484 - Push vs Pull Marketing: Which Works Best For Memberships?

Every piece of marketing you write is making a choice, whether you realize it or not. You're either talking about the pain your members are running from, or the future they're running towards. Most membership owners never actually decide which one they're doing. They just default to whatever feels natural and end up leaning hard on one side without realizing it.

In this episode I break down push positioning and pull positioning: what each one does, why push converts faster but pull retains better, and why the type of member you attract, and what they'll pay, depends on which one dominates your marketing.

This isn't about picking a side. It's about using both deliberately, in the right order, so your marketing gets attention without filling your membership with the wrong kind of members.

If you've never actually audited whether your sales page, your emails, and your social content are leaning push or pull, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• What's the difference between push positioning and pull positioning, and why does most marketing lean on one without meaning to?
• Why does push positioning convert faster, and why does it also carry a higher risk of refunds and churn?
• What makes pull positioning better for retention and community health, even though it's harder to write?
• How should you combine both, and in what order, to get attention without attracting the wrong members?
• Why does the type of positioning you use affect who joins and how much they're willing to pay?

Want to work through your own push and pull positioning? Grab the free Membership Messaging Workbook at membershipgeeks.com/484. It walks you through mapping the pain your members are running from and the destination they're running to, then shows you how to blend both into positioning you can actually use.

And if you'd like a wider view of where the gaps in your membership business actually are, our free Membership Healthcheck is built for exactly that.

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"Push positioning focuses on the things that people are running away from. Pull positioning focuses on what people are running to."

"I quite often talk about the notion of being a painkiller rather than a vitamin. Needling on those pain points can really work."

"Pull positioning is generally better for long-term retention and community health. Push positioning is typically better for short-term conversions."

"Lead with what they're escaping to get their attention and to kind of light a fire under them to propel them into action, but anchor your offering firmly around what they're moving towards."

You might also find useful:

• 9 Reasons Why People Aren't Joining Your Membership Site
• Do's and Don'ts of Marketing a Membership Website
• 9 Membership Marketing Tactics That'll Get You More Members
• Competing With Established Memberships In Your Market

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