Idea to Grow Membership - Microsoft Access Forum


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Idea to Grow Membership

Tony Godfrey

12 days ago

Hi Rick,

In your Password Manager 2 video (loved it!), you asked whether your content has been hitting the mark and mentioned that membership has declined a bit over the past couple of years. I wanted to share a quick thought.

First off—you’re a great teacher. That’s honestly hard to find these days. The quality of instruction online (especially on YouTube) can be pretty rough, and your ability to explain things clearly and practically really stands out.

I know you’ve started introducing some SQL Server training recently, which is great—but I think there’s an opportunity to lean into it even more.

From my perspective, a lot of us who started with Access are naturally growing into situations where we need something more scalable.

If you expanded your SQL Server content further, and expand it into YouTube, I think you could keep your current audience engaged while also bringing in a whole new group of users looking for that bridge between Access and SQL Server.

You already do extended-cut videos for members, which is great. One idea might be to offer a “SQL Server version” of some of those—showing how the same concepts apply on the SQL side.

When you search SQL Server on YouTube, there’s surprisingly little to choose from—and what is out there often lacks the clarity and teaching quality you bring. That feels like a real opportunity.

A few benefits I see:

* Attracts new users who are already working with SQL Server
* Creates opportunities to tie in Excel as well
* Expands your reach on YouTube by covering both Access and SQL Server
* Brings more traffic back to your website from SQL-related searches

I really think producing more SQL Server content on YouTube could draw a lot of new people into your ecosystem, and once they see your teaching style, many of them will stick around.

Just wanted to share the idea—appreciate everything you do. I’ve learned a ton from your work.

Best,
Tony

	Garry Smith @Reply 12 days ago
One reason that the membership maybe declining is because developers need more than Access can provide in the modern sense. I have been working with the Go language and SQLite3. There are so many more options and the apps are compiled in the end with cross platform exe's. SQLite3 is the most popular database format in the world and is not limited to the 2 GB limit.

Mike Ackland @Reply

10 days ago

Adding my pennies worth to what Tony mentioned...

Thanks to Richard we know what we can do with Access. The SQL Server side of things not so much. He's absolutely correct. There aren't many videos online/ Youtube about moving databases to SQL Server, and what we do with them once they're there to make them work correctly. Expanding on the SQL Server videos would be amazing. The Videos Richard has done already are absolutely fantastic, and I, along with many others have reaped the benefits of them. I built my own server, installed and have it running 24/7... I just haven't got anything on it yet as I'm fumbling in the dark with it on a trial and error basis. Things work and things don't but as we develop more and more complex databases, this is definitely the way to go to capture more members here.

Many thanks Richard and his team, to the amazing tutorials, the expert help in the forums, and capturing those of us who are interested in these topics.
Just my tuppence worth.

Richard Rost @Reply

3 days ago

Thanks a lot for the thoughtful feedback, everyone. I really appreciate it, and it's great to hear that you're all seeing where Access and SQL Server can fit together for the "next step" as projects grow.

You've all hit on something I've noticed myself: there's a big gap in SQL Server training that speaks Access users' language, especially when it comes to connecting the dots between what we already know in Access and how to apply those skills in a more scalable, robust environment. And I totally agree - most of what's on YouTube for SQL Server is either super high-level, way too basic, or assumes you already have a computer science degree.

I've already started recording more in-depth SQL Server lessons aimed specifically at Access users who are moving their back ends and need practical advice - everything from migrating tables, setting up users and security, to optimizing queries and performance issues. You'll be seeing more of this over the next few months. I also really like the idea of "SQL Server versions" of popular Access topics - showing side-by-side how the same concepts translate. That'll help folks see that it's not black magic or some impossible mountain to climb.

Garry, you make a good point about alternative databases like SQLite3, and the growing popularity of cross-platform compiled apps. There's a lot going on in the database world outside of just Access and SQL Server. I'll always keep my focus grounded in what helps people get real work done, so as I branch out, I'll keep an eye on topics like SQLite3 for those who want a lighter footprint than SQL Server.

Mike, congrats on getting your own server built and running - that's no small feat. I remember my first install and just waiting for the "warp core" to power up, hoping nothing exploded. It can be daunting to know what to do next though, so I'll keep tailoring the lessons to help folks like you go from "the box is running" to "now what?" - with actual step-by-step walkthroughs.

Thanks again for the kind words and suggestions - I'll put them to good use as I plan upcoming content. If there's particular SQL Server topics you want to see, feel free to share them here.

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