Adding a free membership to the mix can be a boon for your business. Find out why!
Most people know that MemberPress is a WordPress membership plugin optimized for creating premium paid membership websites.
But we get this question all the time from users: Does MemberPress support free membership levels? And why would I want to do that anyway?
To answer the first part of the question – yes! You can set up a free membership level simply by setting the membership product price to $0.
In regard to the question “why would I want to market a no-cost membership” – there are a lot of great reasons. In this article we’ll go over four of the best ones shared by our community of very innovative customers.
Let’s get started!
1. Free memberships are big-time community builders
A free or even a student membership option that includes access to members-only forums or content can encourage users to engage with your business and increase the chances of them becoming paying members down the road.
We’ve seen our customers integrate our WordPress membership plugin with other plugins like bbPress, BuddyBoss, and other solutions to make some pretty compelling “members-only” communities.
2. Free memberships generate leads (and build your email list)
While a free membership costs no money to join, it will require users to release information to you (mainly an email address).
MemberPress integrates with AWeber, GetResponse, MailChimp, and ActiveCampaign. So when a new user signs up for your free membership level, you can automatically add them to your mailing list.
When you’ve got their contact info, you’ve got an in. You can include these members in email marketing campaigns, let them know about exciting new offers, and entice them to upgrade to higher-level, premium membership plans.
3. Free Memberships Create Group or Event Portals
The no-cost membership is a great option for companies, clubs, churches, and other organizations that do seminars, conferences, or workshops.
We’ve seen groups of all kinds use the MemberPress WordPress plugin to create free membership sites where users can share photos, videos, and post-event commentary.
If you’ve already got a list of users from your group, you can use the MemberPress Importer to import these names into your free membership plan. Then you can upload exclusive content that only they will have access to.
4. Free memberships can work as “free trials” or a “try before you buy” option
High Progress Literacy
This may be the most popular use of the no-cost membership option. Many of our users create a free membership level that’s limited to a specific duration and set collection of resources specially designed to entice a paid commitment at the end of the trial period.
This can be a powerful way to generate leads and give your prospects a free taste of your content before they upgrade to a paid level.
In the same way, a free student membership level can be a great way to invest in and gain the loyalty of up-and-coming professionals who will be likely to sign up for a paid subscription once they’re established in the field.
The Takeaway
These are just a few of the great ways we’ve seen our clients use free memberships to grow their brands and expand their communities.
MemberPress is the most advanced, flexible, and easy to use WordPress membership plugin out there. It’s all about creativity and making your business work for your specific needs.
So let us know if you have any ideas on ways no-cost memberships can help grow your business in the comments!
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