Like most solopreneurs, I’ve been thinking about building a membership website, creating a course, and growing my email list for ages now. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to progress on any of those goals, not because I lacked a plan, but because I had way too many options to choose from.
Life as someone managing a premier design agency is hard enough; what I craved for is a simple plan that will help me stay focused on creating content (blog and podcast, including videos that I publish on YouTube… the channel, has zero subscribers as of today) while giving my supporters behind-the-scenes access to premium content.
I don’t have ambitions to become a social media influencer, celebrity podcaster, or blogger. Nor do I expect to become a millionaire by selling my high-ticket courses. I’m an executive leadership coach, and I help people who care enough about their performance get where they want to be. Period.
I know, that’s a boring goal to have. That’s alright because I can live with it. The idea isn’t to get predictable with those $7 ebook funnels or $4,999 digital products that every guru out there is selling. I don’t think all that’s going to last long.
Fancy marketing strategies don’t have a place in my life, so my plans haven’t taken off. I have been looking for a solution that serves my purpose – to stay a micro-business for the longest possible time. That means my system has to be:
1. Low maintenance
2. Focuses on exclusivity
3. Simple to use and understand
The membership sites I’ve been exploring weren’t simple enough. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to integrate all I have created. It is tiring to maintain a site each for my courses, podcasts, videos, and yet another one for everything else that I’m doing.
What if I were to work with a system that allows people the flexibility to support me reasonably while I focus on creating value for them. After spending days on this, I’ve concluded that Patreon might be a solution to my problem.
I know it’s not a perfect system with terms, transaction charges, and revenue models. And I could be wrong about this, but it might work for me since people aren’t comfortable committing to a big-ticket purchase (like a coaching package) anyway.
What if I create an opportunity to engage with me at a deeper level with a $10/month offer that allows them to check out masterclass video presentations? Or be able to get on a group call with me for a teaching class once a month (in addition to gaining access to the masterclasses) if they can pledge $100 a month? If they like what they see, if they have the option to upgrade to a $500 per month tier (limited to 10 seats) that allows them to get two one-on-one coaching sessions each month, in addition to accessing my leadership courses, that’s due to be released this year. Everything else is offered in the other tiers!
I like the idea of providing my patrons with the value they’re seeking; instead of shoving down my ideas to their throats. It’s a simple brain-dead model. I don’t have to worry about likes, shares anymore. I can continue creating content as usual and make the most of my time and energy out there. (Let’s not forget that the concept is ageless. Artists, musicians, and philosophers have historically made a nice living off patronage.)
Sure, if I will have to figure out a way to back up the masterclass videos I will be posting on Patreon, but I’ve got several solutions to choose from. Besides that, I don’t see any other challenge with the setup, at least for now. Something might crop up later, but we can cross the bridge when we get there.
For now, as with all necessary things, let’s get started. And oh, if you’re keen to join my tribe, check out my Patreon page at https://patreon.com/sunilnair.
I’ll see you on the other side.