The cornerstone of a membership program

Through research and discussions with publishers who have had success with membership programs, The Membership Puzzle Project’s team found that the cornerstone for a successful program needs to be a strong value proposition.

A value proposition is a statement of the value that a membership creates to address a particular need. Publishers should define a value proposition for anything they create, including any subscription or membership programs.

The Membership Puzzle Project asked 25 newsrooms what membership means to them and found that the best value propositions articulate how the experience of membership provides value to the publication’s members. Defining the value proposition is the first step to making a pitch to readers to join a membership or subscription program.