Marketing Your Business - Marketing Strategies for Business Owners

Stu McLaren

Marketing Your Business is a podcast dedicated to all things marketing. It's a behind-the-scenes look at the marketing tactics and strategies that lead to a loyal following, growing sales, and a business that gives you more freedom in your everyday life. Each episode is packed with takeaways to help you get what you have in front of a lot more people. It's about leveraging your marketing to build a business that's high in profit, low in stress, and one that gives you the ability to have the greatest impact on the world. Join leading online marketing strategist and entrepreneur Stu McLaren as he shares what's working for selling products online with product launches, online communities, email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and more. This is about the marketing that leads to more sales, more profits, and a high-growth business. But this show isn't just about making money. It's about using the power of marketing to give you more freedom. The freedom to work with who you want, where you want, while having time to travel and do the things that matter. It's about reducing the "go-go-go" stress and redesigning your business so you can be more present in the lives of those who matter most to you. About Stu McLaren: For years, Stu has helped experts transform their knowledge and influence into recurring revenue by launching, growing, and scaling 7 and 8-figure membership sites. In 2008, he co-founded the world's most popular membership platform for WordPress (WishList Member). He then went on to partner with New York Times best-selling author Michael Hyatt, helping his company go from a high 6-figure business (with lots of stress) to a high 7-figure business (with low-stress). Michael's profitability soared, his email list grew from 70,000 to over 500,000 and he gained back over 100 days with his family by not having to travel. Today, he's the Co-Founder of Membership.io, helping creators and entrepreneurs build thriving membership businesses. He's also the author of Predictable Profits, which shows business owners how to create recurring revenue so they can stop chasing new customers and start building real stability. If you've got an established business and you're looking for ideas on how to get your products and services in front of more people OR you're thinking about starting a business and want to see the behind-the-scenes of another entrepreneur doing it in real time, Marketing Your Business is tailor-made for you.

  1. 271: The Shortcut to Customers Nobody Talks About

    8 hrs ago

    271: The Shortcut to Customers Nobody Talks About

    What if the fastest way to grow your audience isn't building one at all — but partnering with someone who already has the exact customers you're trying to reach? In this episode, Stu takes you inside a real coaching call with one of his members — a photo-book membership owner whose #1 problem is traffic. Instead of prescribing ads or more content, Stu asks one question that changes everything: "Who already has your ideal customers?" What follows is a live mapping session — seven partner types, a four-part playbook, and a simple outreach pitch that makes it easy for the right people to say yes. This is strategic co-promotion where everyone wins. And Stu breaks it all down step by step so you can start this week.   In this episode, you'll learn: The one question that reframes "how do I grow my audience?" into a strategy you can act on today Why one partner workshop could bring in more customers than six months of organic posting Seven partner types Stu mapped live for a photo-book membership — and how to apply the same thinking to your business The two win-win program structures that partners actually want to promote (niche workshops and done-for-you templates) Why the offer has to benefit their audience first — and what happens when you get this backwards How to structure the deal: affiliate percentage (20-30%) or a straight co-promotion exchange The simple outreach pitch that works — including how to use screenshots from their community as social proof to make it easy for them to say yes Stu's closing action step: list 5-10 markets, identify 5-10 partners in each, reach out to one this week   CONNECT WITH STU: Website: https://membership.io Book "Predictable Profits": https://www.audible.com/pd/Predictable-Profits-Audiobook/B0DJTJJHKG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stumclaren/ Podcast (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-your-business-teaching-entrepreneurs-how/id1299443864?mt=2 Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/0LHzoXLyImec4AbB1ZeYfW?si=5b57a4fc0fba4868 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StuMe?sub_confirmation=1   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Membership.io (Stu's company): https://membership.io Shana from budgetbesties.com (listener review shout-out): https://budgetbesties.com Subscribe to Marketing Your Business and leave a review — we just cracked the top 50 in marketing podcasts. Help us keep climbing.

    14 min
  2. 270: How To Find the One Story That Sells Your Offer

    2d ago

    270: How To Find the One Story That Sells Your Offer

    Russell Brunson stood up at a charity mastermind in Nashville — $5,000 a seat, 100% to charity, 30 people in the room — and he never pitched a single thing. He just told a story. By the time he sat down, people were lining up to be part of it. That moment taught Stu three lessons about selling that most creators never figure out. Nobody wakes up wanting to buy your thing. They want to become someone different. And the fastest way to show them that's possible? Not a feature list. Not a price breakdown. A real person whose life changed because of what you do. In this episode, Stu breaks down what Russell did, why it worked, and the exact steps to apply the same approach to your course, membership, or service.   In this episode, you'll learn: Why Russell never pitched the Kenya trip — and how the room ended up begging to be part of it anyway The three-lesson framework Stu extracted from watching it happen in real time Why listing your features informs people but telling a story moves them — and the brain science behind why that's true What Stanford's Jennifer Aker found: people remember stories up to 22 times more than facts, and 63% remember the story vs. only 5% who remember a statistic The "Find Your Jane" action step — how to identify the one real person whose life your work has changed and turn their journey into your most powerful selling tool Why showing beats telling every time — the role of photos, voice memos, screenshots, and real client words How Jason Gaynard used the same show-don't-tell approach at his book launch party   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Cold Open: One Story Outsells Every Pitch 0:32 - The Nashville Mastermind (Village Impact) 1:39 - [INTRO GAP NOTE — see flags below] 1:39 - Setting the Stage: Why Russell Was There 3:53 - Meeting Jane in Kenya 5:00 - Jane Becomes Part of the Family 6:34 - The Room Reacted Without a Pitch 7:01 - Lesson 1: People Buy the Story, Not the Thing 7:53 - Find Your Jane 8:29 - Lesson 2: Your Brain Is Built for Stories 9:12 - The Jennifer Aker Stanford Research 9:49 - Lesson 3: Show, Don't Tell 10:37 - The Jason Gaynard Example 11:22 - Your Next Step: Write Jane's Story 12:08 - Stop Describing. Start Storytelling.   CONNECT WITH STU: Website: https://membership.io Book "Predictable Profits": https://www.audible.com/pd/Predictable-Profits-Audiobook/B0DJTJJHKG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stumclaren/ Podcast (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-your-business-teaching-entrepreneurs-how/id1299443864?mt=2 Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/0LHzoXLyImec4AbB1ZeYfW?si=5b57a4fc0fba4868 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stume?sub_confirmation=1   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Village Impact (Stu's charity): https://villageimpact.com Russell Brunson: https://www.russellbrunson.com Amy Porterfield: https://www.amyporterfield.com Jayson Gaignard (book launch referenced): https://jaysongaignard.com    Subscribe and leave a review if this episode gave you something to use.

    13 min
  3. 4d ago

    269: Why He Sells His Most Expensive Program First (Not Last) - Victor Damasio

    Victor Damásio left law in Brazil, built a beloved marketing community, then flipped his entire value ladder and went from 20K to 200K a month. In this episode he breaks down the high-ticket-first move, the audio message he sends every new follower, the four questions that sold over 20 million, and the honest mistake he made along the way. Victor is a Brazilian marketer and educator who helps people get paid for what they know instead of what they do. His path: a lawyer who hated his job, then a top affiliate, then the builder of a beloved recurring membership, then a high-ticket coaching practice. His big move was reversing the conventional value ladder to lead with his most expensive offer, dropping to the low ticket only on a no. In this conversation, Victor reveals: - Why he left law (and the hard moment that pushed him) - The first guitar course in Brazil and the affiliate years - The recurring membership he built after a workshop with Stu - The value-ladder flip: high ticket first, low ticket only on a no - The honest cost of that flip and the community he let fade - The audio message he sends the moment someone hits follow - The four-question application he says sold more than 20 million dollars - Why his top high-ticket hire is a gatekeeper, not a paid closer - How becoming a father changed how he runs his whole business FREE RESOURCE: Get the one-page social-selling and application playbook -> https://podcast.stu.me  CONNECT WITH VICTOR: - Instagram: https://instagram.com/victordamasio  (also @victordamasiooficial) - Website: https://victordamasio.com  - YouTube: https://youtube.com/@VictorDamasiooficial  - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victordamasiooficial CONNECT WITH STU: - Website: https://stu.me  - Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz  - Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren  - Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me  - Membership.io: https://membership.io Subscribe for new episodes every week.

    52 min
  4. 268: 3 Skills That Separate Great Communicators From the Rest

    Jun 17

    268: 3 Skills That Separate Great Communicators From the Rest

    Most communicators think they need to be better speakers. They don't. They need to practice three skills that almost nobody ever talks about or works on.   In this solo episode, Stu breaks down the real difference between communicators who land their message and those who leave audiences quietly tuning out. The key isn't confidence or charisma. It's three distinct skills: Expand (the long form), Condense (the short form), and Connect (clarity at any length). Most people have only ever practiced one.   Stu shares the story of a one-day mastermind with Amy Porterfield, Russell Brunson, and Eileen where Russell asked for three hours, got offered 90 minutes, and delivered on the fly without missing a beat. That ability to fit the message to the time is the mark of a professional. Stu also shares the Ken Davis singular-focus framework he learned on Michael Hyatt's recommendation, and the Blaise Pascal quote from the 1600s that explains exactly why condensing is harder than expanding.   In this episode, you'll learn:   The three skills great communicators master that most people have never practiced (and why mastering all three changes everything) Why fitting your message to the time you've been given, not the other way around, is the mark of a true professional Why short is harder than long, and what Blaise Pascal wrote in the 1600s that explains it perfectly The Ken Davis singular-focus question you should ask before every presentation or piece of content you create Stu's 4-part teaching framework (Hook, Story, Lessons, Summary) that he uses for every episode of this podcast The practical workout Stu assigns for this week: one idea, three lengths, plain words   CONNECT WITH STU:   Website: https://membership.io Book "Predictable Profits": https://www.audible.com/pd/Predictable-Profits-Audiobook/B0DJTJJHKG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stumclaren/ Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-your-business-teaching-entrepreneurs-how/id1299443864?mt=2   Subscribe and leave a review if this episode gave you something to use.

    14 min
  5. Jun 15

    267: Courses As We Know Them Are Over (Here's What Replaces Them) - Michelle Falzon

    Michelle Falzon has been building courses and online programs since 1999, and she says the old model is finished: it's not changing, it's changed. In this episode she breaks down the shift from delivering information to delivering outcomes, the method she calls a guided journey, and why a client once cried when they finally got their result.   Michelle has worked behind the scenes on courses, memberships, and coaching programs for more than two decades. Her thesis: the job of a creator has moved from being an expert who shares information to being an architect of outcomes, and the way you deliver a personalized outcome at scale is a fusion of your expertise and AI.   In this conversation, Michelle reveals:   - Why the old "17 modules, 36 hours of content, 26 worksheets" model is gone   - The guided-journey method and how it delivers a result in minutes, not months   - "Running with scissors": the mistake almost everyone makes with AI right now   - The signature-story process that made clients cry (in a good way)   - The friction we actually need to keep (and the cognitive-debt research behind it)   - "Feed them with a spoon": pacing information to the moment of need   - How memberships become the perfect home for guided journeys   - Why your expertise is more valuable than ever, not less   FREE RESOURCE: Get the one-page guided-journey summary: https://podcast.stu.me   CONNECT WITH MICHELLE: - Website: https://michellefalzon.com - Instagram: https://instagram.com/michfalzon - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellefalzon - Facebook: https://facebook.com/michellefalzonthegrowthfield   CONNECT WITH STU: - Website: https://stu.me - Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz - Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren - Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me - Membership.io: https://membership.io   Subscribe for new episodes every week.

    50 min
  6. Jun 8

    266: He Saw 15,000 Leads a Week. So He Tore Everything Down - Ricardo Teixeira

    Ricardo Teixeira ran 5 to 6 launches a year in Portugal (about 45 days each), then tore the whole model down and went evergreen. The surprise: his show-up rate went UP. In this episode he breaks down the evergreen pivot, the AI that calls every registrant the morning of day one, the sales team that turns a no into a 12K yes, and the mindset shift behind all of it. Ricardo built a business in Portugal around education and software and says he has helped thousands of entrepreneurs there. He ran a launch machine of 5 to 6 launches a year, then rebuilt everything into evergreen after seeing another marketer run an evergreen launch every single week pulling 10,000 to 15,000 leads. In this conversation, Ricardo reveals: - The clean three-tier offer ladder (and how a conversation in Kenya simplified it) - The out-of-the-box ads that made 30 percent of his audience dislike him at first - Why he tore down a launch model that was working - The evergreen pivot that made his show-up rate go UP - The AI voice tool that calls every registrant the morning of day one - What he does with the 98 out of 100 people who do not buy - His three-role sales team: setter, closer, farmer - The blended delivery model that took retention to 70 percent - The give-90-live-on-10 mindset shift behind it all FREE RESOURCE: Get the full Ricardo evergreen + sales-team playbook -> https://podcast.stu.me CONNECT WITH RICARDO: - Instagram: https://instagram.com/samurairt  - Website: https://kiai.me CONNECT WITH STU: - Website: https://stu.me  - Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz  - Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren  - Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me  - Membership.io: https://membership.io  Subscribe for new episodes every week.

    44 min
  7. 265: If You Hate Selling, Let Your Clients Do It For You

    Jun 5

    265: If You Hate Selling, Let Your Clients Do It For You

    Most people don't love selling. You avoid talking about your offer because you don't want to come across as that pushy, cheesy salesperson. So you stay quiet. And your best offers stay invisible. Here's the good news: the most powerful way to sell barely involves you at all. In this solo episode, Stu shares the moment that proved it. At a recent mastermind he co-hosted, a long-time client named Emily had one honest conversation about her experience. People leaned in, a little circle formed, and several of them decided to invest in Stu's highest-priced offer. He had nothing to do with it. He wasn't even part of the conversation. From there, Stu breaks down the three lessons that make this work in any business, plus the simple reframe from his friend and mentor that finally got him comfortable talking about the work he cares about most. In this episode, you'll learn: Why a happy client's honest word carries more weight than your best pitch How to be intentional and ask, without ever feeling pushy Real, specific ways to invite your happiest clients to show up for you (reviews, launch calls, and sharing their story)   RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me CONNECT WITH STU: Website: https://stu.me Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me Membership.io: https://membership.io If this episode helped you, would you mind leaving a quick review? It really helps more people find the show.

    12 min
  8. Jun 3

    264: Four Small Experiments That Made Our Funnel Profitable

    Do you ever feel like you're getting punched in the gut when you look at how much you're spending on ads? Same here. And those costs just keep climbing. So our team sat down and asked a different question: how could we actually get paid to generate leads? In this solo episode, Stu walks through the four small experiments his team ran on an AI workshop funnel, the kind of tweaks that feel almost too simple to matter. Together, they took the funnel from covering 70 to 80% of ad spend to becoming genuinely profitable on the front end. You'll hear why raising prices didn't hurt conversions, how a tiny checkbox lifted average cart value, why the third workshop is the most overlooked spot in any funnel, and the famous jam study that explains why simpler offers sell more. None of these were huge swings. But stacked together, they made the difference between a funnel that breaks even and one that lets you keep pouring fuel on the fire. In this episode, you'll learn: Why raising your prices may not drop conversions the way you fear (and why it's the easiest place to start) How order bumps and a real back-end offer quietly multiply your cart value Why simplifying your offer beats stacking bonuses every single time   RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me  CONNECT WITH STU: Website: https://stu.me  Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz  Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren  Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me  Membership.io: https://membership.io  Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.

    19 min

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
128 Ratings

About

Marketing Your Business is a podcast dedicated to all things marketing. It's a behind-the-scenes look at the marketing tactics and strategies that lead to a loyal following, growing sales, and a business that gives you more freedom in your everyday life. Each episode is packed with takeaways to help you get what you have in front of a lot more people. It's about leveraging your marketing to build a business that's high in profit, low in stress, and one that gives you the ability to have the greatest impact on the world. Join leading online marketing strategist and entrepreneur Stu McLaren as he shares what's working for selling products online with product launches, online communities, email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and more. This is about the marketing that leads to more sales, more profits, and a high-growth business. But this show isn't just about making money. It's about using the power of marketing to give you more freedom. The freedom to work with who you want, where you want, while having time to travel and do the things that matter. It's about reducing the "go-go-go" stress and redesigning your business so you can be more present in the lives of those who matter most to you. About Stu McLaren: For years, Stu has helped experts transform their knowledge and influence into recurring revenue by launching, growing, and scaling 7 and 8-figure membership sites. In 2008, he co-founded the world's most popular membership platform for WordPress (WishList Member). He then went on to partner with New York Times best-selling author Michael Hyatt, helping his company go from a high 6-figure business (with lots of stress) to a high 7-figure business (with low-stress). Michael's profitability soared, his email list grew from 70,000 to over 500,000 and he gained back over 100 days with his family by not having to travel. Today, he's the Co-Founder of Membership.io, helping creators and entrepreneurs build thriving membership businesses. He's also the author of Predictable Profits, which shows business owners how to create recurring revenue so they can stop chasing new customers and start building real stability. If you've got an established business and you're looking for ideas on how to get your products and services in front of more people OR you're thinking about starting a business and want to see the behind-the-scenes of another entrepreneur doing it in real time, Marketing Your Business is tailor-made for you.

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