One of the most popular components of a membership site is an interactive forum. However, it is not always necessary to add it. It can even be detrimental to your business. Learn all the pros and cons of offering a forum on your membership site.
Many times I am asked, "Is it necessary to offer a forum on my membership site?"
Traditionally, a membership site without a forum is unthinkable. The forum is like the main meeting point between the members of a community and is a very attractive feature of a membership site.
My opinion is as follows:
When I started my business with Education For Success, I started with a “full-fledged” membership site. Of course, the forum could not be missed.
However, when taking a survey two years ago to find out what my members liked best about Education For Success, I was shocked that only 16% of my members felt that the forum was an important part of the community! membership!
In short, to find out what your members really want, it's best to ask them! You cannot make the mistake of investing a lot of time and energy in a resource in your membership that does not add as much value to your members.
Here are the pros and cons of a forum:
Advantages of a forum:
- It allows you to interact with your members and create very entertaining conversations It allows you to get to know your members better and better understand their needs It allows the interaction between members that is very important to make them feel that they are part of the community It gives members the opportunity get to know each other, some even form strategic alliances. Once walking, a forum can become a powerful attraction feature for other potential clients, since many people look for a “private” place to interact with other people who have related interests.
Disadvantages of a forum:
- If you start from “0”, it is difficult to get it started and you will be talking to yourself for a few months. Therefore, it gives a bad impression to new members of your community at the beginning of your program, since they do not see activity in the forum. It requires a lot of time and dedication, especially if you already have many members. Many members do not enter the forum or, if they do, do not write in it; They only read someone else's posts. If you use it in low-priced memberships, you give your members full access to you and disincentives to buy your higher-priced products. If you don't have another moderator, it will consume a lot of your time, already that you must enter every day to attend to your members.
What Software can you use for a forum?
PhpBB has become the most widely used free forum solution.
It has an administration panel and a user-friendly installation process, allowing you to have a forum in minutes. It is one of the most popular ways to create and support a community. It is widely used in the Hispanic market.
Another option is to simply create a private group on Facebook.
In short, a forum can be an excellent addition to your membership site, especially if you are just starting out and want to have direct contact with your customers. But I advise you to think about it before adding it to your program, since, once created, you assume the commitment and you will have to dedicate yourself to it for the duration of your membership.
