Membership Geeks Podcast with Mike Morrison

Membership Geeks
  • 4.9 (152)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Join Mike Morrison - founder of the Membership Geeks - for advice, tips and insight on planning, running and growing a successful membership website plus interviews with existing membership owners and industry experts.

  1. 11h ago

    Help! Members Are Leaving Because They're Overwhelmed

    In this episode, I'm tackling one of the most misread signals in your cancellation data - people leaving saying that they "didn't have time" Most membership owners write that off. Busy people, can't be helped. But in a lot of cases, that's not what's going on at all. When a member says they didn't have time or weren't using the membership enough, what they're often really saying is that it felt too big, too hard to navigate, or too overwhelming to start. They froze. And members who freeze, fade - and eventually cancel. What looks like a time problem is almost always an overwhelm problem. And unlike time, overwhelm is something you can do something about. If members are leaving and you're not sure why - or if "I didn't have time" keeps showing up in your cancellation surveys - this episode is for you. In this episode:The five distinct sources of overwhelm hitting your members - and why most owners only spot one of themWhy "value overwhelm" (subscriber remorse) is the sneakiest retention killer of allHow NBA (Next Best Action) works and why it's the most powerful single change you can make to your membership experienceWhy your annual content audit is often worth more than any new content you could createHow to shift from "here's everything you could do" to "here's what I'd recommend" - and why that shift matters If you want to score your membership against all five sources of overwhelm - and get a clear picture of where to focus first - grab the free Member Experience Review at membershipgeeks.com/483. It's a self-audit that walks you through each source with scoring and built-in action guidance. And if you'd like a wider view of where the gaps in your membership are across growth and retention, the free Membership Healthcheck is built for exactly that. Key Quotes & Takeaways:"In a lot of cases, what your members are saying is they were just overwhelmed. Your membership felt too big, too busy, too hard to navigate, too much for them to consume. They didn't know where to start, they didn't know what to do next. So they didn't make any progress at all. And when that happens, they just fade away and then they cancel." "Too often we equate volume with value. But your members didn't join because you have the largest content library. They joined to make progress, to move forward. But if the path to progress feels unclear, you've got a big problem." "By reminding them that they're only using 5%, 10%, they start to feel a little bit ripped off and they end up canceling." "Everything in your membership that doesn't serve a clear and current purpose is just noise. And noise is one of the biggest drivers of overwhelm that there is." You might also find useful:How To Reduce Overwhelm In Your MembershipWhat Most Membership Owners Get Wrong About ContentHow to Ensure You're Delivering Results for Your Members21 Quick Tips For Improving Member Retention Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

    Help! Members Are Leaving Because They're Overwhelmed

  2. Jul 13

    Breaking Down the Membership Marketing Flywheel

    Most membership owners treat their marketing like a straight line with a finish line at the end. Get the traffic. Build the list. Make the sale. Done. But that model is fundamentally broken for subscription businesses, because the sale isn't the end - it's the beginning. The membership marketing flywheel flips that thinking completely. Instead of treating new members as the end product, it treats your existing members as the fuel that powers your growth. It's a cycle - not a funnel - and once you understand how it works, it changes how you think about every decision you make in your membership business. In this episode, I break down the three stages of the membership marketing flywheel: attract, engage, and delight. More importantly, I get specific about what's happening inside each stage, why most memberships stall at the same point, and what you can actually do to keep the flywheel spinning. If you've been pouring effort into traffic and lead generation but struggling to get real momentum, this episode is for you. In this episode:Why treating the sale as a finish line creates a leaky bucket - and what to focus on insteadHow to build an attract stage that brings in the right people, not just more peopleWhat the engage stage actually requires beyond just having an email listWhy the delight stage is where most memberships fall down, and what fixing it unlocksHow happy members become your most powerful marketing asset and fuel every other stage Want a practical framework for mapping your own flywheel and identifying exactly where it's breaking down? Grab the free Membership Marketing Flywheel Tracker at membershipgeeks.com/482. And if you want a broader view of where the gaps are across your entire membership business, the free Membership Healthcheck gives you a clear picture in about two minutes. Key Quotes & Takeaways:"Marketing your membership successfully is not about getting sales at any cost. That's where so many people go wrong. They chase big numbers, they're constantly chasing more traffic, more signups, more leads, and they end up with the wrong kind of people." "I would gladly take 1,000 highly active, highly aligned people on my email list over 100,000 who only subscribed because we were giving away an iPad. The size of your list is irrelevant." "Member advocacy is the secret weapon to the membership marketing flywheel because when a stranger sees a member talking about your membership, that's worth a hundred times more than anything you could say yourself." "Content fuels traffic, traffic fuels leads, leads fuel sales, sales fuel your member experience, member experience fuels retention, retention fuels social proof, and then social proof fuels everything else at the top of the funnel. It's one big cycle." You might also find useful:Discover the 12 Universal Truths of Membership MarketingHow To Use Content Marketing To Sell Your Online MembershipAvoid These 6 Common Member Retention Mistakes9 Membership Marketing Tactics That'll Get You More Members Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

    Breaking Down the Membership Marketing Flywheel

  3. Jul 6

    The Trust Recession Is Hurting Your Membership, Here's How to Adapt…

    The online business world is in the middle of a trust recession. Influencer fatigue, polished-to-the-point-of-fake marketing, and one too many bad purchases have left your potential members cynical, guarded, and slower to commit than ever before. Your membership is feeling the effects - whether you've noticed it yet or not. And the frustrating irony is that it's the honest operators, the ethical businesses, the people who actually do good work, who are being forced to do more to prove it. The good news is that this is also an opportunity. If you're willing to show up differently, the bar is lower than you think - because most people aren't doing what I'm about to share. If you're wondering why growth has got harder or why conversion feels off, this episode is for you. In this episode:Why the trust recession is directly affecting your membership's growth and conversionHow to upgrade your social proof so it actually builds trust rather than raising eyebrowsWhy your affiliate program might be doing more harm than good - and how to fix itThe case for taking people behind the scenes of your membership before they buyWhich common marketing tactics are actively damaging your credibility - and what to do instead If you want to put this into practice straight away, grab the free Social Proof Upgrade Pack at membershipgeeks.com/481 - it includes a self-assessment to score your current testimonials against the trust recession standard, plus ready-to-send scripts and question frameworks for collecting stronger social proof from your members. And for a broader look at where the gaps in your membership are, the free Membership Healthcheck will give you a clear picture in about two minutes. Key Quotes & Takeaways:"Trust is in scarce supply. And your membership is probably feeling the effect of that, whether you've noticed it or whether you've connected the dots or not." "If there's any part of your marketing that you're needing to say quietly, that is unethical." "That vulnerability builds so much trust. Hey, just be more human. That's the part that AI can't fake, it can't replicate. Nobody can fake you." "When it comes to a membership, that trust is probably more important than with any other type of business model. People aren't just buying a one-and-done product. They're making a decision about who they want to stick around with and who they want to invest with for months and years to come." You might also find useful:7 Ways to Add Social Proof to Your Membership Sales PageHow to Sell Your Membership Without Sleazy MarketingThe Way You Market Might Be Killing Retention9 Membership Marketing Tactics That'll Get You More Members Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

    The Trust Recession Is Hurting Your Membership, Here's How to Adapt…

  4. Jun 29 ·  Video

    Try This Weird Tactic For Your Next Membership Promo…

    In this episode, I share a strange little tactic for your next membership promo - one that goes against pretty much everything you've been told about sales offers. Instead of giving people the lowest possible barrier to entry with a free trial or a discounted first month, I make the case for going in the complete opposite direction: incentivising new members to commit to a longer initial period of 90 days. I explain why this counterintuitive approach attracts better-fit members, protects you against the riskiest retention window, and makes it far easier to frame your offer around a real outcome people can actually picture. If your usual trials, discounts and bonuses have stopped hitting the mark, this episode is for you. In this episode:Why does asking new members for a longer initial commitment so often outperform free trials and discounted first months?What makes the 90-day window the "Goldilocks zone" - long enough to demand real commitment, short enough that people believe they can achieve something?How does locking members in past the risky first 30 days improve both your retention and the quality of the people you attract?How can you build an onboarding and engagement plan around a single 90-day outcome so the offer genuinely delivers?How could you turn this into a series of 90-day sprints that carry members through every stage of your wider roadmap? Want help turning this tactic into an offer you can actually run? Grab the free 90-Day Offer Planner at membershipgeeks.com/480 - a fill-in-the-blank workbook that takes you from outcome to pricing to the full 90-day pathway. And if you'd like a wider view of where the gaps in your membership business actually are, our free Membership Healthcheck is built for exactly that. Key Quotes & Takeaways:"The biggest retention risk window in most memberships is the first 30 days." "90 days, I think, hits the sweet spot between requiring people to actually make a commitment to do it properly, but also to realistically believe that they can make meaningful change." "The people who will say yes to a 90-day commitment are the ones who are more likely to be taking things seriously." "Most meaningful change in a membership doesn't happen in month one, it doesn't happen in 30 days." You might also find useful:Should I Charge Monthly Or Annually For My Membership Site?Is Your Member Onboarding Missing These 3 Vital Things?Should I Offer a Trial for My Membership Website?How To Improve Member Retention And Reduce Churn Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

    Try This Weird Tactic For Your Next Membership Promo…

  5. Jun 22 ·  Video

    What Most Membership Owners Get Wrong About Content

    In this episode, I'm tackling one of the biggest mistakes I see membership owners make: treating content as the be-all and end-all of what their membership offers. So many people set out to build the Netflix of their niche, chasing the biggest, most comprehensive library they possibly can. But your members don't join for the volume of content. They join for what that content makes possible. I share why volume and value are not the same thing, the trap of the content treadmill, and the four things every membership owner needs to do to reframe the role content plays in their membership. If your value proposition currently rests on how much content you've got, this episode is for you. In this episode:Why do so many membership owners fall into the trap of trying to build the Netflix of their niche?What's the real difference between volume and value, and why does more content so often mean less?How does the content treadmill quietly erode your member experience?What four shifts will help you reframe the role content plays in your membership?Why can pruning your library add more value than constantly expanding it? Ready to stop confusing volume with value in your own membership? Download the free resource for this episode to audit your content library and reposition your membership around the things that actually keep members subscribed: grab it here. And if you want a quick read on where your membership stands right now, take the free Membership Healthcheck to spot the gaps that are limiting your growth and retention. Key Quotes & Takeaways:"Content is the vehicle, not the destination. Members are buying the transformation, the outcome, the result, not the biggest lesson count, not the most hours of videos." "You cannot, as a membership owner, confuse volume with value. More courses, more events, more features, more sections in your community doesn't just instantly equate to more member value. Usually it's the opposite." "Your role is to narrow down the choices, not expand them. To provide clarity, not further confusion." You might also find useful:How Much Content Do You Need to Launch Your Membership?How to Decide Which Content Should Be Free vs Paid12 Types Of Content To Include In Your Membership Site4 Unusual (But Effective) Membership Content Strategies Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

    What Most Membership Owners Get Wrong About Content

  6. Jun 16 ·  Video

    How to Ensure You're Delivering Results for Your Members

    In this episode, I get into something that's becoming more important than ever for membership owners: the ability to actually deliver results. For years, memberships have leaned on giving people more content, more features, more bells and whistles. That was never the right approach, and now AI is exposing it. Members don't want information. They want transformation. I walk through what a results-driven membership actually looks like in practice, from understanding what your members really want, to engineering early wins, to building a culture where progress is recognised and celebrated. If you want your members to stick around for years rather than months, this episode is for you. In this episode:Why content and features are no longer enough to keep members engaged long termThe four membership motivators that drive most memberships, and why knowing yours mattersHow to engineer an early win in the first few weeks of a new member's experienceWhy your members need a clear pathway, not just a content libraryHow to build a results-driven culture by recognising, rewarding, and reinforcing member wins Want a step-by-step framework for engineering a tangible early win for new members in their first 2-3 weeks? Grab the free Early Win Playbook at membershipgeeks.com/478, including worked examples for all four membership motivator types. And if you'd like a wider view of where the gaps in your membership business actually are, our free Membership Healthcheck is built for exactly that. Key Quotes & Takeaways:"Members don't want information, they want transformation. And all these new AI tools are giving them content, they're giving them info. That's covered. Your membership needs to give them something more." "People don't join memberships to stand still. They join because they have an outcome in mind, they have a problem they need solving, they have a goal they want to reach, a transformation they want to undergo." "At no point should your members be in your membership thinking, what should I do in order to move forward? There should always be clarity through your content, through the way in which you engage with people on the precise step they need to take next. The clearer the path, the more members will actually walk it." "They don't want the stuff. They want the results that the stuff makes possible." You might also find useful:Using Onboarding to Give New Members a Warm WelcomeWhy you need a solid member onboarding process21 Quick Tips For Improving Member RetentionHow to Create an Extraordinary Member Experience Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

    How to Ensure You're Delivering Results for Your Members

  7. Jun 9 ·  Video

    Here's Why Your Membership Waitlist Isn't Converting

    In this episode, I'm tackling a problem I see all the time: memberships with healthy-looking waitlists that convert far worse than they should when the doors finally open. The issue almost always comes down to the same thing: the waitlist has been treated like just another email list, when it's actually something very different. I share how to set up, nurture, and test your waitlist so the people on it are genuinely ready to buy - not just curious browsers who wandered in for a freebie. If you're building a waitlist for a launch, or running a closed-door membership that relies on a waitlist between enrolment windows, this one's for you. In this episode:Why adding a freebie to your waitlist opt-in is actively hurting your conversionsHow to nurture waitlist subscribers differently from your general email listWhat the Ikea effect has to do with getting more sales when your doors openHow to test the intent of people on your waitlist so you know who's actually ready to buyA clever referral tactic one UK membership uses to let waitlisters skip the queue Key Quotes & Takeaways:"No one's going to join a waitlist if they're not at least a bit interested in actually joining when the doors open. People generally won't join a waitlist out of curiosity." "When the doors do open, it's not just the doors opening to your membership, it's the doors opening to their membership." "This is a waitlist. It's not just an email marketing list. It's not a case of getting as many people on that list as possible. We only want people on that list who have genuine, clear, unmuddied intent to join your membership." "If you've had a waitlist, you've not been nurturing them, or if you've been closed for quite a long time, they've been waiting for a while. The interests may have waned, their circumstances might have changed, or they might have gone looking for an alternative that is available right now."

    Here's Why Your Membership Waitlist Isn't Converting

  8. Jun 2 ·  Video

    My 8 Top Tips for Managing Member Expectations

    In this episode, I tackle one of the most under-appreciated drivers of retention in any online membership: expectation management. I share why memberships are uniquely unforgiving when it comes to overpromising, and how a mismatch between what you sell and what you deliver will quietly kill your retention long before a cancellation email ever hits your inbox. We'll walk through seven practical ways to set realistic expectations - from the claims you make in your marketing, right through to how you signpost future value for members already inside your community. If you want members who stick around, get results, and rave about your membership rather than resent it, this episode is for you. In this episode:Why managing member expectations matters so much more for memberships than for one-off productsThe danger of "magic beans marketing" and how to sell with confidence without overpromisingWhy being clear about who your membership isn't for will attract better-fit members who stay longerHow showing behind the scenes, tweaking your pricing strategy, and using FAQs can pre-empt misaligned expectationsThe role of signposting future content and events in keeping existing members engaged and reinforcing clarity Want the practical companion to this episode? Grab the free Magic Beans Swap Sheet – a swap table, list of words to retire from your marketing, and a self-edit checklist for your sales page. And if you'd like a wider view of where the gaps in your membership business actually are, our free Membership Healthcheck is built for exactly that. Key Quotes & Takeaways:"One of my favourite things with the online membership model is that there's no place to hide. If you cannot live up to what you promise your audience, they're going to figure that out and they're going to do that pretty quickly." "Don't go out there selling magic beans. Don't make these kind of wild guarantees and promises because of course there's no such thing as a guarantee." "Don't be afraid to put people off joining your membership and to tell them explicitly, this is not for you. Because then you can double down on the people your membership actually is for." "If you set your expectations sky high, there's no way to go after that. But if you've set realistic expectations, then you can wow them a little more. Then you can surprise and delight them."

    My 8 Top Tips for Managing Member Expectations
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Join Mike Morrison - founder of the Membership Geeks - for advice, tips and insight on planning, running and growing a successful membership website plus interviews with existing membership owners and industry experts.

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