What to Include in a Membership Site: 37 Content Ideas For 2025

So you're ready to create a membership site that people actually want to join (and stick around for a long, long time). Smart move! Memberships are absolutely crushing it right now. What could be better than having reliable recurring revenue, deeper connections with your audience, and a community that practically does your marketing for you!?

But here's the million-dollar question that keeps everyone up at night: "What the heck should I actually put in there so people join AND stay?"

Don't worry, we've got your back. We're about to break down everything you need to know, from the three non-negotiables that every membership needs, plus tons of ideas that'll keep your members coming back for more.

Ready? Let's dive in!

The LIC Loop: Your Secret for Member Retention

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of what to include in your membership, let's talk about what actually makes members join and stick around. After working with thousands of membership creators, we've discovered that the most successful memberships nail three things:

Learn: Your members want knowledge, skills, and inspiration.

Implement: They need the tools, resources, and support to actually do something with what they learn.

Connect: Community and accountability are what transform a membership from "nice to have" to "can't live without". A wise man, Stu McLaren, once said: "People come for the content, but stay for the community."  

Together, it’s called the “LIC Loop”, and it's basically the cheat code for membership retention. Get this right, and your members will practically glue themselves to your community.

The Big Three: Your Membership Content Foundation

There are three content types that every membership absolutely needs. Think of these as your membership's foundation. If you don’t have them, everything else crumbles.

1. Onboarding Content 

Your onboarding is like the first 10 minutes of a Netflix show. It either hooks people or they're gone forever, and there are a few ways to make those first 24-48 hours count:

Welcome Video: This isn't just a "hi, welcome to the club" moment. Set the tone, share your vision, and remind them why they made the smartest decision ever by joining you. Explain the step-by-step process and transformation that they’re about to get as a result of working with you.

"Start Here" Section: Nobody wants to feel lost on day one. Give them a clear first step. That could be a quick survey, an intro lesson, or their first training module. Bonus points if you can help them get a quick win that sets their dopamine in overdrive!

Member Profile Setup: Encourage members to upload a photo and write a short bio. It’s a simple step, but it goes a long way in making your community feel more personal, welcoming, and truly connected.

And that’s just one of the powerful community-building features available inside Membership.io!

Quick Site Tour: Record a 2-3 minute walkthrough so they know where to find everything. Think of it as the friendly neighborhood tour guide for your digital membership space. Show them around and exactly what to do next.

Optional Onboarding Quiz: Want to get fancy? Use an onboarding quiz to segment members by experience level. (Pro tip: This is super easy to set up in Membership.io with personalization!)

The goal? Eliminate confusion, maximize confidence, and create that "I'm definitely in the right place" feeling.

2. Core Content (Your Roadmap to Success)

This is your membership's digital GPS system. Think of it as a structured journey that shows members exactly where they are and where they're headed. Usually, this content stays pretty consistent and includes:

• An introduction to your Success Path™: Made famous by Stu McLaren and outlined in his book, Predictable Profits, this is the step-by-step of what your members can expect to experience in your membership!
• One core lesson for each stage of the journey (typically 4-6 stages)
• A wrap-up that ties everything together

If your Success Path™ has five stages, you'd create a core lesson for each one that explains what members are experiencing and what they should focus on next. It's like having a personal guide for their transformation journey.

3. Monthly Content (The Fresh Fuel)

While your core content is your foundation, monthly content is what keeps things exciting. This is your chance to stay current, address new challenges, and keep members engaged over time. Each piece of content is like a digital gift your members get! Who doesn’t love a good gift?

Some crowd-pleasers include:

• Live coaching sessions or Q&A calls (Zoom works perfectly for this!)
• New playbooks, checklists, or guides
• Guest expert interviews or masterclasses
• Accountability challenges or community events (in-person or virtual)
• Behind-the-scenes content or case studies
• Done-for-you templates and swipe files

Quick Tip: Focus on delivering one meaningful piece of content each month that actually moves the needle for your members. Quality over quantity, always! Also, a general rule of thumb is at least one piece of content per month… with no more than four per month (or one per week).

The Seven Pillars of Membership Content Awesomeness

These seven pillars are a proven framework for creating high-value, high-retention membership experiences. They ensure your content serves every member at every stage and help you deliver massive value, deeper engagement, and boost retention.

Pillar 1: Core Training (The Knowledge Powerhouse)

Flagship or Signature Course: This is your step-by-step curriculum that takes members from point A to their dream outcome. This is often their first stop after onboarding and sometimes this can even be your core content.

Mini-Courses: These are bite-sized trainings that dive deep into specific skills. Perfect for members who've completed your main path and want to level up.

Quick Tutorials & How-To Videos: Those "aha!" moments in 15 minutes or less. Think screencasts, demos, or explainer videos that answer the "how do I..." questions flooding your inbox. The Membership.io Chrome extension is great for these!

Live Workshops Monthly (or Quarterly): Live sessions are where the magic happens in real-time. Always record these. They become gold in your content vault!

Private Podcast or Audio Series: Let members learn while they're walking the dog or doing dishes. Behind-the-scenes updates, deep dives, or guest interviews in podcast format.

Expert Masterclasses: Bring in the pros to teach topics you don't specialize in. It adds credibility, variety, and serious value to your membership.

Certifications or Badges: Who doesn't love a good achievement unlock? Digital badges or certificates for completing courses or challenges work like magic for motivation.

Pillar 2: Done-for-You Assets (The Time-Savers)

These are pure gold. Members love anything that saves them time and helps them implement faster.

Many of these examples are great for people helping and supporting other business owners, creators, and entrepreneurs.

Email Templates, Scripts & Processes: Give them plug-and-play copy they can customize. Welcome emails, sales sequences, and webinar scripts. Basically, anything that saves them from staring at a blank page.

Social Media & Design Templates: Canva templates, Instagram caption starters, carousel formats. Help them hit publish faster and look professional doing it.

Worksheets & Workbooks: Turn your training into action with printable or fillable worksheets. These help members reflect, plan, and stay organized.

Calculators & Spreadsheets: Pricing tools, ROI calculators, budget trackers. Anything that makes decision-making easier and adds serious perceived value.

Plug-Ins, Presets, & Starter Packs: This varies by niche. Think design assets, code snippets, campaign swipe files, or lead magnet templates. Think "What would make their life easier?"

Pillar 3: Live & Interactive Experiences (The Connection Builders)

Monthly Q&A Calls: Create a predictable, live, and interactive touchpoint where members can get real-time support. Collect questions in advance and make it worth their time.

Hot-Seat Coaching: Pick a couple of members each session and coach them live. Everyone learns from seeing real problems solved in real time.

Implementation Sprints: Co-working sessions where members show up, set a goal, and get stuff done with your guidance. It's like a productivity party!

10-in-10 Sessions: This is all about rapid-fire value, and it’s so simple. It’s 10 questions from your members answered by you in 10 minutes. It’s fast, fun, and super shareable content.

Quick Tip: 10-in-10 sessions are great content for social media. While your members get the full, live sessions, you can clip them up and share them on social media to grow your audience!

Pillar 4: Community & Connection (The Stickiness Factor)

Remember: members come for the content, but they stay for the community.

Private Forum or Group: Whether it's Facebook, Membership.io, Slack, or some other platform’s built-in community features, give your members a safe space to connect, share wins, and support each other.

Virtual & In-Person Meetups: Zoom socials, topic-based networking calls, or even live retreats. Real relationships = real retention. It’s membership super glue!

Member Directory & Matchmaking: Let members find each other with a searchable directory. Bonus points for pairing them up as accountability partners!

Pillar 5: Accountability & Progress (The Motivation Boosters)

Challenges & Competitions: 30-day challenges, leaderboards, and friendly competitions. Anything that gets members taking action and having fun while doing it.

Progress Dashboards or Trackers: Let members see their wins! Track lessons completed, actions taken, and milestones hit. Visual progress is incredibly motivating.

Recognition & Rewards: "Member of the Month," digital badges, and surprise gifts. People stick around where they feel appreciated and celebrated.

Quick Tip: These are GREAT for retention! If you want some more retention ideas, we’ve got a whole retention guide waiting for you.

Pillar 6: Evergreen Resource Libraries (The Knowledge Vault)

Replay & Resource Vault: Organize all your past workshops, templates, and lessons so members can find what they need fast. Think Netflix for your content!

Curated Toolkits & Reading Lists: Share your favorite books, apps, articles, and software recommendations. Position yourself as their trusted guide and save them research time.

Pillar 7: Exclusive Perks & Insider Access (The VIP Treatment)

Partner Discounts: Negotiate deals with other software companies, products, brands, and/or service providers, then pass the savings on to your members. Everyone loves a good discount!

Early Access to New Products: Give members first dibs (and maybe early bird pricing) on your new launches and offers. They'll feel like insiders.

Behind-the-Scenes Access: Show your process, share your numbers, and break down your campaigns. This transparency builds serious trust and loyalty.

Smart Delivery Tips That Actually Work

Map Your Monthly Rhythm: Anchor each month with one big content drop, then add lighter weekly touchpoints like discussion threads or mini tutorials. Remember: no more than 4 per month.

Nail the Onboarding: Create a 3-to-5 email welcome sequence, add a crystal-clear "Start Here" section, and guide them through your Success Path™. Confusion and not knowing their next steps kill conversions!

Balance Fresh & Evergreen: You don't need to reinvent the wheel every month. Mix new content with golden oldies from your archive (just add fresh context).

Track Engagement: Set up automations to flag inactive members after 30 days. A simple "Hey, haven't seen you lately—need help?" message works wonders.

Survey Quarterly, Bi-Annually, or Annually: Ask your members what they love, what's missing, and what they want more of. When members see their suggestions implemented, retention goes through the roof!

Ready to Build Something Amazing?

The most successful memberships aren't stuffed with random content. They're packed with purposeful content that actually moves members forward.

Your winning formula:

• Onboarding sets the tone
• Core content maps the journey
• Monthly content fuels momentum
• The seven pillars keep your offer rich and desirable

When you help members learn, implement, and connect, they'll stick around for the long haul and become your biggest advocates.

Ready to turn your knowledge into a thriving membership?

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No credit card required. Start and launch with confidence and put these content ideas into action today!