15 Steps To Drum Up Digital Subscription Memberships For Your Business

As subscription-based community platforms build their audience over time, it takes more than enticing sign-up rewards to keep first-time subscribers committed for the long term. Delivering continuous product value that resonates with present and future members of the community is essential to fostering a steady sense of growth and belonging with a safe space to open up to others. These are just a few of the deciding factors of a subscriber’s choice to stay or go.

If you want to ensure an innovative, engaging platform that meets people where they're at but enhances their professional development, 15 members from Forbes Business Development Council share some insightful ideas to build a subscriber base that may even nurture customer ambassadors who are happy to get the word out.

1. Ensure Your Social Platform Resonates With Their Needs

It's important to offer ongoing value realization because members don’t just want access; they want outcomes. Leaders must design with this in mind: Ensure the community aligns with their journey, creates space for meaningful interactions and evolves based on real-world use. Whether it’s peers, partners or platform users, engagement should feel essential, not optional. That’s what keeps retention high and momentum growing. - Susana Cabrera, Parsec Automation

2. Highlight A Unique Value Offer

Define a clear and exclusive value that members can't access elsewhere—whether that is expert insights, peer networking opportunities or specialized tools. This differentiation is essential because, without unique value, members will quickly churn to free alternatives. Successful subscription communities thrive on scarcity and exclusivity rather than just convenience. - Vivek Vishal, Honeywell

3. Build A Platform For Engagement, Feedback Loops And Co-Creation

Prioritize ongoing value realization. Subscription communities fail when members feel like passive payers. Build for engagement, feedback loops and co-creation. Your audience isn't just buying access; they're investing in a sense of belonging. Make that investment feel priceless. - Eddy Vertil, Vertil & Company

4. Build Members' Trust

Focus on retention. In a crowded market, earning one subscriber is hard—but keeping them is everything. Without a clear retention strategy, churn will kill momentum. Deliver consistent value, engagement and reasons to stay. It’s not just about acquisition—it’s about earning trust every month. - Scott Hozebin, Better Health

5. Stay Informed And Be Willing To Update Your Model

It's important to get the recurring revenue model right because a lot of organizations make basic mistakes. Of course, continuous value delivery is nonnegotiable, but another important aspect is how your model is transitioning along with your subscribers. A lot of attention is targeted toward attracting new ones, whereas an equal effort should be made toward your seasoned audience, be it pricing or any other way. - Mustansir Paliwala, Zomara Group

6. Communicate Often

Retention is everything. While at YouTube—and later Netflix—we saw that early engagement predicts long-term value. Great onboarding highlights key benefits, guides setup and nudges first use. Then it builds rituals—like weekly content drops or shoutouts—that reinforce value and spark habit. Help subscribers feel the magic, fast. - Shikha Agarwal, Yelp

7. Foster A Safe Sense Of Community Connections

True mastery lies in psychological ownership design, curating a realm where members feel they possess the community itself. This births devotion, ardent advocacy and enviably low churn. When people believe it’s theirs, they’ll stay, protect and proudly champion it, far beyond any transactional tie. In such spaces, loyalty isn’t bought—it’s beautifully woven into the very fabric of belonging. - Praneeth Kudithipudi, Sacumen

8. Treat Your Subscription Community Like Friends

In some ways, you have to think of your subscription community like a friendship, not just a sales funnel. I have found that people can tell when they’re just a number. But when you treat them like real humans with ideas, feedback and value to share, they stick around. The trust you build ultimately proves to be far more profitable than any perfect pitch could ever be. - Bryce Welker, The CPA Exam Guy

9. Help Members Continue To Grow Professionally

One critical factor is continuous value delivery. A subscription-based community only thrives when members receive ongoing insights, utility and connection. If value declines, so does retention. Leaders must design for relevance, ensuring the community becomes a core part of members’ professional growth. - Shay Solomon, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

10. Deliver Recurring Benefits

Subscription success equals relentless value. Amazon Prime proves the model: Free shipping plus Prime Video deals and music create layered value where quitting feels like losing. The formula? Deliver recurring benefits that make staying irresistible. This slashes churn, drives referrals and builds fierce loyalty. Here's the golden rule: Members should feel they're losing more by leaving than saving by canceling. - Suhail Syed, Vesper Telecom

11. Come Up With An Effective, Balanced Pricing Strategy

An effectively crafted pricing strategy ensures the subscription offers clear value at a price members are willing to pay. It’s critical because it impacts acquisition, retention and profitability. Pricing that’s too high deters sign-ups and too low undermines perceived value and sustainability. The right balance attracts the target audience, maximizes revenue and supports long-term growth. - Salice Thomas, Wipro Limited

12. Avoid Being An Afterthought

A subscription community must deliver ongoing value beyond initial sign-up perks. Members should feel consistently engaged and see clear benefits for staying subscribed. Without sustained relevance and attention, people cancel or forget you exist. Longevity depends on keeping value flowing and creating genuine connections so members feel they’re part of something worth belonging to long term. - Anna Jankowska, RTB House

13. Elevate Product Adoption, Peer Learning And Customer Advocacy

One key factor is driving continuous member engagement. A vibrant, value-rich community boosts product adoption, peer learning and customer advocacy, directly impacting renewals and retention. In subscription models, engagement isn’t optional—it’s essential for sustaining growth and long-term customer success. - Jigar Kothari, Aisera

14. Use Feedback To Reduce Friction And Enhance The Experience

The most critical factor is a customer success strategy focused on driving adoption tied to business outcomes. This is essential because with subscription (or as-a-service) models, recurring revenue is directly linked to delivering lasting value and customer success. You must continuously use feedback to reduce friction and enhance the experience to ensure customers are achieving their goals. - Jonathan Nikols, Verizon Business

15. Concentrate On Helping People Rather Than Pitching

While building the Revenue Rangers community, I learned this: Don’t sell—help. People don’t join to hear pitches. They join to learn, share and grow. If the community gives real value, its members will invite others. And when they need your product, they’ll think of you. That trust builds over time—and so does revenue. - Vipin Thomas, SparrowGenie