Must Know Customer Retention Strategies from Funk Roberts

Feb 6, 2025

4 Insane Strategies Funk Roberts Use to Boost Retention, Engagement and Revenue (PROOF Inside!) Reader Disclosure Reader Disclosure Reader Disclosure

If you're running an online membership website maintaining existing members has always been more difficult than getting new ones. While attracting new members is important but keeping them interested and committed is the real difference-maker.

Contents Toggle

1. The ‘Shared Rituals' Strategy
2. The ‘Identity Crafting' Technique
The ‘Insider Language' Method
4. The ‘Transformation Journey' Framework
In Summary

Greater retention means more reliable revenue, deeper community connections, and the development of a stronger and more loyal membership base. There are a myriad of ways to engage members online however, you'll never be able to tell the effectiveness of these strategies until you've tried them yourself.

That's why we approached Funk Roberts, a well-known fitness trainer on the internet and active member for many years, to share the proven strategies that have helped him improve retention, engagement and revenue.

Here are the strategies Funk Robert shared with us.

1. The 'Shared Rituals' Strategy

The shared rituals are regular routine activities that members participate in regularly, creating a strong sense of community and belonging. They are like glue. ensure that your members return and deepen their connection to your membership.

The main benefits of this method include:

Creates a strong community culture
Inspires participation and engagement on a regular basis.
Improves retention and member loyalty

What does this look like in real life?

I manage a membership plan called " Over 40 Alpha." It's a health and fitness subscription for those who are over 40 to 50, 60 and over. I run several shared rituals in this program that ensure that the participants are committed to the goal and to the members of the community.

sweaty selfies Photos are shared by members at the end of every workout, expressing their motivation and encouraging other members to join in.
Alpha Meal Posts The members share pictures of their meals, breaking them into macro elements in order to increase accountability and inform members of the community.
Birthday burpees For birthdays, participants film themselves doing burpees in line with their birthday. It's challenging and fun and creates a shared celebration across the group.

What can you do to implement these common rituals with your group participants?

Determine the most important activities or behavior that align with your Tribe's member's goals.
Make easy-to-follow instructions or hashtags to encourage participants.
Highlight these rituals in your materials for onboarding to set expectations from the start.

Incorporating these rituals into your shared space and rituals, you'll create an exciting enjoyable and interactive environment where members don't want to go to.

2. "Identity Crafting" Technique

Understanding your target audience isn't just about knowing their demographics; it's all about understanding their needs, desires, struggles, and aspirations. They don't simply need to purchase a item or a service. They are looking to join an organization that is bigger than them.

In creating a distinctive and distinct image for your community, you'll give participants the sense of belonging and confidence in the person they are becoming as a result of your programs.

The majority of people want to be part of an organization, they want to feel valued and respected. And they wanna become part of something larger that is bigger than them.

The benefits from this method are:

Builds a strong sense of belonging
Differentiates your membership from competitors
Increases engagement and increases loyalty

In the Over 40 Alpha program it isn't about signing up to a fitness club, they are becoming Over 40 Alphas. The Over 40 Alpha identity symbolizes strength, commitment, and transformation. Every aspect, from the ceremonies to the language is a sign of that identity which makes it a badge of honour.

How do you guarantee the same sense of feelings for your members:

Develop a distinct identity that resonates with your audience's aspirations.
Incorporate this identity into your content, rituals as well as your communication.
Continue to reinforce the identity of this brand through stories, testimonials, and interactions with the community.

As members assume their own identity, which is aligned with their objectives, they become more invested to the group, thus increasing retention.

The 'Insider Language' Method

Each successful tribe has its own language - an unspoken handshake that distinguishes those who belong to the tribe from others. Developing unique phrases, slogans or hand signals that only your community uses could create a strong sense of belonging and exclusivity. It helps to create an exclusive and difficult-to-copy culture.

One of the main advantages of this method include:

It creates an impression of exclusivity and standing.
Community bonds are strengthened.
Encourages long-term retention through making the members feel like they're part of something truly special.

Inside Over 40 Alpha, the members have phrases like:

GID (Get It Done! ): Our rallying cry that reinforces our commitment to action and perseverance.
"Smell The Rose": A call to breath, pause and take in the experience.

They're more than just catchy slogans; they are a part of the tribal DNA. They create a culture where the members feel that they're an integral part of something unique and distinctive, and want to stay a part of.

How do you achieve this for your group members?

Create unique terms or phrases that represent your community's beliefs and objectives.
Use these terms consistently across your website, email messages, and your events.
Encourage members to take these ideas and apply them in their messages and posts.

The creation of a common language creates a sense of community that individuals feel proud to be a part of. This is directly affecting retention.

4. The 'Transformation Journey' Framework

One of the most efficient strategies to improve retention is by guiding your members on a journey of transformation through clear objectives, incentive programs as well as community support. The motivation for them is to stay and continue progressing in your organization.

A few of the main advantages of this framework:

Members are kept motivated and interested.
Provides a clear path that can be followed, which reduces confusion and anxiety.
Encourages continuous membership renewal.

How do you implement the technology: Craft a path that will lead to transformation with each participant starting with a specific point, and follows a path towards their goals, with your support throughout the process.

Here's what I do for my course:

Milestones: Create signposts along the way to celebrate progress (for instance, the Milestone T-shirts that members of the Over 40 Alpha program earn at the end of each phase of the "One Year To Alpha" journey).
Rewards Rewards for achievements encourage the following steps.
Community support Make sure that everyone walks along this road without support by encouraging a sense of support and encouragement.

How do you put this framework for your members:

Draw out a clearly defined and step-by-step plan for a member's change.
Create milestones with meaning which are recognized with reward points.
Maintain a steady community of support with group challenges, check-ins, and a sense of encouragement.

Implementing a framework for transformation creates a compelling reason for participants to remain. Members continuously move toward the goal they have set that is rewarded with tangible results.

In summary

The retention of members is the foundation for every successful business that relies on membership. We hope this blog has helped you understand Fun Roberts's key strategies to boost member retention and engagement. Through implementing these four tactics--shared rituals, identity Crafting and Insider Language and a Transformation Journey--you can cultivate a thriving community that increases retention and, in turn, increases revenue.

Are you prepared to move your membership to the next step?

Explore these techniques and much more in our Tribe Secrets The Tribe SecretsThe 27 Psychological Strategies You Need to transform your business into a Tribe Of Loyal Customers . Uncover All 27 Strategies to Start Building your legacy today!

We're looking forward to building a community where every member feels like a crucial element of the puzzle making a difference to both your success as well as theirs.

Do It! Done!

Your Friend and Coach,

Funk Roberts

The Tribe Member Coach

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