Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Why You Should Have a Membership Site for Your Resume Writing Business

Are you looking for ways to serve your resume writing clients more effectively -- or create another stream of income? Try a membership site. It is not easy, but it can pay off in many ways for your business.

Why do people seek out your resume writing business? They want a job ... even if they are just buying a resume. They really want more help -- and it may be more help than they are willing to pay for ... at least up front. The advantage of a membership site is that you can provide "group" services (with corresponding "group" pricing).

A membership site can increase not only your profits but also your expert status and visibility in your niche market. Be aware, however -- while there are many advantages to a membership site, the first requirement is that you are ready to handle the increased workload. You can decide what you are going to offer in your membership site -- some of them, like a fixed-term membership site, can be "set it and forget it." Others, like a membership site that includes a weekly Q&A call, won't require much preparation, but will test your expertise as you might get some unexpected questions. You can also create a membership program where customers pay a monthly fee to get priority access for resume updates and resume retargets. You can provide them with a monthly e-newsletter with career tips as their "tangible" membership benefit.

Research all that you need to do to get and keep it up and running. Make sure you don't overextend yourself -- pick a program you can manage without too much extra time and effort. If you can fulfill all the promises of your program, then you are golden.

So, back to the reasons why you need a membership site. Here are a few.

  • Dedicated customers. Once you convince someone to buy a membership, they will automatically renew each month as long as you provide the promised tools/services. The idea of a membership site is to satisfy a need, but at a higher level. Even if the members one day opt out of the membership, they will more than likely still use your services in some other capacity. (And the monthly payment is a reminder of you each month.)
  • Monthly income. Like I said, you are creating a new income stream. As long as your customers are satisfied, you can count on that money coming in each month.
  • Increase your brand. Through offering exclusive services to your members, you are strengthening your brand. This means having the resources to provide consistent quality to your members each and every month. When that happens, these members will promote your membership site with their network which can net you more membership site members -- but also more prospective resume clients as well.
  • You can expand this portion of your business. Your membership site may start out with one level until you get the hang of managing it and/or you pick up more customers. Adding a multiple tier of services increases monthly profits and opportunities to attract more customers. It also helps solidify your position in your niche market. (If you have a membership program with weekly Q&A calls, you may add a second tier that includes you answering up to 3 email questions from the member each week.)

Membership sites can be a pitfall if you are not careful. Being prepared can avoid this problem. Have your resources in place to continually provide tools and benefits for clients each and every month. Also, donĂ­t forget to create a communication system where a client can reach you when they need you and get a timely response.

Membership sites can be a big boon to your resume writing business if you are prepared to take the challenge.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Bridget
    We have connected on LinkedIn a few times in the resume groups, and I am a subscriber to Be A Resume Writer. was reading through the archives here looking for some inspiration and came across this post. I have looked around, but I do not see too many writers trying this method and was curious if you have a monthly price recommendation for this type of thing.

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  2. Hi, Steve!

    You're right -- not very many resume writers are doing this yet, but it's a successful strategy used in numerous other fields (including coaching), so I see it growing in the resume writing industry as well.

    There are a few resume writers who have fixed-term membership sites -- these start at $15 for an 8-day program and up. Most of these are focused on specific skill building (salary negotiation, LinkedIn, etc.).

    The *easiest* program to implement is a "support" membership program -- basically, you give customers email access to you as well as membership in a private (closed) Facebook or LinkedIn group. These can include an annual resume update (for existing clients) after 12 months of continuous membership. You can also include monthly "open calls" for members to call with questions. The cost ranges from $19-$99/month, depending on value offered, and you can set it up through PayPal's "subscription" payment feature to automate the payment collection.

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    1. Thanks Bridget. I have to say your sites are hands down the most useful advice and information I have found for those of us in the resume field. Best $10 I spend every month.

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