Table of Contents
- Why This Matters
- How to Launch Your Skool Community in 5 Steps (With Maximum Impact)
- Step 1: Create Your Free Skool Account and Choose the Hobby Plan
- Step 2: Name Your Community and Set the Vibe
- Step 3: Build Your First Course (or Free Lead Magnet)
- Step 4: Invite Your First Members (Start Small but Intentional)
- Step 5: Kickstart Engagement (The Magic Is in the Community)
- Why the $9 Plan Is a No-Brainer
- When to Upgrade to Pro ($99/month)
- Your Turn: Start Now. Learn by Doing.
- FAQs
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Skool just made it ridiculously easy (and affordable) to start your own online community. For $9/month, you can build a private community, host courses, sell digital products, and engage your audience—all in one place. Whether you’re launching your first program or turning your audience into a business, Skool’s new Hobby plan is the best deal on the internet.
Why This Matters
Until now, starting a community meant dealing with:
- ✂️ Frankensteining tools like Discord + Kajabi + Gumroad
- 💸 Paying $99–$200/month before you make a dollar
- 🧩 Juggling courses, emails, chats, payments, and automations
But now?
✅ One platform.
✅ $9/month.
✅ No stress.
If you’ve got a niche, an idea, or a few people who follow your work… this is your moment.
How to Launch Your Skool Community in 5 Steps (With Maximum Impact)
Step 1: Create Your Free Skool Account and Choose the Hobby Plan
Don’t overthink this part. Go to Skool, start your free trial, and select the Hobby Plan when prompted.
What you get:
- 14-day free trial
- Unlimited members
- Unlimited courses
- One admin seat (that’s you)
- Core community + course features
- 10% transaction fee when you make a sale
💡Why this matters:
Most platforms make you choose features based on pricing tiers. Skool flips the script—you get the full experience right away. You can test everything without spending $99/month upfront.
Step 2: Name Your Community and Set the Vibe
This isn’t just a title—it’s a signal to your audience. It tells them what they’re about to join, who it’s for, and why they should care.
Tips for naming:
- Use clarity over cleverness.
“Indie Fitness Builders” > “The Hive”
- Highlight the transformation.
“From Writer to Wealthy” or “Pitch Better”
- Make it about them, not you.
Once named, write your Welcome Message. This appears to all new members—use it to:
- Set expectations
- Share community guidelines
- Link to your intro course or lead magnet
💡Bonus tip: Add a pinned post that says “Start Here” and links to your first module or intro video.
Step 3: Build Your First Course (or Free Lead Magnet)
Skool's course feature is as simple as Google Drive + Netflix had a baby. It’s structured, clean, and easy to consume. No code, no clunky editors.
Start with ONE course or offer:
- A flagship product (“Build Your Etsy Business in 30 Days”)
- A challenge (“7-Day No Sugar Reset”)
- A free resource (“The Creator’s Starter Kit”)
Upload a few modules, title them clearly, and you're done.
Skool also lets you:
- Drip content over time
- Add PDFs, links, or quizzes
- Set visibility (public, private, or paid)
💡Pro Tip:
Create a free mini-course as your lead magnet. Let people join your Skool community and get instant access—this replaces email opt-ins and builds engagement faster.
Step 4: Invite Your First Members (Start Small but Intentional)
Start by inviting your most engaged people—not everyone. You want your early members to set the tone for future growth.
Places to recruit your first 10–50 members:
- Your email list (even if it’s tiny)
- Instagram or Twitter DMs
- LinkedIn posts
- Podcast shoutouts
- Facebook or Reddit groups (where allowed)
What to say:
“Hey, I just launched a private space for [niche] where I’m sharing exclusive content and community access. It’s free to join for now—want in?”
Set the first goal:
🏆 “Let’s get to 25 members this week.”
💡Use the leaderboard in Skool to gamify engagement. Give shoutouts for best posts, most helpful feedback, or top contributors.
Step 5: Kickstart Engagement (The Magic Is in the Community)
A quiet community dies fast. You need to spark conversation and set the culture. Think of it like a house party—you’re the host, so keep the energy flowing.
Tactics that work:
- Post a daily question (“What are you working on this week?”)
- Start themed threads (e.g., “Feedback Friday”)
- Go live once a week to answer questions or teach something
- Use polls to get input on course ideas or content
- Offer a reward to top contributors each month
Skool’s built-in points system and gamification take care of a lot of this for you. Members level up just by showing up.
💡Remember: People don’t stay because of content—they stay because of connection. Prioritize interaction > perfection.
Why the $9 Plan Is a No-Brainer
Let’s do quick math.
You sell a $49 course to 10 people:
- Revenue: $490
- Skool fee (10%): $49
- Your take-home: $441
- Minus plan cost: $432 NET PROFIT
If you repeat that monthly? You’ve turned $9 into a small business.
No “tech stack.” No Zapier. No Kajabi. No headaches.
When to Upgrade to Pro ($99/month)
The Hobby Plan is perfect when:
- You’re just starting out
- You’re solo
- You want to test an offer
- You’re under $1k/month in sales
Upgrade when:
- You’re earning consistently ($1k+/mo)
- You want your own domain (for branding)
- You need multiple admins (team teaching)
- You want lower fees (2.9% vs 10%)
💡Hobby is like training wheels. Pro is when you’re riding full speed.
Your Turn: Start Now. Learn by Doing.
Don’t wait for perfect branding. Don’t wait until your funnel is flawless. Don’t wait until you’ve mapped a 12-week curriculum.
Just start. Talk to your people. Teach what you know. Watch what works.
This is your launch window. Skool’s new plan removes every excuse.
FAQs
Is the $9 plan a limited-time offer?
It’s permanent (for now), but subject to change. Lock it in now.
Can I add a course and a community on Hobby?
Yes! Unlimited courses and members.
What happens if I upgrade later?
You keep all your content and members. You just unlock more perks.
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