In last week’s article, we dove into the challenges facing the membership sector in 2026. The Memberwise Influence 100 report confirmed the squeeze: membership numbers are growing, but revenue isn’t keeping pace.
Diversifying income beyond subscription fees is no longer a “nice-to-have”- it’s a survival strategy. And for many, the answer lies in monetised digital learning.
But here is the reality check: “Build it and they will come” is a lie. I’ve spent the last 12 years at the intersection of journalism and content marketing. My career has been dedicated to a single, obsession-level question: What makes people stop scrolling, lean in, and engage?
I’ve spent over a decade identifying the triggers that turn passive readers into active participants. I’ve seen what works in the high-pressure world of newsrooms and what converts in the complex world of B2B marketing. Now, I’m taking those content marketing principles and applying them to course creation.
Drawing on the successes (and the scars) of the organisations we work with, I’m sharing my 7-step ideation framework. This is the exact process I use to strip away the guesswork and find the “profitable truth” hidden in your data.
Here is how you identify the topics your members will actually pay for—before you ever hit “record.”
Before a single slide is designed or a script is written, you need to go mining.
In the membership sector, we often suffer from “Data Silos” where your event attendance lives in one spreadsheet, your membership renewals in another, and your LMS engagement in a third. This fragmentation is the enemy of profit. To find topics that truly “click,” you need a unified picture of your members’ digital life.
Data is Everywhere (If You’re Looking)
Data isn’t just a row in a database; it’s a digital breadcrumb left by a member looking for help. To get a full 360-degree view, you must aggregate data from four primary pillars:
The CRM (The Identity): Who are they? Are your “Early Career” members the ones searching for help, or is it the “Fellows”?
The LMS (The Behaviour): Which existing modules have the highest completion rates? Where do people “bounce” or stop watching?
The E-commerce Portal (The Intent): What are people actually opening their wallets for? Even “Zero-dollar” checkouts for free resources are a massive indicator of high intent.
The Membership Portal (The Friction): What terms are being typed into your site’s search bar? These are the “unmet needs” – the gaps between what you offer and what they can’t find.
The Power of Unified Systems
If your systems don’t talk to each other, you’re flying blind. When you unify these sources, you move from “General Trends” to “Predictive Accuracy.”
Expert Tip: You don't need a perfect data lake, but you do need a usable format. Whether it’s a sophisticated BI tool or a clean, consolidated master sheet, the goal is to see the intersection of these datasets.
For example, if the CRM says a member is a “Mid-level Manager” and the search data says they are looking for “Conflict Resolution,” you’ve just found a potential course “branch.”
Preparing for the “Mining” Phase
The goal of this stage isn’t to conclude yet – it’s to gather the raw materials. You are looking for volume, frequency, and recency. By the end of this phase, you should have a clean dataset that allows you to ask the right questions in the next step.
Remember: Bad data leads to bad courses. Ensuring your systems are capturing these touchpoints today is the only way to guarantee a value-rich course tomorrow.
The Insight Engine: From Messy Data to Actionable Gold
If Step 1 was about gathering the ore, Step 2 is the “smelting” process. This is where most people get cold feet. They see a spreadsheet with 10,000 rows and think, “I need a PhD in Statistics to make sense of this.”
Here’s the good news: In 2026, you don’t. With the rise of Generative AI, “data interrogation” has moved from complex coding to simple conversation. You can now feed your unified data exports into an AI tool and ask it questions in plain English. The “scary” part of data is gone; what’s left is the strategy.
Killing the “Ego-Driven” Course
The most common mistake in content marketing—especially within professional bodies—is building for yourself. It’s easy to fall into the trap of creating a course because you find the topic fascinating or because an internal stakeholder thinks it “looks good” for the brand.
This is a subjective building, and it’s a gamble with your budget.
By interrogating the data, you remove the “I think” and replace it with “I know.” Data allows you to set aside your assumptions and focus exclusively on what will make an actual impact on your members’ lives (and your organisation’s bottom line). You aren’t just a creator anymore; you’re a problem solver responding to a documented need.
Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting
Modern AI tools are exceptionally good at pattern recognition. Instead of manually pivot-tabling your CRM and LMS data, you can upload your CSVs and use prompts like:
- “Analyse this search log and group the top 50 queries into 5 ‘problem categories’ my members are facing.”
- “Identify the common characteristics of members who have purchased more than two courses in the last year.”
- “Which courses have the highest revenue-to-completion ratio?”
The 3 Golden Metrics of Ideation
While AI helps you find the patterns, you need to know which “gold” to look for. Focus your interrogation on these three areas:
1. The Revenue All-Stars (What’s Working Now?)
Look at your top-performing courses. But don’t just look at the total revenue. Look at the velocity: Which course sold the fastest in its first 30 days?
- The Insight: High velocity suggests a “burning bridge” problem—an urgent industry shift that members are desperate to navigate.
2. The Search “Gaps” (What’s Missing?)
Your portal’s search bar is a wish list. When members search for “AI Ethics” or “Sustainability Reporting” and find zero results, they aren’t just browsing—they’re telling you exactly what they are willing to pay for.
- The Insight: Frequent searches for non-existent content represent a “guaranteed win” for your next production.
3. The “Power User” Profile (Who is Buying Twice?)
Who are the members buying multiple courses or “bundles”?
- The Insight: If your “Power Users” are all “Senior Consultants,” you’ve found your most profitable demographic. Brainstorming topics specifically for them will yield a higher ROI than trying to please your entire database with a “General 101” course.
The “Ideation Shortlist”
By the end of this phase, you shouldn’t have a vague “feeling” about a topic. You should have a weighted list of 5–10 specific themes, each backed by relevant data.
Crucial Transition: You’ve moved from “I think people might like a course on Marketing” to “Data shows our Senior Members are searching for ‘Advanced SEO’ and are already spending heavily on ‘Digital Strategy’ modules.”
Branching & Strategic Routes – Multiplying the Value
Once your data has highlighted a “hot” topic, the amateur instinct is to create one massive, all-encompassing “Masterclass.” The expert approach is different: Branching.
In a membership environment, one size does not fit all. Branching is the process of taking a validated data point and deciding which “route” offers the most value to the member and the most recurring revenue for the organisation. Instead of a single course, you are building a content ecosystem.
The Three Strategic Routes
Based on the “Insights” you gathered in Step 2, you will typically take one of these three paths:
1. The Vertical Deep-Dive (Specialisation)
If your data shows that a general course on “Employment Law” is a top seller, don’t just make “Employment Law 2.” Look at the sub-sectors of your membership.
- The Branch: “Employment Law for Hospitality Managers” or “Employment Law for Remote-First Tech Firms.”
- Why it works: Members pay a premium for specificity. By narrowing the focus, you increase the perceived value and the conversion rate.
2. The Sequential Ladder (Advancement)
This is for the “Power Users” you identified in the previous step. If they’ve finished your “Level 1” introductory course, they are primed for the next step.
- The Branch: Create a “Level 2: Professional Practitioner” or “Level 3: Strategic Lead” edition.
- Why it works: It increases Member Lifetime Value (LTV). It’s significantly cheaper to sell a second course to an existing student than to acquire a new one.
3. The Horizontal Pivot (Different Angles)
Sometimes the “topic” is correct, but the “application” needs to shift. This involves taking a successful framework and applying it to a different pain point.
- The Branch: If “Leadership Skills for New Managers” was a hit, pivot to “Leadership Skills for Volunteer Committees.”
- Why it works: It allows you to repurpose 60-70% of your existing content while marketing it as a completely new product for a different membership segment.
Expert Insight: Branching prevents “Content Bloat.” Instead of a 10-hour course that no one has time to finish, you create three 2-hour “branches” that are easier to consume, easier to price, and easier to market.
Mapping the “Product Tree”
Before you move to validation, draw out your “Tree.”
- The Trunk: Your validated core topic (e.g., Digital Transformation).
- The Branches: The specific routes (e.g., AI for Small Firms, Managing Remote Teams, Legacy System Migration).
The Result: A Curriculum, Not a One-Off
By the end of this stage, you aren’t just looking at a “topic”—you’re looking at a strategic roadmap. You’ve identified exactly how to slice the information to serve the various tiers of your membership.
The Validation Bridge - The "Waiting List" Strategy
You have the data, the insights, and a beautiful branching strategy. Now, it’s time for a reality check. In the world of content marketing, the most expensive mistake you can make is “Production without Permission.”
The Waiting List is your insurance policy. It is the bridge between a good idea and a profitable product. Before you hire a film crew, book a venue, or spend 40 hours on a slide deck, you must ask your members to vote with their interest (and their data).
Stop “Guessing,” Start “Testing”
In a membership organisation, you have a captive audience. Use this to your advantage. A waiting list isn’t just a placeholder; it’s a high-intent lead magnet. By setting up a simple landing page or an “Express Interest” button in your newsletter, you are gathering a list of “hot” leads before the product even exists.
- The Rule of 100: If you can’t get a meaningful percentage of your target segment (e.g., 100 members) to sign up for a waiting list, you won’t get them to pay for the course.
- The “Zero-Risk” Pivot: If the waiting list remains empty, you haven’t failed. You’ve just saved thousands of pounds in production costs. You can now pivot back to a different “Branch” from Step 3 without any sunk-cost bias.
How to Build the “Validation Hook”
Your waiting list page shouldn’t just say “Coming Soon.” It needs to sell the Transformation.
- The Problem Statement: "Are you struggling to navigate the new [Industry Regulation]?"
- The Promised Land: "We’re building a blueprint to help you [Specific Benefit] in under 4 hours."
- The Call to Action: "Join the waiting list for early access and a 'Founding Member' discount."
The Data-Rich Waiting List
This is where your CRM and Email Marketing tools come back into play. When a member joins the waiting list:
- Tag them immediately: You now know exactly what they are interested in, making your future email marketing 10x more relevant.
- Ask a “Nurture Question”: On the “Thank You” page, ask: “What is the #1 question you want answered in this course?” * The Result: You are now using member feedback to write the curriculum for you.
Expert Tip: The waiting list is also a psychological trigger. It creates exclusivity and scarcity. In the membership world, being “first to know” is a significant perk that drives engagement.
The “Go/No-Go” Decision
By the end of this phase, you have a number. If that number hits your target, you have Product-Market Fit. You aren’t “launching” a course; you are delivering something your members have already asked for.
The Feedback Loop – Turning Experience into Intelligence
The cycle doesn’t end when a member clicks “Complete.” In fact, for a content marketer, this is where the most valuable data of all is born. Step 7 is about closing the loop—taking the lived experience of your learners and feeding it back into Step 1 to make your next round of ideation faster, sharper, and even more profitable.
From Passive Learners to Active Contributors
In a membership organisation, your students are also your subject matter experts. By capturing their feedback, you aren’t just “checking a box”; you are performing Real-Time Market Research.
- The “Micro-Feedback” Moment: Don’t wait until the end of a 5-hour course to ask for an opinion. Place 1-question “pulse checks” after challenging modules: “Did this clarify [Topic X] for you? (Yes/No)”
- The Post-Course Survey: Move beyond “Did you like the instructor?” and ask: “What is the one thing you still feel is missing from your knowledge of this topic?”
- The Goldmine: The answers to that specific question are the Branches for your next course (Step 3).
Deep-Diving into the Analytics
Now that the course is live, you have a new set of data points to interrogate:
- Drop-off Heatmaps: If 40% of members stop watching at Module 4, Module 4 is either too difficult, too boring, or technically broken. Fix it to protect your Evergreen asset.
- Assessment Analysis: If everyone is getting Question 6 wrong in your quiz, you haven’t taught that concept clearly enough.
- The “Search-to-Sales” Ratio: Did the people who searched for the topic actually buy the course? If not, was the price too high, or did the “Format” (Step 5) not match their needs?
Creating the “Virtuous Cycle”
Feedback allows you to transition from guessing to evolving.
Expert Insight: The most successful membership bodies use “User-Generated Insights” to fuel their content calendar. If your feedback shows that members loved the “Case Study” section of your course but hated the “Theory” videos, your next course should be 80% case-study driven.
The “Member-to-Mentor” Evolution
The ultimate feedback loop involves identifying your “High-Flyers”—the members who aced the course and provided the most insightful feedback.
- The Strategy: Invite these members to be guest speakers, case study subjects, or even co-creators for your next “Branch.”
- The Result: You aren’t just selling content to members; you are building a community with them. This is the peak of member value.
The Final Word: The Strategy is the Success
By following this 7-step process, you’ve moved away from the “scattergun” approach to course creation. You’ve used Data to find the need, AI to find the insights, Branching to find the niche, and Validation to find the profit.
You aren’t just making courses anymore. You’re building a high-value, automated, member-centric education engine that secures your organisation’s financial future in 2026 and beyond.
Luke Tillotson
Luke Tillotson is Head of Sales at Titus and a specialist in learning for membership organisations. He brings extensive experience supporting associations, professional bodies, and member-led organisations to turn digital learning into a meaningful driver of engagement, retention, and value.
Luke understands the specific challenges membership organisations face, from increasing platform adoption and demonstrating learning impact to aligning education with wider commercial and membership goals. He works closely with teams to identify pain points, shape practical learning strategies, and deliver solutions that produce measurable outcomes.
