Operating a successful membership website doesn't end with recruiting new members. You need to ensure they keep coming back with engaging and timely content. But if you aren't strategic about it, that content will become a jumble of ideas in your brain -- and will look like exactly that on your site. That's why the best approach is an intentional content strategy: consistency, engagement, and maximum value to your members. In this post, we outline how to make a content calendar that keeps members engaged, excited, and subscribed long-term.
What is a content calendar & how can it help you run your membership website?
A content calendar is a strategic plan that specifies when and where you’ll publish what content. This contributes to planning and organizing your posts so that your audience is always received valuable material. It can help you:
✅ Be organized – Plan your content ahead of time, so you don’t leave it until the last minute.
✅ Be Consistent – Regularly refreshing valuable content is important for keeping members engaged.
✅ Improve Member Experience – Introduce new content that is current and relevant.
✅ Increase Retention Rates – Keep things fresh to give members a reason to stay subscribed.
1. Identify Your Core Themes and Subjects
Before you create a calendar make sure you create content pillars — the core themes or topics that support your membership site value proposition. Some foundational topics for a membership site about fitness would be:
- Working Out
- Nutrition & Meal Prep
- Mindset/Motivation
- Workout or Weight Loss Challenges
If your site is about financial advice, some primary topics might be:
- Education Center
- Issues & Audits
- Taxes & Accounting
- Financial Strategy
Even if you feel like your topics are self-evident, the key is to document them, and adhere to them across whatever time frame you want to plan within - by month, quarter, year, etc.
2: Content Formats and Frequency
Using different types of content can make your site more engaging. Some formats might be:
📌 Articles & Posts — weekly or bi-weekly thoughts of the industry experts.
📌 Video Lessons or Tutorials – In-depth monthly content.
📌 Live Q&A Sessions/Webinars – Monthly or bi-monthly interactive sessions.
📌 Downloadable Resources – Weekly guidelines/worksheets/templates.
📌 Member Challenges – Monthly challenges for more engagement. Establish a posting frequency that’s realistic for you and your schedule.
3: Use a Content Calendar Tool
Here are some free and paid project management tools you can use to keep your content organized:
✅ Google Calendar – Clean and free for tracking important dates.
✅ Trello or Asana – Great for planning content processes.
✅ Notion or Airtable – A good detailed content repository.
✅ CoSchedule or ContentStudio – For combined scheduling and automation.
If you are on a budget, the easiest solution might be a simple Google Sheet. This can include columns such as date published, post title, format type, category/topic.
4: Mix Evergreen & Time-Sensitive Content
🔹 Evergreen content is that continues to be relevant and valuable over time. Evergreen courses are a great example. In the SubHub platform you can create an evergreen course that runs all the time. Members start consuming the content when they sign up, and can work through it at their leisure. You can also give members lifetime access to these courses.
🔹 Time-sensitive content might include updates on current seasons, industry trends, conversations influenced by the community.
5: Themes and Challenges
To keep things fresh, you can set a specific them by the week or month.
For example, a “Mindset Mastery Month” would be perfect for a coaching site. A “Healthy Eating Week” would work for a health or nutrition site. Entrepreneurs and members of financial advice sites might be enticed by a “Financial Freedom Friday”. Content with a theme keeps members engaged and excited to see more of your upcoming offerings.
Step 6: Seek Feedback and Implement It
Regular, direct access to members via survey and polls, or just asking a question via email can make members feel included and heard. You can also use analytics to see what pages and screens your members are viewing.
Open-ended questions like these demonstrate that you care about delivering the best content possible for your members:
What type of new content do you engage with most?
How frequently do you want new content?
What challenges are you facing that we can assist with?
Use this feedback to refine and improve your content calendar over time.
Final Thoughts
A solid content calendar is key to keeping your membership site fresh and engaging. To assist you, we've provided a content calendar template. Just download the PDF. By planning strategically, mixing content formats, and listening to your audience, you’ll create an experience that members value—and want to stick around for!
Don't have a membership site yet?
Grab the membership site content calendar template:
