And the most common mistakes you should avoid.
You have the vision for your new membership site. You have the content. You’re ready to launch… but wait a minute!
What are you going to call it?
How should you name your membership site?
How will people refer to your membership?
Does any of this even matter?
The simple answer. YES. It absolutely matters. And, it matters a lot!
The name of your membership is the first thing your potential members will hear, so it’s got to be just right.
A rose by any other name may smell just as sweet, but there are a few essential factors to naming your membership that will definitely affect the aroma—and your membership success.
So let’s get into it. There are three things to carefully consider when naming your membership site.
1. Make it easy to remember.
First, if it’s not easy to remember, people will forget it. Period.
Second, as people join the membership and experience the value and awesomeness that you provide, they’ll want to tell their friends.
If they can’t communicate your name clearly or memorably, you’ve lost that potential growth. So, you absolutely want a name that is easy to remember.
Keep it simple!
2. Make it easy to spell.
If your membership name is difficult to spell or you get too fancy, people will look for you and find nothing—or worse, a competitor.
You might think “The Gr8 Community” is unique, but if it doesn’t come naturally to your customers, all of your creativity is in vain.
Bottom line: if it’s easy to spell, word-of-mouth growth will reap much higher rewards.
3. Make it easy to identify with.
The third rule is the most important because it makes your membership relational. Ask yourself: could this name create an identity for my members, as well as the site or brand as a whole?
You want your members feeling “part of it.” A valued member of the community. Part of something BIGGER.
Pop culture fans create names for themselves. Whether it’s a celebrity, singer, band, or book, fans are no longer appreciating in isolation, and with one name can access the support of an entire community.
Great examples of this are Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” or Justin Bieber’s “Beliebers.”
Since we have a TRIBE, a lot of our audience call themselves “TRIBErs.”
Patty Palmer has a membership site for art teachers called “Deep Space Sparkle.” You know what her members call themselves? “Sparklers.”
If your members identify with the name, they not only wear that name proudly but will tell everybody about it and help create the very identity that keeps them glued to your community.
Do you already have name ideas? Let us know!
Join us right here right now and start connecting with membership leaders at all stages of the journey. Swap stories. Ask questions. Share thoughts. And multiply your membership potential with a team of experts and front-line creatives. We can’t wait to hear from you!
These three short-and-sweet rules will guide you to name your membership site, side-step a lot of marketing problems before they even happen—and set you up for sustainable growth!
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