Ep 170: How to Create a Success Path in Your Membership with Stu McLaren [Highlight]
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How to Create a Success Path in your Membership with Stu McLaren
Building a thriving membership community isn’t just about providing content. It’s about helping members make progress and see tangible results. A clear success path is a foundational strategy for making that happen.
If you’re new to memberships or thinking about starting one, I highly recommend checking out Stu McLaren’s The Membership Experience—it’s a fantastic resource for building a successful membership from the ground up.
If you’ve been struggling to get members to stay engaged or see consistent progress, a well-defined success path can change everything. Here’s how to create one that works.
What Is a Success Path?
A success path is a structured framework that breaks down the journey members will take from where they are now to where they want to be. It maps out the stages they’ll progress through, the milestones they’ll achieve, and the actions they need to take at each stage.
Think of it like martial arts belts or school grades. Each level builds on the one before, giving members a clear sense of progress and accomplishment.
Why a Success Path Matters
A success path offers clarity and momentum for your members. It helps them understand:
Where they currently are in their journey.
What they need to accomplish next to move forward.
What progress looks like along the way.
When members know what they’re working towards and can see their progress, they’re more likely to stay engaged and committed.
Four Elements of an Effective Success Path
Creating a success path involves breaking the journey down into four main components:
Stages
Descriptions
Milestones
Action Items
Let’s break down each element.
1. Define Your Stages
Stages are the different levels of progress members will go through from start to finish. Think of them like levels in a game or belts in martial arts.
Don’t Overcomplicate It: Stick to 3-7 stages. Five is the sweet spot.
Make Early Stages Easier: Provide easy wins early on to build momentum.
Include Advanced Stages: As members grow, the journey will become more challenging, but also more rewarding.
Example:
If you were teaching someone how to paint, the stages might look like:
Beginner (Learning the basics)
Intermediate (Building foundational skills)
Advanced (Mastering complex techniques)
Expert (Creating original artwork)
Master (Teaching or mentoring others)
2. Write Descriptions for Each Stage
Descriptions help members identify where they are in their journey and understand what lies ahead.
Include What Members Are Thinking, Feeling, and Doing: This helps them quickly recognize their own progress.
Paint a Clear Picture: Make it black and white. If they’re at stage three, it should be obvious based on what they’ve achieved and what they’re experiencing.
Example:
A fitness membership might describe a stage like this:
Stage 2: Building Consistency
What They’re Thinking: “I feel motivated but struggle with consistency.”
What They’re Feeling: Encouraged but frustrated by setbacks.
What They’re Doing: Completing workouts but lacking a steady routine.
3. Set Milestones
Milestones are specific indicators of progress that members must achieve before moving to the next stage.
Be Specific: Avoid vague criteria like “feeling confident.” Instead, focus on measurable actions or accomplishments.
Create Tangible Markers: Members should clearly understand when they’ve reached a milestone.
Example:
In a writing membership, a milestone could be:
Completing their first draft of a book.
Receiving feedback from a peer group.
Revising based on feedback and submitting for publication.
4. Provide Action Items
What should members do if they haven’t reached a milestone? Give them clear, actionable steps.
Make It Practical: Provide exercises, resources, or assignments to help them move forward.
Keep It Black and White: Either they’ve completed the action or they haven’t. Ambiguity will only cause frustration.
Example:
If a member hasn’t completed the onboarding process within 30 days:
Send them a checklist of tasks to complete.
Offer a quick-win challenge to boost their motivation.
Putting It All Together
Your success path should be a straightforward, user-friendly roadmap for your members. It should be clear enough for members to identify where they are, understand what’s next, and know what actions to take to move forward.
Stages: Define 3-7 stages, with clear progressions.
Descriptions: Write detailed descriptions that help members self-identify.
Milestones: Set tangible markers for progress.
Action Items: Provide specific steps to help members move forward.
Why It Works
A well-crafted success path gives members clarity and momentum. When they can see where they are and where they’re headed, it makes the entire membership experience feel more purposeful and valuable.
Plus, it helps you as a membership owner identify where members are getting stuck, so you can provide the right support at the right time.
Ready to Create Your Success Path?
If you’re ready to take your membership to the next level and build a success path that works, it all starts with your member journey map. I cover this in detail inside my Retain program, where I provide the exact templates and strategies you need to create a success path that drives progress, retention, and revenue.
Want to make sure your members are progressing and sticking around? Download my free Retention Guide at RetainGuide.com and start building a membership experience that delivers real results.
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