How to Start a Recipe Membership Site

October 25, 2024
Ben Russell
Founder

If you've already built a loyal following on Instagram or TikTok by sharing your mouth-watering recipes and cooking tips, you’ve probably started out by monetising through brand deals. You might even have dipped your toes into launching an ebook or a full on published hard back recipe book! All of this can be great, but revenue can be unpredictable, and you still don't really have a business and customer base that is truly yours.

One of the best ways to turn those likes and follows into a steady income stream is by creating a recipe membership site. Imagine getting paid for the recipes and cooking videos you already love to share – sounds pretty great, right?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to start your own recipe membership site, so you can monetize your content, build a close-knit community, and take control of your brand. Plus, we’ll show you how to use tools like Clubb to make the whole process incredibly simple.

Why Start a Recipe Membership Site?

1. Turn Followers into Paying Members

You’ve got the audience on Instagram or TikTok, and they love your recipes. Why not give them more? A membership site lets you offer exclusive content to your most loyal fans and get paid for it. Think of it as a VIP section for your followers, where they get access to your best stuff.

2. Create a Close Community

Social media is great for reaching tons of people, but a membership site gives you the chance to connect more personally with your audience. Whether it’s through private videos, live cooking sessions, or even Q&A forums, you’ll create a space where your fans feel like they’re part of something special.

3. Offer More Than Just Recipes

Sure, your followers love your cooking videos, but imagine what else you could offer them. Much, much more than just a recipe in the captions. A proper cooking experience - step by step instructions, meal plans, shopping lists, favourites and collections. A real experience, and the kind that people are willing to pay for.

4. Full Control Over Your Brand

Social media algorithms can be unpredictable. A membership site lets you take control of your content and how it’s delivered to your audience, without worrying about ever-changing platforms or rules. Plus, it’s a great way to keep all your exclusive content in one place.

5. Build A Serious Revenue Stream

There are lots of examples of recipe subscription platforms absolutely killing it, as well as creators building their own subscription audience and platforms like Substack. With Clubb, you can do the same, but with an experience 10x better and made for cooking. There lots of examples of creators generating 6 and 7 figure revenues from a small portion of their audience. Got 300k subscribers on instagram?

What You Need to Start a Recipe Membership Site

1. Exclusive Content for Your Super Fans

Recipes and Cooking Videos

Load up the membership site with your backlog of recipes, and think about your content strategy going forward - which content will be exclusive to subscribers, and which content might you still share for free.

Step-by-Step Cooking Tutorials

Short videos are great for social media, but a membership site is where you can really dive deep. Offer step-by-step video tutorials, showing every detail of your process, so your fans can follow along and cook like you at home. Clubb enables you to easily create a tappable step by step recipe video from just one video file (you can even just use your instagram reels from your old recipes).

Regular New Content

You’ll want to keep things fresh and exciting to keep your members coming back for more. Plan out a schedule for regular content drops – whether it’s new recipes, meal plans or general food content and advice.

2. The Right Membership Platform

You’ve got the content covered, now you need a solid platform to manage your members and deliver all that goodness. This is where Clubb comes in handy. Why? Because it handles everything from subscriptions to payments to content protection – so you can focus on cooking up a storm.

  • Simple Setup: No tech skills? No problem. Clubb makes it super easy to set up your membership site without all the fuss.
  • Custom Look: Want your site to match your Instagram aesthetic? No worries. Clubb lets you customize the design so it feels just like you.
  • Safe Payments: Clubb uses Stripe for payments, which is completely secure. Clubb also gives you full ownership of your customers, meaning you really are building your own business and you're not tied into another platform.
  • Keep Your Content Safe: You can protect your exclusive recipes and videos so only paying members get access.

3. Easy Payment Processing

To start earning from your membership site, you’ll need to handle payments – and make it simple for your members to pay you. The platform you choose (like Clubb) should have:

  • Recurring Payments: So your members’ subscriptions renew automatically – without you having to chase payments.
  • Multiple Options: Set up monthly, annual and premium plans, choose your own pricing and offer discounts for promotions.
  • Secure Transactions: Make sure their financial data is safe, so they trust your site with their payments.

4. Promote Like a Pro

You’ve already got a following on Instagram or TikTok, so promoting your membership site is all about showing your followers the value they’ll get as paying members. Here’s how to do it:

  • Tease Exclusive Content: Share snippets or behind-the-scenes shots of the recipes that are only available to members. Let your followers know they’re missing out!
  • SEO for Your Website: If you’ve got a blog or website, optimize it for search engines by targeting keywords like “exclusive recipes” or “recipe membership site” to attract more food lovers.
  • Email Newsletters: If you already have an email list, send out updates about your new membership site with special offers or early-bird discounts for subscribers.
  • Collaborate with Other Creators: Partner with other food influencers or bloggers to cross-promote each other’s content and get more sign-ups.

5. Create a Smooth User Experience

Your fans already love your content – make sure they love your site too. A smooth and easy user experience is key to keeping members happy and coming back for more.

  • Mobile-Optimized: Since most of your followers are likely checking your content on their phones, make sure your membership site is optimized for mobile devices.
  • Simple Navigation: Organize your content so it’s super easy for members to find the recipes or videos they want.
  • Fast Loading: No one wants to wait for a page to load – especially when they’re hungry! Keep your site fast by optimizing images and videos.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Recipe Membership Site

Step 1: Know Your Audience

Your followers already love you for your unique style of cooking – whether it’s quick, easy meals, plant-based dishes, or indulgent desserts. Now, think about what they’d pay for. Are they after in-depth tutorials? Meal planning? Exclusive videos? Figure out what makes your content special and build your site around that.

Step 2: Plan Your Content

Think about what exclusive content you can offer that’s different from what you already share on Instagram or TikTok. This could be detailed recipe guides, step-by-step cooking lessons, downloadable meal plans, or live cooking sessions.

Step 3: Set Up Your Site with Clubb

With Clubb, you can easily set up your site, customize the look, and start accepting payments. Clubb takes care of the tech, so you can focus on the fun part – creating amazing content.

Step 4: Offer Early-Bird Deals

To get those first few sign-ups, consider offering your followers a special discount for joining early. This could be a limited-time offer or a free trial to let them check out what’s behind the paywall.

Step 5: Engage Your Members

Once you’ve launched, don’t forget to keep your members engaged! Post regularly, respond to comments, and even ask for their feedback on what they’d like to see next.

Promote Your Recipe Membership Site with Clubb

Building a successful recipe membership site is easier than you think, especially with tools like Clubb. From handling payments to managing your members, Clubb makes it simple to turn your passion for cooking into a thriving business.

Why Use Clubb?

  • Easy to Set Up: You don’t need to be a tech whiz to get started.
  • Flexible and Customizable: Design your site to match your unique style.
  • Supports Growth: Whether you have 100 or 10,000 followers, Clubb grows with you.

Ready to get started? Head to Clubb and launch your recipe membership site today!

Conclusion

You’ve already done the hard part – building a loyal following on Instagram or TikTok. Now, it’s time to take things to the next level with a recipe membership site. By offering exclusive content and creating a special space for your fans, you can monetize your passion and build a sustainable business. With platforms like Clubb, the process is fun and easy. So, why wait? Start planning your site and watch your food empire grow!

Ready to level up your cooking content? Visit Clubb today and start your recipe membership site in just a few clicks!

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