Review of Stu McLaren’s Membership Experience (formerly TRIBE): Your Questions Answered
Are you doing some research to determine whether or not The Membership Experience (TME) with Stu McLaren is right for you? I don’t blame you—it’s not a cheap program, and you’re wise to do your homework before plunking down that kind of investment. I’ve been in your shoes, as I hemmed and hawed before signing up for the program a couple years ago when it was named TRIBE.
I’ve written before about why you should add a membership to your online business. Memberships are truly the business model of the future! They allow you to make more revenue and serve more people without stretching yourself thinner. I’m enjoying the heck out of my Shell, Yes! Searchie Membership, and I credit The Membership Experience with teaching me all I needed to know to create and maintain this membership.
Today I’m sharing an honest review of The Membership Experience from someone who has experienced the program. Here’s the TL;DR—The program changed my business and my life, and I’m happy to be an affiliate of the program. That said, read on to find out whether The Membership Experience (formerly Tribe) is the right match for your business. I’m focusing on the questions and concerns I had before I signed up, because I’m guessing you have similar ones!
What will I learn about in The Membership Experience (formerly TRIBE)? Will it be enough to help me start and run a membership?
This program is comprehensive. It’s packed with information before you even begin the learning modules! Here’s a breakdown of the TRIBE course content, which will be revamped and completely up-to-date in The Membership Experience:
Introduction
Stu begins with a robust introduction to memberships: what they are, his philosophy about memberships, and a road map for the course. BTW, Stu makes it easy to absorb the content in whatever way suits your learning style: watching videos, asking questions, working in groups, listening to the content in podcast form, or reading the content. You can cover the content when you’re in the bathtub, on the train, or out on a run. Of course, all of this is built in Searchie so it’s easy to consume, is searchable by key word, and is captioned.
Module 1: Foundations
The first module helps you tease out a winning membership concept that fits both your skills and goals and the desires of your audience. If you’re going to create a membership, you want to start with a concept that fills a need! You’ll learn about why people join memberships and how to identify what drives them.
Module 2: Content
Did you know that there are six different membership models? Learn about them and determine which is best for you and your business in this module.
Have you ever joined a membership but then quit a few months later? [Who hasn’t?]. This module shows you how to keep members interested, learning, and engaged—without running yourself into the ground on a content treadmill.
With a content strategy in place, you’re ready to lead a membership that energizes you as well as your members!
Module 3: Marketing Strategy
Your membership can’t succeed without a solid marketing plan in place. This module will teach you about the different types of marketing plans that work for memberships. You’ll be able to create a marketing plan that will set your membership up for sustainable growth.
Module 4: Marketing Tactics
Next you’ll learn how to price your membership appropriately and how to launch it. From writing copy that sells to the steps of launching a new membership, you’ll learn all you need to do to take your marketing plan and put it into action.
Module 5: Retention
You put a lot of effort into gaining new members; you’ll want them to stick around and be satisfied with the value you provide! This module will teach you about why people stay in a membership and why people quit. You’ll learn how to onboard new members and how to keep them coming back for more. Stu will teach you how to create and foster a community within your membership. That’s what takes your membership from simply an educational experience to a thriving community of like-minded participants!
Module 6: Growth
One of the most appealing aspects of memberships is that it allows you to scale your business. You only have so many hours in a week to provide 1:1 services, but with a membership you can effectively serve hundreds or even thousands efficiently and well. This module will show you how you can increase the number of members that you serve without spreading yourself too thin.
As you can see, The Membership Experience covers your entire membership plan, from concept to implementation to growth.
Who will be available to help me? Will I get lost in a sea of thousands?
Every weekday during the program, Stu goes live in the membership group for an extensive Q&A session. Submit your question beforehand or in real time, or just tune in to learn from other people’s questions. Can’t make it live? Not a problem—the sessions are all recorded and searchable using Searchie.
What will my fellow TME learners be like?
Stu seems to attract a really great group of people. It's one of the things I love most. I think it's because of what he instills in all of us...what he asks of us, the guidelines he sets, how honest and upfront he is, how he shares about himself, and just what a good guy he is. He attracts that same kind of person. I really like working with TME people.
One of the best things I gained when I participated in this program a few years ago was the community. When you join The Membership Experience, it’s like joining a warm and welcoming family. Even though we all serve different audiences and niches, we are all in the business of online marketing and content delivery. I’ve made good friends, clients, and vendors through the community. It’s like gaining a magic rolodex full of talented professionals—and getting into their rolodexes as well!
Your questions or concerns can be shared with the community and you’ll be blown away by the helpful support. You’ll be cheered on by your fellow learners, and you’ll be inspired by what you see them creating.
Who is TME for?
The Membership Experience is perfect for anyone in the digital space who is looking to create a membership for the first time or who wants to reinvent an existing membership. It’s perfect for coaches of all sorts (from life coaches to coaches who help exhausted parents get their kids on a sleep schedule). Anyone who is juggling multiple online workshops and courses (from quilters to those who teach Wordpress skills) can pivot to providing all of their educational content within the framework of a membership.
TME is for you if you want to create a community of learners rather than one-off clients. It’s also for you if you want to grow your business without running yourself ragged. It’s perfect for entrepreneurs who want to maximize the impact that they make on the world.
Real talk: Who is TME not appropriate for?
Even though I’m an affiliate of The Membership Experience and I enthusiastically encourage my audience to sign up, I acknowledge that it’s not for everyone. For example, if you are still finding your footing as a business, you may need to focus on that first before creating a membership. In order to get the most out of the program, it’s best to be ready to “go all in.”
Another type of person whom I might steer away from The Membership Experience would be people who really prefer one-to-one or very small group instruction. In that case, there are consultants who will guide you through the process of creating and launching a membership while holding your hand the entire way (although I think the price will be a lot higher than the fee for TME).
Lastly, it’s important to note that TME does not teach you the technical skills needed to create your membership. You’ll still need to learn to create and manage your membership in Searchie or another platform. That too is something you can either bootstrap or get help from a consultant (like me, if you’d like to create a membership in Searchie!).
The Marketing Experience Changed My Life
Stu’s program changed my life and my business profoundly. Not only is Stu a visionary and an excellent teacher and leader, but he draws people to his community whom I really resonate with and respect. It’s a community that I’m proud to be a part of. I gain support and I meet incredibly talented people. It’s so important to surround yourself with smart, dynamic people. Being part of Stu’s tribe puts you in the room with them!
Do You Still Have Questions and Concerns?
Hit me up if you have unanswered questions or lingering concerns about The Membership Experience. I’m happy to provide honest answers so you can discern whether it’s the right program for you!
If you’re even remotely intrigued by the idea of joining TME, I highly suggest you attend Stu’s free live workshop:
Turn What You Already Know, Love, And Do Into A Profitable Membership Business
What: Stu’s signature, free 3-part LIVE workshop titled “Turn What You Already Know, Love, And Do Into A Profitable Membership Business.” They only do this one time per year! This is the pre-launch phase.
Where: membershipworkshop.com
When: April 4, 2024
Learn from the master of memberships: Stu has hands-on experience running both high 6-figure and 7-figure membership sites. He lives and breathes memberships and he is THE leader in the industry. Every single month, he is personally coaching and consulting other high-level entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, and well-known influencers on how to launch their high profit, low-stress membership site.
Stu is incredibly hands-on. He’s the co-founder of Searchie, which powers thousands and thousands of online courses and membership sites. Bottom line: he knows firsthand what works and what doesn’t. And there’s no one better suited to pass that knowledge and information on to you.
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