Creative Membership Level Names [how to guide and examples]

You are probably somewhere on the road to creating an outstanding membership community. No matter where you are suited currently – it’s perhaps the best time to start thinking about creative membership level names.

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Developing a community is not an easy job – it requires a lot of work and commitment. It comes naturally that the fruits of that commitment are to be enjoyed by members based on their ‘commitment’ as well – either measured financially or in other aspects.

Being a community member is an experience that differs based on the membership status and membership level chosen. You can experience and enjoy some fundamental benefits from basic or free plans, or you can indulge in the exclusive content only premium membership levels bring.

The choice between the membership options is always on the customer – but what customers are keener to buy – also depends on us. It is in every community manager’s interest to have as many exclusive members as possible – and to ensure their retention, so it’s natural to think about creative membership level names that contribute to the goal.

Nowadays, names such as:

• Free
• Basic
• Business
• Exclusive
• Platinum
• and similar,

are not doing a great job in converting visitors to your website to become actual users. That’s why you have to think big and outside of the box if you want to create creative membership level names and ensure you gain (and keep!) new users.

Let’s go through this guide so you can learn more about the process and come up with the best tier names for your membership program!

What are membership levels?

We found ourselves talking and elaborating on the importance of creative membership tier names before clarifying their membership levels.

By its definition, a membership or subscription level is a tool we use to define what kind of access to the content our members will have. This includes determining the type of content, when and how it would be delivered, and what type and amount of financial compensation are required.

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We are all already used to them, and somehow they became part of our lives.

Step-by-step, membership levels emerged from business spheres such as coaching, administration, marketing, etc., and appeared even in grocery stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc., ensuring we start paying closer attention to them.

Human beings are prone to continuously finding new ways to fit in the group since humanity. Not many things have changed since then, and with membership levels, we also identify customers’ desire to become part of the group they value.

And how will they know it’s valuable to join your membership program? Well, a glimpse of the exclusive content, testimonials of old members, and of course – creative membership level names.

Types of membership site levels

Before you move on with naming membership levels, you first need to choose how to structure them. Why are we even mentioning this?

As you are about to find out, there are more ways to structure your membership levels, depending on what you have to offer and what you are trying to achieve with your online community. We’ll teach you what the options are (and give you some name ideas) so that you can choose the most suitable one for your business.

Tiered/Hierarchical Levels

This is a classic membership level structure based on financial investment. We have different levels based on the membership fee. If customers pay more, they get more content and benefits.

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Price/Payment Term Structured Levels

This one gets often confused with tiered/hierarchical levels, assuming that with different pricing options comes different content. In price/payment term structure, the content stays the same in all the levels, but the price differs based on the customer’s payment option.

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Content Vertical/Category-specific Levels

If you are offering an extensive portfolio of products/services, then you’ll probably be using content vertical/category-specific levels. This categorization means that the content is unique at each level, usually having none or only a few things in common.

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User or Member-type Levels

This one is the most suitable if the content you are offering is designed for a broad audience. This doesn’t mean only for a large group of people, but actually for segmented customers and customized content and perks for each of the groups.

By having this kind of membership levels, you ensure you give specific access to the particular groups based on their role/authority or type of membership. This way, you keep all-access passes for exclusive members.

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Content Delivery/Subscription Type Levels

Content delivery/subscription type levels mean that the content is the same but offered in different methods based on level selection.

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You are probably already familiar with the fact that there different ways of learning and processing information that we acknowledge and can use to deliver a higher level of quality education.

That’s how we differ eight learning styles:

• Visual (Spatial – those who learn the best when they have images)
• Aural (Auditory-Musical – those who respond primarily to sound and speech)
• Verbal (Linguistic – those who understand the best through the words they hear)
• Physical (Kinesthetic – those who learn the best by going through the motions of what they are learning)
• Logical (Mathematical – those who want to understand the reasons behind)
• Social (Interpersonal – those who prefer to work with other people and learn best in groups)
• Solitary (Intrapersonal – those who prefer to learn on their own)
• Naturalistic (those who use elements and patterns in the natural world to create products and solve problems).

Having this knowledge in your mind can help you structure your membership levels in a way your members get the most out of it if they choose the tier that brings them content in the desired learning form. Smarter technology helps you achieve this.

Sponsorship Level/Benefactor Tiers

This structuring way is used mainly by non-profits, as their membership level equals the sponsorship level. Sponsorship level/benefactor tiers usually have the most creative membership level names to boost the fundraising. Non-profit organizations sometimes make custom-made names to highlight the companies, organizations, or institutions that are donating their funds.

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Three methods of creating membership level names

Now that you have your tiers’ structure, it is time to start with the creative process. There are different methods you can use naming structure, and we’re going to show you the top three you can choose from.

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Based on the customer journey

If you want to guide your customer through the journey of experiencing your brand, your membership level names can give you a hand. Keep it simple – for the first level, you should choose something representative of the status-quo brand experience.

For every next level – all the way up to the VIP membership level, the name should represent a more enriching brand experience. An excellent example of this method is the tiering system by Forza Motors company.

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Based on the customers’ ideal self

All of us are powered by either of two forces: fear of being the worst or motivation of being the best. Understanding what motivates your customers can help you name your membership levels in a way that by upgrading their membership – they feel as they are working towards the ideal perception of themselves.

In other words – your membership levels should follow the development journey of your members, and membership levels should be perceived as the stepping stones.

An example of excellent implementation of this method is WENATCHEE VALLEY MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER that give their members a feeling of the privilege of being in the Director’s Circle if they choose the highest level of membership.

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Aligned with your product line

If you have a rich portfolio and an extensive product line, there is no better option than choosing the membership level names after your products. Not only that you will get your customer acquainted with your entire portfolio, but you will also encourage them to purchase different products you offer.

An excellent example of that is Pink Lily Clothing company which used names of their clothing lines to name levels in the membership loyalty program.

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Examples of creative membership level names

We already gave you some examples of creative membership level names, but to boost your creativity further, here are some additional examples.

e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Beauty Squad

e.l.f.’s Beauty Squad is all about exclusivity, luxury, and respect. You can see how that is reflected in their online community and membership program as well. The program is designed to support and encourage one’s journey to becoming a celebrity, so anyone who decided to buy does feel special.

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Teddy the Dog’s Top Dogs Rewards Program

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The first thing someone does after buying or adopting a puppy is to look for ways to train it. Teddy the Dog’s Top Dogs Rewards Program is a fantastic example of tracking and encouraging progress through different membership levels until reaching the ‘top dog’.

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Topps’ Topps Now

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Topps made magic with their membership level names. Their rewards program is so well aligned with their brand and smartly designed in a way that triggers the customers’ emotions by reminding them of their favorite moments in sports.

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Looking for a Membership Platform? 

If you are looking for ideas and advice on starting an online membership community, we have a recommendation for you. Join GroupApp, the best online membership community platform on the market.

GroupApp is an online community platform designed to help you start an online community, host your courses, and get paid through membership subscriptions and course sales. It gives you all the necessary tools you need to manage your online community and turn it into a profitable online business.

Benefits you can expect with GroupApp:

Community Space: Build an online community that you own and that is free from distractions. Engage with your community members on your terms. Build a stronger relationship with your community and give your members a place to connect and share with each other.

Membership Subscriptions:  Build a profitable online community that pays you to do what you love by setting up membership subscriptions. Setup recurring subscription plans or one-time payments, include a trial period and drive sign-up with coupon promotions.

Online Courses: Create and publish online courses directly inside of your online community. Unify your online community with your online courses for better community support and improve the learning experience.

…and there’s more!

If you would like to learn more about GroupApp, visit the GroupApp website and read Wealth Nation and Marathon Trade Case Study.

Final thoughts

As we said in the beginning – building an online community is not an easy job, and coming up with creative membership level names is just a step in that process. We hope that this article helped you come up with exciting and attractive names for your membership levels. If you are ready to bring ideas to reality, make sure you join GroupApp and start building your community for free!