Creating a membership business might seem like the ultimate dream: passive income, a community of loyal followers, and the ability to work fewer hours while your bank account grows. But here’s the kicker—just because you build it doesn’t mean they’ll come. And if they do come, that doesn’t mean they’ll stick around unless you give them something worth their time. Spoiler alert: “something worth their time” isn’t a PDF download that’s been collecting digital dust since 2016.

If you’re going to start a subscription-based website or membership business that doesn’t fizzle out after a few months, you’ll need to understand what your audience truly wants—and no, reading their minds isn’t an option (unfortunately).

Instead, you need to gather audience insights and use those to shape the membership benefits. So, how do we do that? Well, grab a coffee, and let me walk you through the process.

Start with the Basics: Who Is Your Audience?

First things first, who exactly are you targeting with your membership site? It’s not everyone with an internet connection (unless you’re a magical unicorn, in which case, congrats). You need to be specific. Narrowing down your target audience is like cutting down the branches before you attempt to climb the tree.

What are their interests?
What problems are they desperate to solve?
What keeps them up at night (besides scrolling through TikTok)?

This is where your research begins. Before you can create a subscription-based website that provides meaningful benefits, you need to understand what your potential members are craving. Spoiler alert: vague ideas like “more knowledge” or “self-improvement” don’t cut it. You need concrete data, and that’s where audience insights come into play.

Step 1: Stalk Them… I Mean, Study Them

When I say "gather insights," I’m not suggesting you become Sherlock Holmes, lurking around Twitter like a detective in a trench coat. Instead, think of it as a much friendlier form of stalking—observing, listening, and collecting data without making it weird.

Here are some ways to gather insights:

Surveys: A classic but effective method. Send out surveys to your existing audience (assuming you have one). If not, consider posting on social media or within relevant online communities. Ask specific, direct questions like:

What are your biggest challenges related to [your topic]?
What would you find most valuable in a membership?
How often would you like new content or resources?

Pro tip: Offer a little incentive (discount, free resource) to encourage responses, because let’s be honest—no one wants to fill out a survey for fun.
Social Media Eavesdropping: Social media is the gift that keeps on giving. People rant and rave about what they love or hate, and they don’t hold back. Twitter, Reddit, Facebook groups, and even YouTube comment sections can be a goldmine for audience insights. Just type in keywords related to your topic and see what discussions are already happening.
Engage with Existing Communities: Join online forums or groups where your potential members hang out. Platforms like Facebook, Reddit, or even niche communities on Discord or Slack allow you to see what questions are being asked and what issues are most commonly discussed.
Analytics Tools: If you already have a website or social media presence, tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Insights will show you what’s working and what’s flopping harder than a fish out of water. Look at what type of content is getting the most engagement. What are people spending the most time on? This will give you clues about what they find valuable.

Step 2: Ask the Right Questions (and Actually Listen)

Once you’ve gathered some data, it’s time to sit down and ask yourself (and your audience) some real questions. What do they really need? Not what you think they need—what they actually want. This step requires humility, which can be difficult if you’ve already decided you’re the next membership site mogul.

Here are some good questions to ask:

What’s missing from other that they’ve tried?
What specific features or benefits would make them feel like they’re getting their money’s worth?
How much are they willing to pay for this dream membership site? (And be prepared for answers that range from $1 to “my firstborn child”).

You’ll be surprised at how much valuable information comes from simply listening. Take notes, find patterns, and resist the urge to argue with their preferences. The truth is, your audience will guide you on how to shape your if you’re willing to hear them out.

Step 3: Get Creative with Your Membership Benefits

So, you’ve got all this juicy intel. Now what? Well, now it’s time to use it to shape your in a way that makes your audience feel like they can’t live without you (because if they can live without you, they will).

Think outside the box. If the have taught us anything, it’s that you don’t win people over with generic perks. You win them over with tailored, valuable offerings that make them feel like they’re part of something exclusive and worthwhile.

Here’s how you can use audience insights to create benefits that hit the mark:

Content That Solves Problems: If your audience has consistently said that their biggest challenge is [insert pain point], your membership should offer solutions tailored to that challenge. Be specific. A weekly Q&A session that addresses their exact problems, or an exclusive video course that tackles these challenges, is far more valuable than general “bonus content.”
Personalization is Key: Use the data you’ve collected to offer personalized experiences. People love to feel seen and heard. Can you offer different membership tiers that cater to different levels of involvement? Perhaps beginners need more hand-holding while seasoned pros are just looking for advanced tips.
Exclusive Access and Community: If your research shows that people crave connection, creating an online community might be one of your most valuable membership benefits. Forums, live events, or even private chats with experts can make your membership feel like a VIP club where people feel like they belong.
Keep it Fresh: Don’t assume you know everything about your audience after one round of surveys. Needs change, and marketing membership means regularly gathering feedback and tweaking your benefits to keep things relevant. Just don’t go overboard and overwhelm them with too many features (remember, no one wants 37 webinars a week).

Step 4: Test, Adjust, Repeat

The first iteration of your membership benefits won’t be perfect. That’s the dirty little secret that no one tells you when you’re figuring out how to start a membership business. You’ll launch your site, gather feedback, and realize half the benefits you thought were a great idea fall flat.

But guess what? That’s part of the process. Use your audience insights to constantly refine and improve. Test new benefits, see what sticks, and be willing to let go of the stuff that’s not resonating. The best membership sites are the ones that stay flexible and adjust to their members’ evolving needs.

Insights = Gold

If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that gathering audience insights isn’t a one-and-done task. It’s an ongoing commitment to understanding your members, their needs, and their motivations. The more you know about your audience, the better equipped you are to create benefits that make your membership irresistible.

So, before you create a subscription-based website or start dreaming of membership mogul status, remember: listening is your superpower. And if done right, your audience will practically hand you the blueprint to success. All you have to do is pay attention (and maybe throw in a few bonuses along the way).