Cementing The Ideas(Part 4)

Setting the “Table”

In this module you'll flesh out your membership site's content. We won't actually create the content... that'll come later. But we will create a framework that will make creating the content much easier and go much faster.

The simple (but not easy) solution to designing your membership site is to create a detailed outline to work from.

You'll actually create two outlines – a “Table of Contents” version and a “Detailed” version. Just one of these outlines alone won't quite do the trick. You'll need them both.

The “Table of Contents” is an organized summary of what you want your site to cover. With a micro-continuity membership site, you'll separate your content into modules. For my 15 week “Photography Studio Equipment” site my “Table of Contents” outline looks like this

Week #1: Intro and Overview
Week #2: Lighting – Studio Strobes
Week #3: Lighting – Small Flashes
Week #4: Light Stands
Week #5: Studio Furniture and Supports & Props
Week #6: Tripods
Week #7: Wireless Flash Controllers
Week #8: Backgrounds
Week #9: Modifiers – Umbrellas and SoftBoxes
Week #10: Modifiers – Reflectors and Diffusers
Week #11: Modifiers – Specialty Modifiers
Week #12: Viewing Output
Week #13: Lighting – Continuous
Week #14: “Surfaces”
Week #15: Software
Week #16: Bonus

Not only do you have the framework for your membership site “course”, you also have a filing system that we can use to better organize any research you may do.

Next, take the Table of Contents outline and add subheadings and additional points to each weekly module.

Now, here's my strategy and I know people will disagree, but...

I like to deliver at least 6 hours worth of “stuff” each week.

I know some people are content with delivering a 1 hour video each week for a continuity program. But when I get stuff like that, I begin to wonder why I'm paying for the program every month when I could probably finish the whole “course” in a day or two – if they'd just give me the content. I start to feel like I'm being strung along and when I start getting that feeling, I usually end up terminating my membership.

Understand, however, that 6 hours of “stuff” doesn't necessarily mean 6 hours of content. There's the a tool that every teacher uses to “augment” his or her in-class teaching. It's called “homework”.

You can create a 5 minute video that shows your members how to accomplish a task. Then, have them do it themselves. What took you 5 minutes to do on video could easily take them 2 hours or even 2 days to complete since:
• they're not familiar with the process
• they may need to do research to complete the task
• in your video, you may have “skipped over” certain parts of the process. I don't mean you leave out things, but you'll do like they do on cooking shows where they'll tell you to put the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Then they put the dish in the oven and immediately take out one that's already done. They didn't leave out any part of the process – they just “skipped over” 45 minutes of the process that didn't add to your understanding the recipe.

So, if each module is a week and I want to deliver 6 hours of “stuff” to the members, I may divide it into 4-6 subheadings that will each take the member an hour or more to complete.

Here's an example of my “Photography Studio Equipment” site's detailed outline for the 1st week:

Week #1: Intro and Overview
I. Why a Studio?
A) Convenience
B) Professionalism
C) Opportunity to make money
D) Total Control
II. What Type of Photography (Portrait or Commercial)
A) Equipment for Portrait Studios
B) Equipment for Commercial/Product Studios
III. Cameras
A) Types
1. DSLR
a) Major Features / Requirements
b) Benefits
c) Concerns
2. Consumer DigiCam
a) Major Features / Requirements
b) Benefits
c) Concerns
3. Film
a) Major Features / Requirements
b) Benefits
c) Concerns
B) Accessories for Studio Work
1. Eyepieces and Viewers
2. Shutter releases
3. Storage and Packaging
IV. Lenses
A) Focal Lengths for Studio Work
1. “Normal” lens
2. Wide Angle
3. Telephoto
4. DOF Control
B) Other Lens Considerations
V. Equipment Your DON'T Need

Your turn!