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Launching a private community

Discover why 97% of successful memberships include community—plus the step-by-step launch plan to build yours in a single day.

 

Here's a secret that most membership creators don't realize: you don't need hundreds of videos, a massive email list, or years of expertise to launch a profitable membership. You just need people who want to connect around a shared interest.

Welcome to the community-based membership—the fastest, easiest, and most overlooked way to launch a membership business. While everyone else is stressing about creating the perfect course curriculum or filming 50 videos before launch, you can have a thriving membership up and running in less than a day.

No content library required. No fancy tech stack. Just a space where your people can gather, connect, and grow together.

Sound too simple? That's because it is. And that's exactly why it works.

How to Build Your Community in Membership.io (The Technical Part)

Step 1: Create Your Community Hub

From your Membership.io dashboard, click Create Hub and select Community as your hub type. Fill in a couple of details about the community you want to launch. Don't have all the answers? No problem. The AI generates suggestions. Just hit Tab to accept them or type your own. Click Create, and your community hub is built.

Step 2: Customize Your Community Space

Don't just accept the defaults. Make it yours: click Customize to open the Hub Editor. Update your welcome message to explain what the community is about. Add a hero image or banner that reflects your brand. Set up community guidelines (optional but recommended).

Step 3: Enable the Discussions Page

Until you actually add the link somewhere visible, members won't see the discussions page yet. This gives you time to customize everything before inviting members in. Once you're ready, be sure that your community is linked somewhere in your Hub.

Step 4: Set Your Access and Pricing

Go to Hub Settings > Pricing to connect your Stripe account, set your monthly/annual subscription price, and configure your registration page.

Step 5: Create Your First Posts (30 Minutes)

Here's where most people freeze. What do you even post? Start with these essentials:

  • Post #1: Welcome Message

  • Post #2: Introduce Yourself Template

  • Post #3: First Discussion Prompt: Ask an easy, engaging question that anyone can answer.

Got questions? Here are answers to the most common ones.

🔥 Community Engagement Prompts Guide Get 20+ AI-powered conversation starters to fill your community calendar 👉 https://help.membership.io/maximize-community-engagement-with-these-tips

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