Membership Funnel: How to Create a Funnel That Grows Subscribers Every Month (2026 Guide)

Learn how to build a high-converting membership funnel using waitlists, founders launches, evergreen funnels & email automation. Includes templates.

Memberships grow best when driven by consistent, automated funnels — not random posting or hoping for signups.

A great membership funnel does one thing: Turns strangers → warm leads → paying monthly subscribers.

This guide walks you through the 3 most effective membership funnels, how each works, and exactly how to set them up inside Zenler.

🎥 ▶️ Membership Funnel Tutorial – Grow Subscribers Automatically (2026)

⭐ Step 1 — The 3 Best Membership Funnels for 2026

There are many funnels, but only three outperform everything else for memberships:

1. Waitlist Funnel (Best for New Memberships) Perfect for:

New memberships
Relaunches
Building excitement
Limited enrollments

Your flow:

Traffic → Waitlist page
Email sequence builds anticipation
Founders launch opens
Subscribers join with urgency

Why it works:

Creates FOMO
Builds demand ahead of launch
Makes the offer feel exclusive

2. Founders Launch Funnel (High Conversion Event) Great for launching your membership the first time.

Your flow:

Waitlist / lead magnet
Live event (webinar, workshop, challenge)
Discounted "founder price"
Urgency + deadline
Close cart

Why it works: People LOVE being early adopters and getting exclusive pricing.

3. Evergreen Membership Funnel (Automated Growth) This runs all year long.

Your flow:

Lead magnet → nurture
Automated webinar OR email sequence
Offer your membership
Optional deadline using evergreen logic
Onboarding

Why it works:

You get signups every week
Traffic converts 24/7
Entire process is automated

⭐ Step 2 — Build Your Membership Waitlist Funnel

This is the simplest and strongest funnel for new memberships.

Step A — Create Your Waitlist Page Your page should include: ✔ Strong headline ✔ What the membership includes ✔ Why it's valuable ✔ Waitlist form ✔ "Join the waitlist" call-to-action

🔗 Want a polished landing page? See Landing Page Best Practices (2026 Edition)

Step B — Waitlist Email Sequence Once someone joins the waitlist, send:

Email 1 — Welcome Thanks + expectations.

Email 2 — Behind-the-scenes Share your vision.

Email 3 — Value email Teach something small but impactful.

Email 4 — Early teaser Hint at bonuses + features.

Email 5 — Launch announcement Get ready — doors open soon.

These emails warm up your biggest fans.

⭐ Step 3 — Founders Launch Funnel (The Big Push)

A founders launch is powerful because you:

Offer a one-time lower price
Give early adopters special status
Build initial momentum
Get testimonials faster

Founders Launch Funnel Steps

1. Live Launch Event Choose:

Live webinar
Challenge
Workshop
Bootcamp

Live conversion events work extremely well for memberships.

🔗 Build your live event funnel using the Webinar Funnel Guide

2. Founders Price Offer Example: "Founding members get £19/mo forever — price increases after launch."

This creates massive urgency.

3. Launch Email Sequence Your founders launch emails should cover:

Announcement
Value emails
Testimonials
Bonuses
Deadline reminders
Final call

Launch lasts: 5–7 days.

🔗 For full email structure, see Email Automation for Creators

⭐ Step 4 — Evergreen Membership Funnel (Automated)

Evergreen is the most powerful long-term funnel for memberships.

Your automated funnel looks like this:

Lead Magnet
Nurture Sequence
Automated Webinar OR Value Sequence
Membership Offer
Deadline (optional)
Onboarding Automation

Evergreen funnels work because: ✔ You always have traffic ✔ You're always nurturing ✔ Offers appear naturally ✔ People join when THEY are ready

⭐ Step 5 — Build Your Membership Funnel in Zenler

Zenler gives you EVERYTHING needed in a single platform.

1. Create your funnel

Go to Marketing → Funnels
Choose Lead Magnet, Webinar, or Custom Funnel

2. Build your pages

Waitlist page
Registration page
Thank-you page
Sales page
Checkout

3. Add your automations

Waitlist sequence
Launch sequence
Evergreen sequence
Onboarding
Win-back

4. Add your membership product Inside:

Membership
Pricing plan
Community
Categories
Content

5. Connect everything

Funnel → Email automation
Email → Webinar or sales page
Sales → Membership access

6. Test your funnel Check:

Opt-in
Emails
Sales
Onboarding

Zenler's simplified workflow removes all technical obstacles.

⭐ Step 6 — Membership Funnel Email Templates

Use these to boost conversions:

Email: Membership Announcement Subject: It's finally here 🎉 Doors to {{Your Membership}} are now open! Here's everything included…

Email: Social Proof Subject: Real results from real members Share 1–3 powerful transformations.

Email: Bonus Reminder Subject: Bonus expires tonight! Reinforce urgency.

Email: Last Call Subject: Final hours to join at founder pricing Short, strong, direct.

🎯 Membership Funnel Checklist (Copy & Paste)

Waitlist page
Lead magnet funnel
Webinar event (optional)
Launch email sequence
Sales page created
Pricing plan set
Automation sequences active
Evergreen funnel added
Onboarding sequence
Funnel tested

❓ FAQs (SEO Optimised)

Q: What's the best funnel for a new membership? A waitlist → founders launch is the strongest combination.

Q: Should I use a live event to launch my membership? Yes — webinars or workshops dramatically increase conversions.

Q: How long should a membership funnel be? 5–7 days for launch events. Evergreen funnels run continuously.

Q: Can Zenler run a complete membership funnel? Yes — Zenler handles funnels, emails, webinars, checkout, and membership delivery.

Q: Do I need a lead magnet? Yes — lead magnets are the best way to fill your funnel with warm leads.

🚀 Call to Action

Zenler gives you every tool you need to grow your membership: ✔ Funnels ✔ Landing pages ✔ Webinars ✔ Email automations ✔ Upsells ✔ Community ✔ Content delivery ✔ Subscription billing

All in ONE platform — making your membership funnel seamless and powerful.

👉 Build your membership funnel today with Zenler