Continuing on the Membership miniseries here are 10 Profitable Membership Ideas to get your teeth into. There are basically two things that you need to consider when choosing the topic of a membership site; Your own passion about the subject and The level of demand for information about the subject.

Following Your Passion

Unless you are really passionate about the topic that you choose to construct a membership website around, you are not going to be successful. Passion is contagious and it is up to you to be a carrier of passion about your topic and to infect others with your passion.

But just being passionate about a topic yourself is not enough. The second part of the successful membership website formula is that there must be a large enough demand for information about the topic. The best way to determine the level of demand is to visit the blogs and forums that are dedicated to the topic that you are considering.

If you are passionate about the topic and there is a demand for information about the topic, you have the magic formula for building a successful membership website.

Many times eager entrepreneurs will see only the possibility of a nice recurring income and jump into a membership website without thinking it through completely. When you are choosing the topic for a membership website, the ideas are nearly endless but you must choose carefully.

10 Profitable Membership Ideas

1. Fashion Tips: Men as well as women are very concerned about their appearance. They want to look stylish without looking weird. They want to be ‘today’ but they don’t really want to be ‘cutting edge’. In short, they want to dress well and most people aren’t confident about choosing clothing that is flattering as well as fitting.

2. Medical Information: You can’t give medical advice as such. That would be called ‘practicing medicine without a license’ but you can report on the newest medicines and the newest procedures that are becoming available for a whole variety of human maladies. You can report on the results of studies and trials, too.

3. Employment: There are thousands and thousands of people out there who are looking for jobs. Employment ranks close to the top of everyone’s list of concerns. Job hunting tips, job hunting information, resume writing, etc. are all topics of great concern to a great many people.

4. Professionals: There are national and international organizations for many professions like doctors for example but how about a website where those who sell gardening supplies can gather and discuss the trade or a site where beauticians can gather and exchange information?

5. Relocating: We live in a mobile society. People move from state to state and from country to country in pursuit of their professions or education. Relocating is a project that is fraught with problems. People who have relocated can help those who are about to relocate!

6. Travel: There are, of course, all kinds of sites where people can book flights and reserve hotel rooms but there aren’t many sites where travelers can exchange information about their travels.

7. Starting a Business: Because of corporate downsizing and the exportation of jobs there are people out there who are almost forced to start their own businesses. They may not have ever considered starting their own small business but now that choice is becoming more viable. They want information and they want to talk to others who have ‘taken the plunge’ so to speak.

8. Elder Care: The baby boomers are reaching the age where they are caught between having teenage or college age children and elderly parents that all need their attention and their money. Some of these boomers have found creative ways of dealing with being the middle of a generation sandwich and they can share that hard earned knowledge with those that are just beginning the process.

9. Parenting: The most important job on earth that we are ever faced with is bringing a child into this world and guiding them safely to adulthood. New parents have questions and those who have been doing it for awhile have answers. Bring the two groups together and throw in some advice from grandparents while you are at it!

10. Online Gaming: There are those who are so ‘into’ online games that it seems to be the subject that demands all of their time and attention. The only thing that gamers like better than playing online games is talking about playing online games. Gamers like to exchange information about the online games that they play.

I hope these Ideas have your mind launching into create mode. Try a few dry runs before you publish.   Thanks’ for reading

I would like to switch focus onto membership sites today and do a mini- series on this very subject; so are Membership Sites a good alternative? I would say by the feedback that I get from the Big players are a resounding YES. A membership site transcends just about every area of interest that’s in demand from Fishing and Gardening to Training and mentoring courses. First off today I just want to draw attention to the different types of membership sites available and some of their appeal to the canny investor.

It’s like a money tree! Just one member paying $30.00 per month adds up to $360 a year; do the math, NICE.

Web 2.0 Websites

One type of membership website that you are very likely familiar with is the Web 2.0 sites like YouTube and MySpace. These are social networking sites that provide tools for an interactive network of friends and include user-submitted information as personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos.

Some of these social networking membership websites have come under fire recently because they have been shown to be play grounds for predators. Since these problems have arisen there is more scrutiny of members than there has been in the past. These sites are not likely to ‘go away’ any time soon in the future because they are hugely popular not to mention profitable.

Exclusivity Sites

Then there are paid exclusive sites like the UnselfishMarketer.com (an undisputed industry leader when it comes to delivering information products with PLR and Master Resell Rights), Golf sites (which are owned by professional golfers and offer instruction that isn’t readily available free on the Internet), and to many more to mention.

These exclusive membership websites are designed for specific people and appeal to a group of like-minded individuals who are seeking instruction or information that can only be had on exclusive membership websites.

They call the Internet the ‘information super highway’ but these exclusive membership websites really do make the information super and the information that is provided is far superior to just the regular stuff that everybody gets for free.

Getting Free Members – Building Lists

Not all membership websites are paid-for; apart from the Web 2.0 sites there is another kind of membership website that is free. One such site is PLRSecretsExposed.com. There is no charge for the membership to this site.

The objective of a free membership website is to acquire the names and email addresses of people who are interested in a specific topic in order to build an opt-in list. Still this is a membership website, and unless a visitor joins the site, they will not have access to some really good information that is not otherwise available.

Community-Driven Membership

This is yet another kind of membership website that is known as a “community site” or a Forum. Membership in a community site is usually free but depending on its area of interest can be a paid membership. magneticsponsoring.com is an example of a community membership website.

The idea of a community website is that there are a group of people who are all interested in the same basic topic but who go about accomplishing success in various ways. They get together at a community website and exchange information and ideas. Sometimes community websites will offer one-on-one training above and beyond the cost of membership in the community website.

What All Membership Sites Have in Common

Membership websites of all kinds have one thing in common. They allow for social and beneficial interaction between members. The old Web 1.0 was a one-way street but in this fast moving world, communication flows in both directions.

You will notice that on all of the various types of membership websites there is a blog or a forum that affords a place for members to communicate not only with the owner of the membership website but also with other members.

The communication opportunities afforded by membership sites is one of the biggest reasons that membership sites are so popular today and probably will be popular for a long time to come. People want to hear but they also want to be heard. They want to learn but they have information to share with others as well. Membership websites provide a place for the sharing of ideas and information.

So to conclude this first entry, there are many different kinds of membership sites and different people will take to many kinds of membership sites. If you are considering starting your own membership website, the good news is that there will be people who will like it and want to be members.

Membership websites are popular and membership websites are profitable. Recurring income is a powerful motivation to start one!