The biggest mistake I see in ongoing content is that it’s 100 percent “how-to” information. Too much how-to is boring, overwhelming, and monotonous. Plus, there are billions of pages of how-to content available for free on the internet.

Yes, “how-to” is important, and when you ask your members, that’s what they always say they want; however, when you deliver content in the right way, it’ll result in a huge reduction of your churn rates.

I was speaking about this with a client in December. On that call I created the following formula for content:

Content = Vision + Clarity + How-To + Personality

Throughout the month of January, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Money Map Press, an Agora affiliate and one of the largest financial publishers in the world, to implement this model within their editorial department. As a large publisher, they have several different experts who provide content for various publications. I’ve had ongoing calls with an editorial team to apply this formula for their publications and personalities.

Here’s a breakdown of the formula:

Content – What you deliver to your members and subscribers. This could be in the form of newsletters — like those Money Map Press publishes — your onboarding products, audio programs, coaching programs, or presentations.

 Vision – A dream of what life could be like, should be like, and what it’ll look like when they achieve it. Jay Abraham calls this future pacing, where you help give the member a mental picture of what life is like after they implement what you deliver.

 Clarity – You must eliminate all of the other options, help them set aside time in their life for your materials, and give them a clear path to follow. Think of college; once the student chooses a college and a major, the college gives a curriculum and a schedule of classes over the next four years to earn a degree. Once the student is sold on the destination, the college outlines a clear path for success.

How to – The actual training they need to accomplish their goal. For me, when I was learning how to swim, I kept hyperventilating and couldn’t complete a single lap without stopping. My coach taught me to exhale while my face was underwater so when I turned my head up for a breath I was inhaling only. This was a “how-to” element that enabled me to become a successful swimmer.

 Personality – You have a unique voice and are appealing to a group of customers. Incorporate your unique personality, what you stand for, and your values, and be vulnerable. Talk about your failures as well as your successes to create a connection with your members.

That’s it — a simple five-step formula that will keep your members coming back for your content every day and each month …and motivate them to pay you for the privilege.

Check out the content you subscribe to. Think about the people whose content you read every day, week, or month. How do they use this formula within what they publish to capture your attention on an ongoing basis?

About Robert Skrob

The problem with subscription membership programs is that members quit, I fix that problem. For more than 20-years I have specialized in direct response marketing for member recruitment, retention and ascension in diverse subscription members environments including non-profit associations, for-profit publishers/coaching, subscriptions and SAAS companies. For an evaluation of your current churn rate and how I can improve it, contact me here. I discover there are often two or three quick wins you can implement within a week to lower churn immediately, let’s talk about your quick wins.