Why you should charge for your IRL Community

Charging people can feel for something they don't usually pay for can feel…uncomfortable.

If you're running an IRL group or community, maybe you don't feel comfortable charging for it yet. Or maybe you're depending on sponsors, or hoping to monetize in some other way.

When actually, the best way may be to simply offer free and paid subscription plans.

Here are 4 reasons why offering free and paid subscription plans might be a great idea for your IRL community.

Your services really are necessary

For one, you're providing a valuable service to people right now. One in three Americans experience loneliness throughout the week, and loneliness can be as bad for your health as smoking 16 cigarettes a day.

The events you host and the connections you help facilitate really do help people live longer, more fulfilled lives.

A paid subscription is easily justified considering the value that it adds to people's lives.

People are happy to pay for in-person community more than ever right now

Apps like timeLeft, meetUp, etc… are doing well because people are starting to really value in-person events and connections.

The problem with these apps is that the meetings are ephemeral - they aren't designed to help build community.

A few years from now, the apps may not be around. But the local communities and people that bring us together won't be forgotten. And most people would rather support you/someone they know directly rather than paying for an app.

You can start to invest in better events

People are looking to get off their phones. The digital detox trend is real. But it's almost impossible these days - the quality and quantity of online content has gotten so good. Not to mention, the algorithms are mysteriously good at keeping us hooked.

The problem is that IRL events are just tough to compete with the digital stuff.

However, with the right budget, you can turn your events into something well worth leaving the house for. Outvizor also provides tools like Tracks to make your event into an experience.

Having paid subscribers lets you invest that money into creating these higher quality events. In return, people are more likely to join and stick around, creating a virtuous cycle.

Having a free plan lets you attract a wider audience

You may be thinking you should do away with a free plan, but keep in mind that people will be hesitant at first to pay, and you may end up with few RSVPs to your event.

We're always more likely to pay for something after we tested it out.

But what if people don't convert? Reciprocity is a fundamental rule that guides humans. If we receive value, we feel obligated to pay it back somehow - especially when we're not anonymous.

Just make sure to include upgrade prompts in your emails or even at your event (if you're using Outvizor, we provide these upgrade prompts for you). If your prices are reasonable and your community is happy with your events, then most likely they will convert to paid.

Conclusion

Not everything can (or should) be a subscription service. Services that don't improve or where the cost remains the same for the owner, for example, don't really justify a subscription.

But hosting IRL events for a community is different. Each event costs you something, and the more you can budget, the more likely you can host creative, engaging events and create value for your community.

And these events are truly needed at a time when big tech and clever algorithms incline us to stay at home on our screens.

When you're ready, Outvizor is here to help you get started. As soon as you create an account, you can share your link and start accepting financial pledges, which you can convert to paid subscribers later once you set up payments. We also have several tools to help you host better events as well as paywall features to give paid subscribers more value.