Run an exclusive text list

A paid SMS community where your most engaged fans hear from you directly — and can text you back.

If a public account is the front door to your audience, an exclusive text list is the back room. It's where you share things you wouldn't put on Instagram, take questions, drop early access, and build a real relationship with the few hundred or few thousand people who care most.

On Markit, that text list can be free, paid, or tiered — and it's always two-way.

Why creators use Markit for paid text lists

• SMS is the most personal channel. Texts get read. They get replied to.
• Subscriptions, not one-off sales. Recurring revenue from your most loyal fans, billed automatically each month.
• Real conversations. Subscribers text you back; you see every reply in one inbox.

Set it up

1. Go to Memberships → New membership and pick Enable paid membership.
2. Set your tier(s):
   • Free tier — texts everyone, no paywall. Use this to grow.
   • Paid tier — set a price (for example, $7/month, $50/year). You can run multiple paid tiers if you want a "VIP" level on top of a regular paid level.
3. Write a welcome text — what new subscribers see the moment they pay. Make it feel like the door just opened.
4. Promote your list. Drop the signup link in your Link in Bio, post it to Instagram Stories, or run a marketing campaign to pull people in.

Markit handles the billing, the renewals, and can help you create the texts. When you're ready to message your list, use Sending a Text from the Campaigns tab.

Paid subscriptions

A few patterns that work:

• One paid tier, simple price. Easiest to launch. $5–$10/month is a sweet spot for most creator audiences.
• Free + paid. A free list gets you reach; the paid tier converts your top 5–10%. Send free subscribers occasional teasers from inside the paid tier to drive upgrades.

You can change pricing or pause a tier anytime from Memberships Overview → Settings. Existing subscribers keep their original price unless you migrate them.

Two-way fan engagement

This is the part that makes a Markit text list feel different from a broadcast tool: every text you send is a conversation starter.

When a subscriber replies, the message lands in your Conversations inbox. From there you can:

• Reply one-on-one. Subscribers see it as a normal text from you.
• Tag fans (for example, "superfan," "bought course," "Boston") so you can segment future sends.
• Save replies as testimonials or content ideas.

A couple rituals to consider:

• Open question Fridays. Send a question and reply to everyone who answers. Subscribers feel seen and you get content ideas for free.
• Voice notes for VIPs. Markit supports audio messages. Sending a 30-second voice reply to a paying fan is the kind of thing they screenshot and tell friends about.

What to send

You don't need a fixed cadence, but the lists that retain best tend to share:

• Behind-the-scenes the public doesn't see.
• Early access — drops, tickets, products before they hit your main account.
• Personal updates that wouldn't fit elsewhere.
• Recommendations — books, songs, gear, restaurants.
• Asks — feedback, questions, "what should I do next?"

Avoid making it just promo. Subscribers paid to be inside; treat them like it.

Tips

• Keep texts short. SMS is not a newsletter. Two to four sentences usually wins.
• Drip new subscribers. Set up a drip campaign so new joiners get an onboarding sequence — your story, what they'll get, your best post — over their first week. See Automations Overview for flows and time delays.

Need help?

If you want help structuring tiers or setting up your welcome flow, contact support. Put your signup link in Link in Bio so fans can join from anywhere you promote.