Pick Your Membership Perks
Now it's time to load your tiers up with enticing perks. With Single you can offer:
- Early access to content
- Exclusive merchandise
- Welcome gifts at signup
- Discounts
- Live streams
- Really anything you can maintain consistently!
Just make sure the perks actually provide value matched to the tier pricing. For example, build the cost of a welcome gift hoodie into the price.
Step 4: Add Your Membership to Your Shopify Store
Once everything is loaded up, hit "Publish" in Single. This will give you a link to add your new members page to your site navigation.
Use Shopify's theme editor to further customize the signup flow and members area. Drag and drop elements to showcase perks, add FAQs, and more.
Step 5: Market Your Membership
Now it's go time! Start promoting your membership through your existing channels. Offer discounts or free gifts to incentivize signups. Listen to feedback and keep optimizing your perks and messaging.
It may start slowly, but remain focused on nurturing your program and delivering value to members. This will ultimately drive growth over time.
Conclusion
That covers the basics of getting started with a Shopify membership site using Single! Feel free to reach out if you need any help along the way. Just remember to stay focused on your fans and providing a membership experience they’ll love.
