Among the different ways to monetize your podcast, offering a podcast membership is among the best. These are growing in popularity because they are an excellent way to get a little extra money in your pocket for all of the hard work you put into your podcast. It also connects you with your audience on a new level.
What is a podcast membership?
A podcast membership is usually an offer for extra exclusive episodes of your show that listeners have to subscribe to before getting access. These extra episodes can be ad-free versions of your regular episodes or episodes only available to members.
Aside from podcast episodes, there are other things you can offer inside your membership. Think of what your audience needs and come up with different offers that will get them even more value. This can be courses, Q&A sessions, or early access to upcoming releases. The sky is the limit here!
Podcast memberships not only give you supplemental income but also build a stronger bond and a sense of community among your listeners. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Who could benefit from a podcast membership?
The honest answer here is anyone! It may pay off more quickly if your podcast is more established first, however. Take the time to build up an audience of raving fans of your show and then offer them extra content when they sign up for your membership. By building the audience first, you save yourself a lot of time and effort building up a membership without any immediate ROI.
How can you make money from podcast memberships?
For membership access, listeners must subscribe, and that generally will cost them a small fee. This can either be a one-time fee or more commonly, it can be offered as a monthly fee. This sets you up for recurring income every month. It also gives your subscribers an incentive to stay subscribed to your membership- if they unsubscribe they lose all of that amazing bonus content!
Many podcasters will set up tiered memberships to accommodate more budgets. To get started, check out the membership options for your favorite shows for inspiration.
How can you get your listeners to sign up?
Generally, your loyal listeners are happy to support you in any way they can so that you can continue to pour your time and effort into the thing they love- your podcast!
Explain to your listeners in your regular episodes that your exclusive membership enables you to focus on what’s important, creating more content for them. To get people enticed to sign up, you can offer a giveaway to new subscribers or offer a bonus for anyone who signs up in the first month. Adding the incentive to not only sign up but sign up now, will be a great way to get your membership up and running so that you can start generating that income now.
Another effective way to get people to subscribe to your membership is to offer them the answer to a common problem they have inside the membership. To do this, think about your audience and what keeps them up at night. What problems do they need to be solved? Don’t be afraid to do some keyword research or even poll your listeners to get more inspiration.
When you have found a common problem related to your audience and your podcast, do a bonus episode on it or a mini-course that offers the solution that they can only get access to if they are a member. This will have them rushing to check out.
Ready to get started with your podcast membership?
There are multiple platforms to choose from when getting started. Some popular options include MemberSpace, Patreon, and Steady.
One of the best things about podcasts is how truly versatile they are. Once you have established a good foundation of listeners and fans who can’t wait to hear more from you, you have everything you need. Enjoy!
Looking for more tips on how to grow your podcast? Read more of our blogs:
6 Common Mistakes New Podcasters Make
Everything You Need to Know About the Technical Side of Podcasting
Why You Should Network With Other Podcast Hosts + How to Do It
