Creative tips and tricks

Membership Engagement Playbook (12 Strategies that Really Work)

Feb 20, 2025

Reader Disclosure

    It's a topic we discuss a lot here on the blog...because it's all-important! Engaged members renew their subscriptions as well as participate in forums and bring in referrals. When engagement declines, churn sets in.

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In the past few weeks I spoke about the churn of memberships and the cost replacing lost members than to keep those you already have.

Guess what? Make sure that members are active, engaged, and excited so that they'll remain subscribed and more active, contribute, spend more, and even get new subscribers.

In our company, our clients have collectively collected more than $2 billion in revenues.

Let's get into the techniques that actually work!

What exactly is membership engagement and Why Does It Matter?

The first question is what is member engagement? It's the frequency and amount of time people engage with your website as well as your community and offers.

A highly engaged member often:

  • Logs in and navigates through multiple pages
  • Comments, participates in discussions and participates in events
  • Completes courses and actively participates

They recognize the value from their membership, making them more likely to renew their membership, recommend others to join, and make use of upsells and cross-sells.

  • You're having trouble navigating your site
  • Don't you realize that not everyone appreciates what you have to offer is worth it? Or, even more important,
  • (Brace yourself) is completely devoid of the fact that

There are members who may be subscribed but never engage with them. Having a the passive status is a possible warning sign.

Different people do not interact in exactly the same way. Certain people prefer taking their time reading while others thrive on conversations with others as well as live events. The tracking of different types of participation helps you better comprehend and help your users.

This is exactly what we'll discuss in our twelve strategies.

Methods of evaluating Membership Engagement

As we've already touched on, high membership engagement differs based on what you're offering. Also, it depends on the type of audience you're targeting.

However, if the site is for learners who are self-paced, members might primarily consume content, completing courses independently instead of participating in discussion.

As engagement isn't a one-size-fits-all thing The best way to measure it is against your own previous performance. Ask yourself:

  • Are members engaging with their customers more or are they engaging in less in the past than they did previously?
  • Does engagement increasing in tandem with increase in membership Or are you seeing a slowdown?

Key KPIs for Engagement to Monitor

Select the best metrics to reflect what matters most for your site's membership:

  • Login frequency - How often are users signing in?
  • Forum activity and post engagement - Are discussions ongoing?
  • Module/course completions Do members make advancement in their education?
  • Email open & click-through rates Are they being engaged through your emails?
  • Attendance at events Do participants show at live events?

Keeping track of the correct KPIs will allow you to spot trends, identify disengaged members, and refine your strategy to engage them.

Key Strategies to Boost Membership Engagement

It's not necessary to wait until engagement becomes a problem to start improving your business.

Below are a few methods our clients employ to keep members entertained. We've provided guidelines, tips and other tools that can help you create a more interactive membership site with WordPress.

1. Build an Online Community

Have you noticed how often Reddit shows up on the first page of Google results? Google isn't able to explain why however, we can make an educated guess that People value conversations with real people and sharing experiences.

A first-time mom wondering what she actually wants for her child is likely to seek advice from fellow moms over a generic listing of products.

The freelancer looking to secure higher-paying customers will turn at a group of fellow freelancers who can offer advice and strategies.

Your membership site serves an specific audience that has common passions that connects those people adds enormous value.

When they're forming networks, looking for guidance, or sharing their experiences in an private community can become an important aspects of your participation.

Design and build premium community forums .

In addition, with social media feeling like a chaotic, hostile place and a members-only community offers a protected, high-quality environment where people can connect with each other in meaningful ways. No ads, trolls, or other noise that is not relevant.

 How to Configure It

WordPress comes with a number of excellent plugins that will help you create a community on your site. customers have found great success using:

  • BbPress - A simple yet powerful forum solution.
  • A feature-rich alternative to social networks and group discussion.

If you're willing to host your online community on other websites, consider:

  • Ideal for live chats in real time Particularly if your viewers are tech-savvy.
  • This is a great option if you have members who are already actively using Facebook.

2. Incorporate Gamification

I'm an avid fan of gamification. In fact, I owe my ability to learn Spanish due to a specific green owl, an assortment of badges, and an highly fierce race to the top of the leaderboards alongside a coworker.

Even if points and leaderboards don't do much for you I'm confident that you'll have a small portion of your employees who are thriving on them.

For some (myself myself included), earning rewards can be so rewarding that they'll consciously search your site for their next dose of dopamine!

 How To Set It Up

With GamiPress it is possible to add points, badges, and awards to all sorts of actions on your website, such as:

  •   Registering or logging into  
  •   Learning lessons or courses  
  •   Participating in discussions with the community  
  •   Comments or replies to comments  
  •   Referring new members  
  •   and much more!  

Whichever plugins you're using for your site's membership page, GamiPress likely has an integration to it including several we mention in this article:

  • (for subscriptions, online courses and other activity)
  • BuddyBoss & the bbPress (for communities forums)
  • (for interactivity quizzes and surveys)
  • Easy Affiliate (for profitable referrals)

Then, to add to the excitement, it's free!

If gamification gets members motivated to participate and participate, then should we not make the most of it?

3. Create a Loyalty Program

Do you want to improve the gamification process and engage your members more? A Membership loyalty program may be the best tool.

Point system, VIP perks, and rewards that are exclusive make customers stay longer and spend more. The results of airline miles and reward points at coffee shops speak about them. What's more? Works similarly for websites for membership.

The research shows that almost 80percent of consumersare more inclined to stick with a membership brand that offers a loyalty program. Even better? The fact that over 95% of businesses say loyalty members spend up to four times more than non-members.

 What Can You Do to Reward Your Most Engaged Members

With an loyalty scheme, you can turn rewards and points into rewards in real life. Here are some ideas:

  • Offer members the opportunity to earn a bonus after 1 years of being a member, maybe an exclusive Q&A or discounts for VIP members.
  • You can offer a incentive for the completion of an educational or coaching course,like the award of a certificate or freebie.
  • Make use of reward points for engagement, say more content, or a shoutout in your community.

An corporate coaching subscription, for example, can provide "Platinum Membership" status at the end of an entire year, unlocking exclusive coaching calls and networking advantages.

 How To Install It

This makes it simple. The system allows you to provide tiered access as well as set up an automatized email with a link to upgrade each time a user reaches an important milestone, whether that's time-based (X years of membership) or based on actions (completing an activity or course).

To take it further, use your game-based plugin to monitor participation and manually reward your most active members with:

  •   Discounts on renewals  
  •   Exclusive content or VIP perks  
  •   physical swag such as T-shirts, event tickets or even tickets for events  

There's another software that you could use to assign points and badges in relation to the activity you've done, then convert engagement into real rewards.

4. Use Email Campaigns

Are you thinking email is an old fashion thing? Think again. Email is still one of the most powerful tools for keeping your members engaged. It's direct intimate, private, and unlike algorithms for social media ensures that your message gets seen.

Relevance and consistency are key. Your emails should be a reminder to members of the reason they started the club in the first instance and keep them excited over what's to come.

 Types of E-mails that Increase Engagement

Keep your members coming back using:

  • Special Content Updates Update your library with new information as well as behind-the-scenes information, or early access to upcoming content.
  • Invitations to Events and Reminders - Promote live workshops, Q&As or networking activities (and remind them to ensure that they don't forget! ).
  • Personalized Recommendations to suggest topics, courses, or even discussions that are based on your behavior.
  • Have you not seen them for long? Send a friendly nudge and a highlight reel of what they've lost.

 How Do I Configure It

By using an online marketing tool, such as  You can:

  • Automate emails for onboarding, course progress and milestones for membership.
  • segment your target audience based on behavior - such that users only receive emails that matter to them.
  • Make use of dynamic contents to personalize subject lines and guidelines.

An effective email message is able to reignite interest, spark engagement, and keep the members interested for the duration of time.

5. Giveaways and Exclusive Perks

Everyone enjoys freebies - special offers and giveaways bring excitement, encourage engagement, and let members feel appreciated.

Surprise your members with amusing perks or unexpected rewards, and they'll check in more frequently and engage in more depth, and remain for longer.

 Ideas for Giveaways & Perks

  • Member-Only Contests offer giveaways so that active members can win exclusive benefits. (Example: "Comment on this article to have a chance to win a free 1-on-1 coaching session!")
  • Special Bonuses You can send random discount offers or special content to your members to keep them entertained.
  • Referral Rewards In exchange, you can offer benefits such as the chance to get free membership months or exclusive content to members who bring in new members.
  • Milestone Gifts Honor milestones and course completions or community contributions with a customized reward.
  • Partnership Agreements Join forces with the brands that your customers love and provide exclusive cross-promotions for your customers.

 How to Install It

You don't need a complicated set-up. It is easy to give time-limited discounts to reward participation.

But if you really are looking to make a splash then we

We are awestruck by this plugin (and we use it too!) to host giveaways. The participants can gain additional entries by engaging in your posts, inviting a friend, or following your social media profiles - just a few of your many options.

It also helps you choose a winner at random.

A successful giveaway or a unique incentive keeps your members interested, active and people talking about the benefits of joining.

6. Answers to questions and surveys

Are you noticing a trend in the past? Interactivity keeps members engaged. The best membership experience goes beyond providing contents - they offer members opportunities to take part and influence the course of their lives.

 How do I add interactivity with Surveys and Quizzes

  • Use surveys to collect useful information from members, and discover what members enjoy and want more of.
  • Create tests on online courses for students to assess themselves and track their improvement.
  • Allow for deeper involvement with assignments - these need 1:1 feedback to give members a more personalized experience.

 How Do I Configure It

  • It is the most popular among our users. It comes with already-designed survey templates which make it simple to create interactive feedback forms. It also offers AI-generated forms or a simple drag-and-drop creator that allows for complete customization.

 The more engaging your membership experience, the more invested your members will become.

7. Live Chat

If members are faced with a problem or concern, they don't wish to be waiting for hours to receive an email reply and they're looking for answers immediately. Live support helps your site's membership feel more responsive, accessible, and driven by community.

Live chat helps keep members in touch with immediate access to assistance. Rapid responses allow them to keep their attention, prevent frustration, and continue making the most out of the benefits of their participation.

 How Do I Configure It

  • Instant support is available for common questions - Help users stay on the right the right track and avoid getting lost.
  • Chat can be used to build community Live chat functions enable real-time conversations between members.
  • Automate response with AI chatbots Answer quickly to questions while having your staff available to handle larger questions.

 Best live chat tools available for Member Sites

  • - Ideal for combining live chat along with a comprehensive support ticketing software.
  • - Great for small teams who require a quick, efficient live chat and chatbot solution.

 Adding live chat keeps members engaged, reduces stress, and helps make your site feel more like a place for interaction rather instead of a mere content hub.

8. Live Events, Webinars and Office hours

We enjoy helping customers develop automations and passive income streams that will keep their sites' memberships viable and profitable.

 But live events have unique engagement capabilities that make the extra effort worthwhile.

Whether it's a , these instances give participants a reason to log in to a certain moment.

Why is this so crucial? Because when something is readily available anytime, users often put off their participation, and even forget about it entirely.

Live events also create an special relationship between you and your members. This is a chance for you to offer the members the treatment they deserve and direct attention, building stronger connections and the trust of your members.

 Why Group Sessions Work So Well

Group Q&As, AMAs, and webinars are also ways for participants to learn from each other. When members hear inquiries, tips, and real-world examples from their peers, they're more likely to:

  • Feel part of a larger and active group of people.
  • Get new perspectives and learn suggestions they've never thought of.
  • Be inspired to share their own experiences, building even greater engagement.

The events could result in a feedback loop that lets the participants become closer and become more engaged within the local community.

 How Do I Install It

Here are a few tools to help make hosting live events a breeze:

  • It's a great platform to host webinars, calls with groups as well as one-on-one office hours.
  • Perfect for professional webinars with advanced attendance trackers.
  • Google Meet - An easy, no-cost option for smaller sessions.
  • - Excellent for interactive webinars using easy-to-use features for engagement.

Live events give your members a reason to show up, connect and remain active. Whether you host the occasional Q&A event or full-scale webinar, it's worthwhile to bring your membership community to one place in real-time.

9. Member Challenges and Milestones

I'm in love with the 30-Day Challenge. The idea of making an positive change in a specific, manageable time frame is enticing.

Content creators have been aware of this forever - who doesn't know someone who's joined the Yoga with Adriene exercise?

The challenge is also an excellent method of showing your members how you can deliver real value in a limited period of time. They're actionable, motivating, and proof that your participation can create significant changes in the lives of your members.

This is why challenges can be indeed an engagement goldmine. They keep members motivated, focused as well as re-evaluating their accomplishments.

Remember milestones too. Breaking longer challenges into smaller, celebratory moments provides members with extra motivation and helps keep momentum up.

 Ideas for Member Challenges

  • 30 Day Productivity Challenge - Help users improve their concentration by giving them daily productivity tips or tools.
  • seven-day writing sprint - Perfect for bloggers and writers who want to get started on their next writing project or build a writing habit.
  • 21 Day Fitness Kickstart This program was created to increase strength, flexibility, or endurance in small, achievable stages.
  • 30 days to master the skill - Teach a key technique such as photo editing coding and public speaking with small, practical lessons.
  • Personal Finance Challenge Help participants put their finances in order with practical steps, such as keeping track of expenses making a budget or saving a set amount by the end of the challenge.

 How to Install It

The process of creating and managing problems is easy:

  • Build goal-based programs that provide members with step-by-step instructions.
  • Make use of routine tracking to motivate daily, weekly, or biweekly engagement.
  • Reward members automatically when they achieve milestones. You can reward them through customized messages or exclusive special content.

This really only scratches the surface of what you could do using CoachKit(tm). Check out this instructional video for more information:

How to Set up Online Coaching on WordPress using CoachKit (tm) (Full Tutorial)

10. Member Spotlights & Success Stories

This makes members who are featured feel special, and also inspires other members to join your group, while showing off the value of your membership.

It's also a fantastic method to build connections. If your participants see individuals who are achieving milestones, facing obstacles, and succeeding in their lives, they create a ripple effect of inspiration and enthusiasm.

 Ideas for Member Spotlights & Success Stories

  • Blog PostsCreate a blog post about a member who's accomplished their goal and tell their story, insights, and advice for others.
  • Social Media Shoutouts - Highlight members of Instagram or Facebook with quotes, photos or even a short video.
  • Video InterviewsJoin Zoom with one of our top performers and let them share their journey through their own speech.
  • Member AwardsCreate an "Member of the Month" tradition and celebrate their accomplishments with a dedicated feature.
  • Milestone Spotlights - Share updates when members hit major milestones, such as finishing an entire course or being part of your 30-day Challenge.

 How to Set It Up

  • Reach out to your clients by email or via surveys to inquire about their achievements.
     Utilize a software like Formidable Forms to let members send their tales quickly.
  • Let them share their experiences with your friends or on your blog or even in your future email marketing campaign.

As well as being positively uplifting, celebrating the success of your members is a powerful method to increase participation, create community and demonstrate to your members that they are the heartbeat of your website.

11. Drip Content

We are all aware that keeping an ongoing flow of exclusive content is the foundation of any good user experience. But providing that content week after week at frequent intervals isn't an easy feat!

Drip content is tried and tested, and a popular approach to keep people entertained for a long period of time. The method also creates anticipation, and makes sure they aren't overwhelmed by too much at once.

 How To Set It Up

It's incredibly simple to establish drip content rules that allow you to publish any post, page as well as a course or lessons.

  • The freedom to choose:
  • What items do you wish to drip release
  • Frequency (daily, weekly, etc)
  • Time of release exact
  • If you wish the content to expire at a specified duration.

12. Accountability Groups and Mastermind Sessions

Did you not know? 70 percent of people who establish goals never achieve the goals they set. Think of all the New Year's resolutions made in January, only to be completely put aside by which month does it happen to be? Yes, it's February.

But here's another interesting stat: A study by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) found that people are 65% more likely to achieve a goal if they tell someone else about it - and that number jumps to 95% with a dedicated accountability appointment.

 Accountability transforms positive intentions into actual improvement - which includes engagement on your site.

If members join in small groups in small groups, members keep themselves motivated, encourage fellow members, and achieve real advancement - whether they're striving to meet a specific business objective and stepping up their skill, or completing a course.

 How To Configure It

  • Form groups of coaches by using CoachKit(tm)
  • Create private forums by using BbPress or BuddyBoss
  • Hosting weekly or biweekly Check-ins where members report progress, set goals, and get feedback
  • Live mastermind calls can be conducted via either Crowdcast or Zoom where participants are able to collaborate with each other, solve issues, and remain accountable

Accountability groups can be great to increase retention and engagement because members form solid bonds with others in your group. When they feel connected, they're more likely to remain signed up.

If you don't have a system of accountability in place yet it might be the missing element that takes your engagement to the highest stage.

The Final Words: Maintain Members engaged and invested

There's been a fair amount of ground. Don't you think? We hope that this will open your eyes to possibilities to improve membership engagement on your site.

We've looked at 12 ways for your members to join, be active, and see real value in their subscription.

That's what's important: ongoing. Engaging members active, engaging and relevant for a long the course of time is what makes membership valuable.

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Take Action Now!

Begin to earn money for your content.

A big part of your success is in observing how the members of your team react to, and adapting as you go.

It's not necessary to apply all 12 strategies right away. Start with small steps. Pick one or two which are suitable for your group and test these out. Intentional, small actions can result in big successes.

 What strategies do you plan to try initially? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you found this article useful, please connect with our page on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!

author avatar

Victoria Lloyd       Victoria is adept at making small-scale beginnings into huge success, elevating her jewelry line from the bustle of London's street markets to high-end locations like that of the Royal Academy of Arts and Topshop's Oxford Circus main store. The expertise she has isn't limited to physical items. Victoria is a pro-active track record of boosting web-based engagement for a wide range of companies. From energetic startups to household names like Nokia as well as Jack Daniels, Victoria has employed her unique combination of wordsmithing as well as strategic insights and digital expertise to boost up brand engagement and SEO. In her blog , Victoria leverages her diverse experience to simplify and demystify the world of membership sites and business growth. She's here to guide users with her exclusive knowledge, assisting them in effectively and imaginatively create their membership and online community sites.