Podcast appearances and mentions of callie willows

In this special episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I share a huge update on what's been happening within the company this year regarding Callie Willows - the co-founder of the business - having to make the decision to step away.Listen in for more on what this means, and for a farewell message to the community from Callie herself.

Finding new ways to get members piling into your membership is a difficult path to navigate. But finding a niche market and establishing yourself as an expert in that field is certainly a way to boost your chances. That way, you can build authority and trust and get members joining in their droves. In this episode of The Membership Geeks podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Callie Willows dive into the steps you can take to establish yourself as an expert on your membership topic. They go on to explain how these pointers could help your membership site flourish more quickly than you think. Essential Learning Points: Why building authority will help your membership service flourish How to cater to a niche market How content creation can help you build your reputation Why writing a book is not dated – it would still hugely help your reputation Important Links & Mentions: https://www.membershipacademy.com/ (Membership Academy) https://www.membershipgeeks.com/ (Membership Geeks) https://www.membershipgeeks.com/niche/ (Why Membership Site Owners Need to Niche Down (And STAY Niched)) https://www.membershipgeeks.com/lisa-leander/ (Succeeding with a small niche with guest Lisa Leander) https://www.membershipgeeks.com/achieving-success-small-niche-shannon-rogers/ (Achieving success in a small niche with guest Shannon Rogers) https://www.lulu.com/ (Lulu.com) Key Quotes: “Building authority as an expert in your topic is a majorly important factor in marketing your membership.” “The truth is anyone can whip up a sales page, say that they're an expert on something without anything to back it up. So you need to be able to provide proof that you're the real deal.” “Niching down, becoming known for something specific is always going to get you further than being a jack of all trades.” Thank You For Listening We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. We would also be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-membership-guys-podcast/id1022495556?mt=2 (leave an honest review and rating for the show in Apple) Podcasts. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally! Finally, don't forget to https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-membership-guys-podcast/id1022495556?mt=2 (subscribe to the podcast in Apple) Podcasts to make sure that you never miss an episode.

When you start up a membership site, you naturally want to give your members a perfect experience. Or at least as close to perfect as possible. The key to that is finding the right tools, software, and plugins to help you deliver a fantastic membership experience. But it's tough to find the right tools and even harder to know whose opinions to trust. In this episode of The Membership Geeks podcast, your hosts, Mike Morrison and Callie Willows share some expert tips on finding the closest thing to ‘the perfect plugin' and how to find reviews you can trust. Essential Learning Points: Why not all reviews can be trusted (they may be paid affiliates) What works for one membership service may not work for yours How people's past experiences can affect their opinions and suggestions for plugins Why great functionality is the most important thing to look for Important Links & Mentions: https://www.membershipacademy.com/ (Membership Academy) https://www.membershipgeeks.com/ (Membership Geeks) Key Quotes: “Whatever the best option is, the thing that gets all the five-star reviews, just know that you don't have to go with that just because everyone says it's the best. It might not be the right one for you.” “You need to be aware that you will not find an off-the-shelf membership plugin or software that will 100% satisfy your requirements.” “The only way to find the best solution to your particular problem, if you're asking in a public forum, is to be specific about what features you need and what integrations do you need.”

Is your cancellation process as effective as it could be? As a membership site, it's vital to get the balance right! You need to make the decision for your members to leave difficult…not the process. It's very easy to feel hurt or worried when members depart in their droves but don't take it personally. Members will end their subscription for so many different reasons… and they may well come back very soon. In this episode of the Membership Geeks podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Callie Willows discuss some of the most common things membership site owners get wrong when faced with customer cancellations. Essential Learning Points: Why you should remember to ‘think like a member' – how would you want the process to go if you wanted to cancel a membership? Why it's important to make the decision to cancel difficult – not the process Why you should avoid turning members who might rejoin away Finding the right software to make the process seamless  Important Links & Mentions: https://www.membershipacademy.com/ (Membership Academy) https://www.membershipgeeks.com/ (Membership Geeks) Key Quotes: “During the cancellation process, give it a final shot to try and convince them to stick around. But it shouldn't get in the way, it shouldn't be an obstacle.” “If that member experience was 100% positive up to that point, you can ruin it all by having a terrible approach to cancellations.” “If someone has paid for a month, you have to give them that month. If someone's paid for a year, you have to give them that year. This is why we say that you're getting into dodgy legal territory if you don't actually honor that.”

Pretty much anyone can start a membership business, but what does it really take to start? Also, knowing that there's a lot of memberships and competition out there, what would be the key to having a successful one?  In this episode, Callie Willows of The Membership Geeks talks about how she ended up with the business that she is doing now. She will also give a lot of advice on having a successful membership business from starting it to retaining it as it evolves through the years.   Key takeaways from this episode: Anyone can start a membership, but whether everyone should is another matter.  Memberships are more of a slow build, and you need to be in it for the long haul and committed to that. So it's a marathon, not a sprint. Anybody can start a membership but you need to go into it with the right mindset, the right idea, and the right kind of approach to what you're going to be offering. You don't need a big audience, but you do need an audience, you need somebody that you are going to launch to. The smaller your audience is, the more realistic you need to be about the kind of numbers that you're going to get and the growth you're going to get from the start. People join memberships more for convenience because they can get everything in one place and they can be more guaranteed of a result and extra support. It isn't just about the content; It's about helping someone get success and support getting there. There's always going to be competition for anything, so the key to having a successful membership, even if it is a saturated market, is to work out what your thing is. Memberships evolve over time so start as simple as possible. You can't have a successful membership if you're focusing only on getting new members in, you've got to go into it being passionate about actually supporting people, helping people get results, and providing the best membership experience possible. There are 100 different pathways to success and you need to do what lights you up and what makes your tail wag.   Episode Timeline: 00:04 Intro 01:32 Episode Intro 02:05 About Callie Willows' business 02:47 How Callie ended up with the business that she has today. 07:27 Callie's work with her business partner. 08:33 Who is right and not right for a membership. 10:31 The need for an audience to start a membership. 11:50 What to give away for free in the membership. 15:29 The competition in the industry of memberships. 17:09 Callie's advice about starting a membership. 19:27 Advice to someone who is a new business owner. 20:47 How can people find Callie and The Membership Geeks. 21:21 Outro   About our guest: Callie Willows is the Co-Founder of the Membership Geeks together with her partner, Mike Morrison. She began her entrepreneurship journey when she was 19 years old and she created her first membership site for her first business. This led her to help people create their own membership sites and eventually started the Membership Academy.   Connect and know more about  Callie and her business here: https://www.membershipgeeks.com https://www.instagram.com/calliewillows More about Ruth: Hi, I'm Ruth, a business coach specializing in helping freelancers and business owners adjust their mindset and their marketing so they can get fully booked with clients they LOVE to work with. I've helped hundreds of self-employed women achieve the time and money freedom they craved.   I've started this podcast because when I first went all in and left the corporate world to be a freelancer, I was grateful for any work that came my way. After over 20 years of freelancing and working for other people, I started to realize I'd created a glass ceiling for myself.   In 2017, I finally started listening to that voice that had been telling me for a long time that I wasn't doing what I loved and fulfilling my true potential.  It took a critical illness to give me that wake-up call.  I don't want the same to happen to you.   You can expect practical advice, inspiring stories, and a lot of aha moments as we uncover and kick to the curb all the obstacles you have been putting in your way.   I'm on a mission to inspire women to start and play bigger in business. Connect and know more about Ruth Gilbey here:   Coaching: https://www.ruthgilbey.com/coaching Free stuff: https://www.ruthgilbey.com/next-client Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthgilbeymarketingandcoaching/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruth_gilbey/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthgilbey/

In this episode, we have Mike Morrison and Callie Willows joining me to talk about the power of online memberships. These guys eat, sleep, and breathe the membership industry! Known as “The Membership Geeks,” Mike and Callie have spent years helping grow thousands of high-performing membership sites and online communities. They're the hosts of an award-winning podcast–not to mention, they've got 3 best-selling books, and they've worked with huge brands like McDonalds, ITV, and Ancestry.com. Check out The Membership Academy Learn what Uscreen can do for you Try a Uscreen Free Trial Request a Uscreen Demo

I heard something from Dan Kennedy yesterday which really popped for me. He talks about businesses which depend on a constant stream of new business as more like “income events” and less real business. Income event businesses are a hamster wheel - hamster wheels lined with barbed wire and floored with crushed glass. It's what makes a lot of people dream about Passive income online and truthfully - passive = lazy thinking. I like to think more about leveraged and retained revenue. This is a business which scales without necessarily taking more time. In an ideal world you decouple the connection between your ability to generate money from the use of your time. This week - my guests on the podcast are Mike Morrison and Callie Willows from the Membership Geeks. We're going deep into the life changing power of Membership style businesses. The Membership Geeks : https://www.membershipgeeks.com/ ---- Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business Blueprint It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business. http://www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap (www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap) ---- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkhcc6rfcnaKF3vZGRDkCGQ?sub_confirmation=1 (Subscribe to my Youtube!! ) Follow on Instagram and Twitter http://instagram.com/bobgentle (@bobgentle) Join the Amplify Insiders Facebook Community : http://www.amplifyme.agency/insiders (www.amplifyme.agency/insiders) Please take a second to rate this show in Apple Podcasts. ❤ It will mean a lot to me.

Callie Willows, the co-founder of The Membership Guys, a membership academy that teaches its members how to create and run successful memberships. Callie is on a mission to show entrepreneurs and small business owners how they can better leverage their time, knowledge, experience and expertise - as well as increase their income - by creating a successful membership site and online community. On this episode, we chat about:How Callie went from being a nutritional therapist and naturopath to creating The Membership Guys with her co-founderLaunching their membership with a 30-day challenge and what they now recommend their students to do instead when launching a new membership siteHer advice for membership site owners struggling to get new membersCallie's favorite way of getting new members into The Membership GuysMembership retention tips to keep your members staying longer

Callie Willows is on a mission to show entrepreneurs and small business owners how they can better leverage their time, knowledge, experience and expertise as well as increase their income by creating a successful membership site and online community.As one half of The Membership Guys, Callie runs Membership Academy, the world's leading training resource and community for membership site owners, together with her partner Mike Morrison.Today, we talk about all things memberships, but also working as an entrepreneur with a chronic illness or condition. How do you balance your time? How do you know if you need a break or you're just being lazy and how that affects your business decisions. So hope you enjoy it!

‘How often should I email my list?'  This is probably one of the most common questions I get asked about email marketing.  The rather unsatisfactory answer is ‘it depends' - on all sorts of factors, including how often you usually email your list, what's going on in your business at the time and what your goals are.  But what I can tell you is that you are almost certainly emailing your list less than you should - and missing out on sales as a result. In this podcast episode, I tackle the question of how often you should be emailing your list - and share the key email sequences every business owner should have.  {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}   1. The 'delivery/welcome' sequence  This is the sequence of emails you send someone when they join your email list. If they have signed up via a free lead magnet (i.e. a resource you create specifically with the intention of getting people to join your list), I'd suggest sending a series of 3-5 emails where you break down the content of your lead magnet and give additional value. I generally refer to this as a ‘delivery sequence'. So for example with my 23 Social Media Ideas lead magnet, I send five follow up emails (across four days). The first - which should land immediately after they subscribe to the lead magnet - is to deliver the lead magnet. The second - sent around 24 hours later - asks subscribers to email back and let me know if they received the email ok. This can help troubleshoot any potential problems with spam (once a new subscriber emails me back, their email provider recognises us as ‘friends' - which means my content is less likely to end up in spam). The next three delve deeper into the problem the lead magnet solves (not being able to come up with engaging content ideas). I share three types of post (one each day): the question post, the ‘story' post and the ‘grenade' post.  In this email I make a sales offer to a product/service that feels like the natural ‘next step' to the lead magnet. This may or may not lead into a sales sequence. I may also make a ‘soft' sales offer in the p.s. of the second or third email (or both). If people are joining your list for another reason i.e. you just have a general ‘sign up' email, I'd recommend a 3-5 email ‘getting to know you' sequence where you talk a little bit about what to expect from being on your list and help people get to know you better. You should also create a welcome sequence for people who buy one of your products/services. For a coaching/membership programme - where you're going to be working with people over a longer period of time - I'd recommend a 3-5 day ‘tour'. In my Build Your Online Audience Programme, you get a ‘tour' of the membership (including the site/resources and team). For an online course, masterclass or playbook I'd generally keep it shorter. 2. The ‘sales sequence'  This is the sequence of emails you send someone to promote a paid product/service. This can be anything from an online masterclass to a playbook to an online course. The length of your sales sequence really depends on the product/service you're selling, but, personally, I wouldn't recommend sales campaigns that run for longer than 5-7 days - with some kind of scarcity built in - otherwise people can start to zone out. I'd recommend sending at least one email every day, with at least 2-3 emails on the last day. I'd also recommend creating a ‘looked not bought' sequence - which you send to those who have clicked on the link to purchase (more on that later). However, the length of your campaign can depend on the product/service you're selling. For example, I have a four day email sequence I use for online masterclasses, which I generally start three days before the day of the masterclass. If I start to promote any earlier, I find people forget about the masterclass. 3. The ‘looked not bought' sequence One of the biggest mistakes I see people making with their email marketing, is not asking people why they didn't buy. While it can be uncomfortable to ask, it can also be an opportunity to convert someone who might otherwise have walked away. The reasons people don't buy are varied and complex. Some people have unanswered questions, but for whatever reason they don't ask. Others have a fundamental misunderstanding about the product/service - which can be down to missing/misleading information on your sales page, for example. A few have decided the product/service is not for them based on an incorrect assumption. For example, lots of my customers/clients convince themselves my services are not suitable for product-based businesses - even though I do my best to stress this in my marketing and use relevant testimonials. In many cases, when you provide subscribers  with the information they need, they will decide to buy.  Even if they don't, at least they've had all the information they need to make a decision (which means they may still buy at a later date). But if you're not brave enough to ask the question, you'll never know. Which means you're almost certainly missing out on sales. This is why it's vital to have a Looked Not Bought sequence in every email campaign you create where you simply say something like: I noticed you'd been checking out x product/service but haven't yet bought. Let me know if you have any questions. Sometimes people can feel nervous about voicing their concerns. This is why it can be helping to give a list of typical reasons people have given for not buying. I don't have the budget right now I'm worried I don't have the time I'm worried it's too early on in my business If you would like to see my Top 10 podcasts then head to my Podcast Finder and my messenger bot will make some suggestions.    Podcast shownotes About my daily email (2:45) About this podcast episode (4:07) How to send a delivery/welcome email sequence when someone joins your list (5:02) How to use lead magnets to get people to sign up to your email list (5:24) Why a sign-up box on your website won't get people to join your email list (7:41) How to follow up with an email delivery sequence after sending a lead magnet (8:03) How to make sure that people have got your download and avoid the spam folder (09:50) How to get people to email you back and build a relationship (11:45) Why you need an email structure and set templates (13:50) How to move people onto your sales sequence email list (15:20) How to use scarcity in your email marketing and why it focuses peoples minds (16:26) How often you should email people in an email sales sequence (19:38) How to make sure people don't unsubscribe from your whole list (21:09) Why I only have a four day lead-in for sales for my masterclass (23:12) The 3 types of email that you can put in your email sales sequence (23:37) Why emailing people who have looked but not bought will help your sales (25:15) Examples of how to follow up with people if they haven't bought from you (28:21) Why you need to become part of peoples routine (31:04) Resources janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme My Emergency Response Plan Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business  Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business Other podcast episodes [333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list (podcast)[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [335] How to create a high converting lead magnet (podcast) [348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode) [359] How to create an email newsletter that people look forward to receiving (podcast) [360] How to get people to open your emails (podcast) [375] How to get your first 1K email subscribers (podcast) [395] How to write addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast) [398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast) [399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast) [400] How to build a large audience for your blog, vlog or podcast (podcast) [Bonus] How to turn your in person services into online offerings (podcast) [Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast) How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass) Content Planning Masterclass Join the Media Diary Owners Club  Join my Build Your Audience Programme How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing #2021Sorted Buy your ticket  How to create a high-converting lead magnet course Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart Rev.com* Kapwing Instagram Engagement Playbook  Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Publishing regular content on a blog, vlog or podcast can be a great way to build your online audience.  My podcast The Janet Murray Show gets around 35k downloads per month, consistently ranks top of the UK podcast charts for marketing and is the biggest driver for leads and sales in my business. Which is why I've invested a huge amount of time and resources into building my podcast audience since I launched in 2015.  But just having a blog, vlog/Youtube channel or podcast isn't enough. People won't automatically find your content, just because it's out there. You need to invest time and resources building an audience for that content.  And while the platforms might be different, the audience-building strategies will be the same - regardless you have a blog, Youtube channel, Facebook Live Show or podcast.  Which is why, in my 400th episode of the podcast I want to share my top audience building strategies with you.  {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode} 1. Consistency Show up regularly Make a public commitment Become part of peoples' routine Promotion strategy  Promote every episode more than you think  It sounds obvious, but showing up regularly is key. I launched my podcast The Janet Murray Show back in 2015 and I've never missed an episode.  I started out publishing a new episode every Friday. For a few years I published two episodes a week (one solo show midweek and one interview episode first thing on a Friday). So on the odd occasion my podcast has gone live later than usual, people have actually messaged me to ask me where it is.  If you struggle with consistency, I'd recommend making a public commitment to posting your new episode/post on a particular date/time e.g. Friday. This gives you accountability (if you've promised something publicly, it's much harder not to do it). It also helps get your audience familiar with your publishing schedule, which means consuming your content can become part of their routine. For example, my podcast listeners often tell me they listen to the latest episode of my podcast on the school run, when they're cleaning their house on a Saturday or out for a run on a Sunday morning.  Becoming part of peoples' routine is a sign you're building an engaged and loyal audience.  Consistency also matters when it comes to the promotion of your blog/vlog or podcast. Most content creators I know vastly underpromote their content. They publish a new episode/post, make a few ‘announcement' posts about it on social media, then move onto their next piece of content. If you want to build an audience for your blog/vlog/podcast, you need to treat every new post/episode as a launch, which means creating a promotion strategy that you rinse and repeat every time (and add to as time goes on). For example, when my podcast goes live on a Friday I email my list, create some kind of announcement on my Facebook messenger and do an Instagram Story. This is followed up with multiple pieces of social media content across the week. We also regularly promote episodes from my back catalogue. This means finding different ways to talk about the same episode (more on that later).  While there is always more you can do (there's still lots more I could do to promote each episode) a good rule of thumb is this: promote each episode way more than you feel comfortable with and you'll probably have it about right.  2. Collaboration  Invite people onto your podcast, FB Live, Youtube, guest blogs Don't be fooled about the big cheese - smaller often better Get on other peoples' podcasts etc Speaking, guest teaching, press  One of the quickest ways to build your own audience is to get in front of other peoples'. This is why inviting guests on your podcast, Facebook Live or Youtube show - or inviting people to guest blog on your website - can be a great way to build your audience. When you do this, they are likely to share that content with their own audience, which means people will want to find out more about you.  It's often assumed that collaborating with people with bigger audiences than your own is the best strategy. Personally I've found that collaborating with people with smaller, engaged audiences can often be more effective than the big names in my industry. This is because people who already have a large audience may not have the time - or inclination - to share your podcast episode/Youtube interview. Whereas someone with a small, but engaged audience will share the heck out of your content - and do it with so much enthusiasm -you may find you get better results.  Creating guest content for other peoples' platforms - those with similar audiences to yours - is another great way to build an audience for your own content. Here's how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (these tips apply to pitching yourself for anything). Speaking at live events, teaching guest classes and taking part in virtual summits or webinars can be another great way to grow your audience. Although I would not recommend paying to be part of virtual summits - unless there is a very compelling reason to do so (and evidence that you will get a return on investment).  Getting press coverage can be another great way to build your audience - as long as your call-to-action sends people to your blog/vlog or podcast (more on that later).  3. Conversation Post and flee Want to get people talking in public about your content Start conversations then give link Different angles  Tagging  Make time to engage One of the biggest mistakes I see bloggers, vloggers and podcasters making is what I refer to as ‘post and flee' i.e. they post a few announcement posts about their blog/vlog or podcast on social media then and do nothing else until the next one comes out. Recommendations are powerful. Public recommendations are even more powerful. So, if you can generate public conversations about your content, people are much more likely to want to check it out.  So instead of posting announcements about your latest blog, vlog or podcast, ask questions that relate to the topic of your podcast. For example, if I have a new podcast episode coming out on how to get more engagement on Instagram I will start by asking questions to pre-qualify people who might be interested in listening to that podcast e.g. how would you rate your engagement on Instagram, are you interested in learning strategies on how to increase your Instagram engagement. Then I will share the link with people who have demonstrated an interest in the topic.  While that might seem like more work, it's more effective because you're getting that content into the hands of people who actually need it. And those people are far more likely to share.  I might also post some polarising content - for example asking people if they believe the algorithm is to blame for poor engagement on Instagram or poor content.  If you don't know what the algorithm is, by the way, it's the complicated - and super top secret - mathematical equation Facebook uses to determine how many people your content is shown to).  Across the course of a week, I will find different ways to talk about that same piece of content - looking at different angles/subtopics in different formats e.g. audiograms, posts, memes, videos.  Tagging people in - for example, people you've mentioned in your blog/vlog or podcast - can be another great way to get engagement. When you mention people, they're often happy to comment, like and share.  Using a social media scheduler is fine, but if you don't make time to engage with your followers, your audience will not grow.  4. Grow your audience on social media You might not want to hear this, but the more followers you have on social media, the easier it will be to grow the audience for your blog, vlog or podcast. The more of the right followers that is. Which is why it's important to focus on growing your following - and your engagement - on at least one social media platform.  You can join my Build Your Online Audience programme here 5. Give one call-to-action  If you want to grow your audience for a blog/vlog or podcast, another powerful thing you can do is issue a single call-to-action. So every time you write a guest blog, do some guest teaching, are interviewed in a podcast, send people to your blog/vlog or podcast. Add a banner to all your social media channels, put it in the email signature on your emails - in your messenger bot. Everywhere if you can. [331] What it really takes to build an audience with John Lee Dumas (podcast) 6. Help people find your content If you're publishing a regular blog/vlog or podcast - with the aim of promoting your business - you should be creating content that solves your ideal customers' problems. Which means, if you've got your topics right, people will actually be looking for content on the topics you cover.  Which means you need to make it as easy as possible for people to find your content. This means you need to use effective titles that use the words and phrases people are actually searching for, rather than things that sound clever.  A lot of this is down to common sense and simply involves thinking about the kind of things your ideal customer/clients will be searching for online. But using keyword tools can help you refine your terms. I have a full explanation of how to do keyword research  in this post on how to make sales from your business blog (episode 336 of the podcast) but you can start  by using Google autocomplete  Type in your topic title and take note of the suggestions that come up under the search box — that'll give you a great idea of the kinds of things that people are searching for relating to that subject. You can apply the same trick to Youtube and Pinterest too. The key is to find search terms that are popular, but not so popular it would be impossible for your content to come up first in search. So a term like ‘how to write a press release' is a popular but broad term, but how to write a press release for your small business is more niche. Which is why my blog post on that topic comes up on the first page of Google.   Other tools I use for keyword research.  Keywords Everywhere  Answer The Public  Google Ads Keyword Finder  There is quite specific keyword research you can do on Youtube and you can optimise your content to make it more easily found. Three of my most successful blog posts [333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list  [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows  [338] Why you feel afraid of selling  If you would like to see my Top 10. Then head to my Podcast Finder and my messenger bot will take you through What about paid ads?  Contrary to popular belief, putting money behind something doesn't mean it will necessarily perform well. If you don't know how to create engaging content that would encourage people to take action (even if it wasn't an ad) you're generally wasting your time. PLUS most people don't buy from cold ads - unless you've got your targeting really spot on.  [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville  (podcast)   janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder   Podcast shownotes About this episode and why I recorded this podcast (3:30) The podcasts that launched from my Get Your Podcast Live in 60 days course (7:59) Why I'd still start a podcast even if I was starting again (10:27) Why sharing regular valuable core content will keep you in mind (12:26) Why consistency is key when creating core content (13:49) How to promote your podcast and why you need a regular promotion cycle (18:09) How to build an audience by collaborating (and why big names can be a red herring)  (22:22) What you need to think about before you pitch to go on a podcast  (26:06) How you can build your audience for your content by speaking at events (32:42) Why you should focus on just one main type of core content (34:18) How to create a buzz about your content using social media posts (34:37) How to get more engagement on your social media posts  (37:37) Why you need to build your audience on social media to get your content seen (40:53) Why you need to have one clear call to action to your content (42:19) How to make it easy for people to find your content with the right keywords (44:00) Three of my best performing blog posts (49:33) Why you need good organic engagement before spending money on paid ads (51:24) About my Build Your Online Audience programme (55:01) Resources janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder Colin Gray   Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme My Emergency Response Plan Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business  Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business Podcasting episodes [080] Three must-do tips for pitching yourself as a podcast guest (podcast)[190] How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (and why you must do) (podcast) [253] How to land guest appearances on podcasts with Nicola Holland (podcast) [263] Why I changed the name of my podcast (podcast) [376] Lessons learned from 1 millions downloads of my podcast (podcast) [383] How to get your podcast live in 60 days (podcast) Other podcast episodes [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville  (podcast)[331] What it really takes to build an audience with John Lee Dumas (podcast)[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list (podcast)[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast)[336] How to make sales from your business blog (podcast)[338] Why you feel scared about selling (podcast)[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast) [348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode) [386] The four types of content to create that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast) [391] How to write better social media captions (podcast) [398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast) [399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast) [Bonus] How to turn your in person services into online offerings (podcast) [Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast) How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (blog) Seven compelling reasons to start a podcast in 2020 (blog post) How to create an editorial calendar for your business(blog post) How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass) Content Planning Masterclass Join the Media Diary Owners Club  Join my Build Your Audience Programme How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing #2021Sorted Buy your ticket  How to create a high-converting lead magnet course Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart Rev.com* Kapwing Instagram Engagement Playbook  Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Have you ever wondered how to grow a really engaged Facebook group? Where there is a real sense of community - and people genuinely engage? If you'd love some strategies for growing your own online community or you're thinking of starting a Facebook group then this podcast with video and audio producer Steve Folland is a must-listen.  Steve who is also the host of the Being Freelance podcast shares how he grew his online community and Facebook group from his own podcast. He explains how he started his Facebook group after growing his podcast audience and how he links the content in his Facebook group back to his podcast - even down to the questions that he asks when people join the group. Steve explains how important it is that your Facebook group is genuine and why you have to show up and set the tone of the group with your own face and personality. Plus why you must create really good quality consistent content. He shares the strategies that he's used to engage his community and grow his Facebook group.  Find out why having a specific niche for his Facebook group has made his community really successful and buzzing. Plus how Steve has used his Facebook group to increase his online presence and his podcast audience. I'd love to know what you think. {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode} Podcast shownotes How Steve started the Being Freelance podcast and then his Facebook group (2:11) How Steve uses his podcast to get people to join his Facebook group (3:23) Why you need to set the tone of a group for people to connect with you (7:48) Why having a niche Facebook group helps with engagement and content (9:27) How Steve creates a buzz and makes people feel part of the community (10:14) Why you need to set out what you will genuinely use the group for at the outset (16:20) How Steve set his group rules and the questions he asks when people join (18:13) How Steve gets people involved and links the group back to the podcast (22:44) How Steve repurposes content in the group to use on other platforms (24:14) How Steve uses his podcast to drive people to his Facebook community (27:40) Why your personality, consistency + content will help attract people to your group (30:11) Why you should niche your Facebook community as much as possible (34:49) How Steve's Facebook group has enabled him to monetise his podcast (35:57) How having an online community has helped Steve with his online business (39:19) Resources Steve's website Being Freelance Get my 31 post ideas for your Facebook group Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business Other podcast episodes [327] Why I am closing my 13.5K Facebook Group (podcast) [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [335] How to create a high converting lead magnet (podcast) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook group without annoying your members (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook Group from ghost town to garden party with Bella Vasta (podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast) [392] How to get more engagement on Instagram (podcast) [393] How to create engaging content when you only sell one product or service (podcast [Bonus] How to turn your inperson services into online offerings (podcast) How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post) How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass) Content Planning Masterclass Join the Media Diary Owners Club  Order your 2020 Media Diary here Join my Build Your Audience Programme How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course  #2021Sorted Buy your ticket  How to create a high-converting lead magnet course Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart Rev.com* Kapwing Instagram Engagement Playbook  Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Want to save time creating content and do more with the content you create? If you have a regular podcast or blog or piece of content that you'd love to do more with then my latest podcast with content repurposing expert and author of Content 10X Amy Woods is a must-listen. Amy explains how to save time repurposing your content and what the best type of content is to create. She shares how to repurpose it and why you should consider the platform it's appearing on before you create it. AND why it's really important to make sure you create content that gets found by website search and not just social so you can build your audience on your own land and not someone else's. Amy shares how she repurposes her own podcast and what types of content she creates for it. PLUS how to reduce content creation overwhelm. Going to listen? I'd love to know what you think? {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode} Podcast shownotes About Amy Woods and her business Content 10x (3:36) Why you should start with creating content that you are comfortable with (5:36) Why using live video will give you the best content to repurpose from and engage your audience (7:16) Why you need to remember the message that you are trying to convey when you repurpose your content (12:00) How to repurpose a podcast or video and get it found by search not just social media (13:28) Why you should get a transcription of your video audio to help repurpose content (15:20) How to save time and reduce content overwhelm by making the most of your content (18:30) Why it's good to think about the content you create in relation to the platform (24:12) How to make the most of your easy to create behind the scenes content (27:24) How Janet repurposes her podcast and the content she creates with it  (29:30) How Amy repurposes her podcast and what content she creates with it (32:34) Why it's important to be consistent with your content and how it builds authority and recognition (37:39) Why Amy wrote her book after she had built her audience and content (40:23) Why you need to ‘walk the talk' and demonstrate that you are an authority (44:12) Resources Amy Woods Content 10X Amy Woods Book Content 10X [179] How to get more eyes on your content with Andrew & Pete (podcast) [203] Boost your web traffic through content repurposing with Amy Woods (podcast) [330] How to write awesome sales copy for your business (podcast) [334] How to  build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [339] How to build an audience for an online course or membership (podcast) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast) [348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast) [374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast) [381] How to use awareness days to create content for your business (podcast) [385] How to sell on Instagram Stories without feeling sleazy (podcast) [386] The four types of content to create that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast) How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post) Common concerns about joining my podcasting course (blog post) Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course  #2021Sorted Buy your ticket  How to create a high-converting lead magnet course How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)  Content Planning Masterclass Join the Media Diary Owners Club  Order your 2020 Media Diary here Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart Build Your Audience Programme Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Would you love to make more sales in your business this year compared to last year?  In this podcast episode, I share the four types of content that you need to create in order to make more sales in 2020. I explain why you can't just broadcast endless sales messages and why it's vital to create the right type of content depending on what stage of the buying journey your online audience is on. PLUS why you shouldn't be afraid to create content that addresses your audience's concerns about buying your product or service - and how it can really help draw people over the line. As well as different ways to create sales content especially if you are launching a new product or service, and how to create 'results-based content' for service business by sharing client success stories. And how to create 'results-based content' for a product-based business too. So if you'd love to really nail the type of content that you are going to create to make sales in your business whether it's a service-based business or a product-based business you really need to listen to this podcast episode where I also share examples of the four types of content and how I use them in my business. AND why you absolutely need to create and share 'walk the talk' content which showcases your wins and achievements (without being braggy) and what happened when I shared mine. {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode} Podcast shownotes About my build your online audience programme (3:50) Why you need to put out regular content if you want to make sales online (09:57) Why you need to create content for people at different stages of their buying journey (14:28) How to create general awareness content so that people can know, like and trust you (15:03) Examples of how to create content that solves problems in a product-based business (17:49) How to warm people up with awareness content before you launch a new product (23:55) How to use consideration content and think about objections to your product or service (27:40) How you can create content that reassures objectors to your product (32:32) Different ways to create purchase content when you are making a clear sell or offer (34:24) Why too much salesy content will make people zone out (36:08) How to create results-based content for a service-based business (37:01) How to create results-based content for a product-based business (40:32) Why you need to tell people that you want them to share your product (42:26) Why sharing 'walk the talk' content will help people understand what you can achieve for them (43:41) Why you need to look at the stage your business is at when you decide what type of content you need to create (48:36) Resources MamaLife London - YouTube [179] How to get more eyes on your content with Andrew & Pete (podcast) [330] How to write awesome sales copy for your business (podcast) [333] 39 Surprisingly easy ways to get people to open your emails (podcast) [334] How to  build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [339] How to build an audience for an online course or membership (podcast) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast) [348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast) [374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast) [380] How to set goals for audience growth in 2020 and why you should (podcast) [381] How to use awareness days to create content for your business (podcast) [385] How to sell on Instagram Stories without feeling sleazy (podcast) How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post) Common concerns about joining my podcasting course (blog post) Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course  #2021Sorted Buy your ticket  How to create a high-converting lead magnet course How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)  Content Planning Masterclass Join the Media Diary Owners Club  Order your 2020 Media Diary here Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart Build Your Audience Programme Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Is now a good time to have a membership site? On this special episode of the podcast, you’ll get to listen in to the opening keynote from our very first conference ‘Retain Live 2019.’ It was an incredible event with some phenomenal speakers gracing the stage eager to share their expertise and insights with the audience. The first keynote was delivered by myself (Mike Morrison) and Callie Willows, the other half of The Membership Guys. Our keynote explored the bigger picture of what is going on in the membership industry, what the future of the industry looks like and what people need to do to prepare for the months and years to come. So, if you missed the keynote the first time around, you’re in luck! Episode Summary: Positive and negative implications from the way the membership industry is going How to handle the increased competition for your members’ time and attention How to make sure your members don’t cut you from their monthly expenses as a result of subscription fatigue Why regulation is so important in the membership site industry The death of SEO and how this will impact memberships How to build your members trust in you and your membership Key Quotes: “Memberships, at the core of their essence, are simply value exchanges. You want people to pay you on an ongoing basis, you need to deliver value on an ongoing basis.” “Third Party links to other websites are being squeezed out. Google is no longer somewhere that gives you a recommendation of the best websites to get your answer. It’s now the place that wants to give you the answer themselves.” “Even the smallest personal touch that you can make, makes a big impression…there's lots of different ways you can do this from personal videos to welcome packs to handwritten cards, are all different ways you can add a personal touch to your membership without actually needing to kind of take a lot of extra time or money to do so.”

If you want to sell your products or services online you need to build a following. More social media followers, more website visitors and more email subscribers. So when you do have something to sell you have an 'audience' of people who already know, like and trust you - which means they're far more likely to buy. But building an engaged audience takes time, With that in mind, here's the answers to the most common questions I get on asked on building an online audience.  {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.} 1.What exactly is an online audience?  Your ‘audience' is the people who engage with your online content e.g. social media, blog/vlog/podcast, email marketing. 2. Why do I need to build an online audience?  You don't NEED to have an online audience. You can choose to market your business completely offline if you wish. But if you want to to do business online, you do need an online audience - otherwise who are you going to sell your products/services to?  3. When's the best time to start building myonline audience? If you want to sell online, the ideal time to start building your audience is way before your product/service goes on sale. That way, you'll already have built relationships with prospective customers/clients - which means you're far more likely to make sales. 4. What size does your online audience need to be? This depends on your sales goals. The average conversion rate for online sales is 1-2%. Which means for every 100 people on your email list, only a small number will actually buy from you. If you're a coach selling 1-2-1 coaching and need 20 clients a year, you may only need a thousand or so on your email list. If you sell lower-priced products or online courses/memberships you'll almost certainly need to shoot for 10k or beyond. So whatever it is you're selling…you almost certainly need a much bigger audience than you think. To find out what size your audience needs to be right now, check out my audience calculator    5. What is the best way to measure your audience numbers? Some people think your audience is the number of social media followers, readers of your blog or listeners to your podcast. But while you may make the odd sale on social media - or from your blog/podcast/Youtube channel - the majority of sales will happen in your inbox. PLUS it's almost impossible to reliably predict and track income from sales on social media.  This is why building your email list is the single most important thing you can do in your business. Which means the number of engaged email subscribers you have on your list is the most reliable measure of audience size.   In order to build your email list, you need an audience of people who engage with your content (otherwise how are you going to get people to join your email list?). This is why I recommend starting by building your audience on social media, then moving on to content (e.g.blog, podcast./Youtube) before tackling email marketing. And that's exactly what I cover in my Build Your Online Audience Programme.  6. How do I find out where my ideal audience is hanging out online? (so I can find more people like them)   Just ask them. Find 10 of your ideal clients/customers and ask them where they spend time online. Then start sharing some content on that platform and test and tweak accordingly (see the next question).  7. How do I find out what kind of content my audience would like me to share?  Just ask them. Find 10 of your ideal clients/customers and ask them what they would like to hear about. But don't just leave it at that. People sometimes tell you what they think you want to hear. Which means you'll need to test and tweak different types of content until you figure out what works best (i.e. what gets the most engagement). And do remember that it's not about numbers of followers/likes. Your best measure of success is comments and conversations.  Bonus tip: Making a list of your most frequently asked questions is an easy way to generate content ideas for your audience.  This can be turned into ten blog posts/podcast episodes/Youtube videos and/or social media posts. Also look at your competitors - those who are have a bigger audience than you.  What the more you understand about the type of content that captures your ideal clients' attention, the better placed you'll be to create your own engaging content.  8. I want to launch an online course/membership programme or a live event. Do I need to build my audience before I launch?  Ideally yes. Otherwise who are you going to sell to? People often think they can use cold ads. But ask yourself this: when's the last time you invested in an online course/membership or live event after seeing an ad? While there are always exceptions, most of us need to get to know, like and trust someone before we hand over our hard-earned cash. Which is why it's generally best to start building your audience organically before you start using advertising. If you have the budget to hire a strategist and/or a testing budget for ads, a Facebook ad campaign can work, but you'll still need to ‘warm up' your audience before they'll buy from you with content.  Find out: how to build an audience for an online course/membership.  9. Do I need to be active on every social media platform to make online sales?  While it's tempting to think you need to be active on every single platform, it's much better to start with one or two. Once you've mastered those, and understand what works, you can replicate your strategy on other platforms. Spread yourself too thin, and could wind up being ineffective on multiple social media platforms (and wasting time and money in the process). Podcast shownotes About this podcast (2:47) What is an 'online audience' (and why it needs to be bigger than you think) (3:11) Why an email list is essential if you want to make a regular profit in your business (8:10) Why you need more than social media to build an engaged online audience (09:05) How to build your online audience without overwhelming yourself (10:10) How to find out where your online audience is (13:34) Why finding out your audiences problems will help you create content that will engage your audience (15:22) Why sharing  personal content will engage your online audience (22:20) How to create engaging content for a product based business without being selly (24:15) Why you should think about building your online audience as early as possible in your business (26:01) Why you should start with one social media platform to build an engaged audience and then think about other platforms (29:45) Resources [333] 39 Surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [335] How to create a high-converting lead magnet (podcast) [337] The tools I am using to build my online audience (podcast) [339] How to build an audience for an online course or membership (podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [363] Five ways to bust through an audience growth plateau (podcast) Audience Calculator Build Your Audience Programme Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Want to improve your Facebook page engagement?  Creating a strategy that sets out what you're going to post, when and where will help a lot.  This doesn't need to be complicated. You just need to decide on the following  How regularly you are going to post on your Facebook page  What days and times you are going to post What kind of content you are going to share  {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.} Remember that creating a strategy is just the first step. You'll need to post consistently. And you'll need to experiment - tweaking and testing your content to improve your results. You may also wish to start experimenting with other things e.g. best days and times to post your content and tweak accordingly.  Do this one thing Write down the answers to the following questions (what gets written down gets done). How regularly are you going to post on your Facebook page  (I'd recommend at least 3-5 times a week) What days and times are you going to post? (you can always change this) What kind of content are you going to share? Personally I would recommend scheduling on Facebook or posting organically rather than using a scheduling tool.  For accountability, share your answers to these three questions in the Facebook group (we have a dedicated thread for this). Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here Join the Facebook Challenge group  Podcast shownotes How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (01:15)   Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts I need to know this [367] I know about that [368] This is what I think [369] I know how that feels  [370] [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it) (podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [368] Day 4 How asking questions can help you get you engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [369] Day 5 Why opinionated content works well for your Facebook page (and how to do it well)  (podcast) [370] Day 6 How sharing personal experiences can boost engagement on your Facebook page(podcast) Resources [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast) Build Your Audience Programme Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Over the past few days, I've shared with you the  four types of post that will attract engagement on your Facebook page. These are:  I need to know this I know about that  This is what I think  I know how that feels  Over the past few days you've tackled the first three types of content.  Today I want to go a bit deeper on the fourth kind of content and get you to publish an engaging ‘I know how that feels' post. However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how. {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.} People also love to share their experiences/advice, which is why more vulnerable, personal content works well. This is why posts on my training for the London Marathon (including injuries and setbacks) tend to get more engagement than any of my business posts. When you share personal content, over time, you build up a narrative and take people on a journey with you - something that  can be very powerful.     Remember this does not mean you have to share your deepest, darkest secrets - one of the most popular ‘I know how that feels' posts I created was round-up of my most embarrassing headshots (we all know how it feels to look at an embarrassing old photo of ourselves).  But people like to do business with people. If you're willing to share a little of the person behind the business you'll get much better engagement on your page. And when people feel connected to you through a shared experience - or just being able to relate to your feelings - they're far more likely to want to be your customer.   Do this one thing Create a short ‘I know how that feels' style Facebook post which encourages people to share their thoughts/experiences.  Ideally, choose a topic you can people will actually care about and make it easy for people to respond (as shown in the example above).  Many of the engagement strategies I share above (e.g. asking questions, giving a narrow range of choices) can work for this type of post, but if your post is powerful enough, you may not need to use them at all. Experiment and see what works.  Tip:Photographs, video and images are all great for engagement.  Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work!  Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day). Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here Join the Facebook Challenge group  Podcast shownotes Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts I need to know this [367] I know about that [368] This is what I think [369]  I know how that feels  [370]  [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it) (podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [368] Day 4 How asking questions can help you get you engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [369] Day 5 Why opinionated content works well for your Facebook page (and how to do it well)  (podcast) Resources [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast) Build Your Audience Programme Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

People love to share their ideas - particularly on divisive topics. That's why content that asks people to state their opinions generally works well on your Facebook page.  I generally refer to this as ‘This is what I think' content.  This is one of four types of content that generate lots of engagement.    I need to know this I know about that  This is what I think  I know how that feels  However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how.    {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.   People love to share their opinions, but they're also busy, so the trick to getting engagement on this kind of content is to make it as easy as possible for people to comment by giving them a narrow set of choices, as in this example where Rosie asked her followers where they stood on using reins with toddlers.. If you can't see it, click here.    The crucial thing is to pick subjects people actually care about and avoid sitting on the fence. Making a bold statement like ‘Reins for toddlers. Essential or evil?' commands attention.      Do this one thing   Create a short ‘This is what I think' style Facebook post which encourages people to share their  opinion on something. Choose a topic people will actually care about and make it easy for people to respond (as shown in the example above).  Don't forget a single call for action.  Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work!    Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day).   Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here Join the Facebook Challenge group  Podcast shownotes How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (01:04 How to create a ‘This is what I think content' post for your Facebook page (2:35) Why you need to make it easy for people to engage with your Facebook post (2:58) How to choose a topic for a ‘This is what I think content' Facebook post (4:14) Why making it simple for people to respond will increase engagement on your Facebook page (4:21) How being bold in your opinion can really help you get good engagement. (4:40) How to link your content topic back to your product or service  (6:02) What you need to do for the challenge for this podcast (7:01)   Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it)(podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page(podcast) [368] Day 4 How asking questions can help you get you engagement on your Facebook page(podcast) Resources [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members(podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358]13 Ideas for engaging social media posts(podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group(podcast) Build Your Audience Programme Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn  

Asking questions can be a great way to get engagement on your Facebook  page. People love to share their ideas, so content that asks people to state their preferences generally works a treat.  This can be anything from asking people which version of your new logo they prefer, to whether you should stock the blue or red handbag in your Etsy shop to whether they like to have an iron provided when they stay in a holiday cottage. I generally refer to this as ‘I know about this' content.  This is one of four types of content that generate lots of engagement.    I need to know this I know about that  This is what I think  I know how that feels    However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how.   {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}   If you want people to respond to ‘I know about this' posts, you have to give them clear choices  e.g. A, B, C or D, yes/no, agree/disagree - or even ask them to respond with emojis.I generally refer to these as short/two tap answer posts.    Here is an example of a post I shared which attracted 115 comments (can't see the image, click here). All respondents had to do was state whether they were interested in getting a copy of my social media engagement playbook when it was ready (with a ‘Y' or ‘N').   In this example, I asked for feedback on the artwork for an upcoming masterclass (which was available for members to buy) stating a preference of 1, 2, 3 or 4.      Not only do short/two tap answer posts make it super quick for people to engage, they don't have to think too hard about what to say - which means they're far more likely to respond. Occasionally someone warns me that the Facebook/LinkedIn algorithm penalises content like this i.e. content that encourages short/two tap answers. I have no idea if this is true, but I actually think it's pretty irrelevant. Once someone has responded to you, you can - and should - go back and ask them an additional question/encourage them to give you more information e.g ‘Interesting…why does that one appeal the most (if you don't mind me asking'). So it's easy to turn a short/two tap answer posts into a conversation. And conversations are exactly what you should be aiming for with all your social media content.  I wouldn't advise you to use short/two tap answer postsall the time -it's definitely important to vary your content - but they can be a great tool to encourage engagement, particularly when you're trying to boost the engagement in your page.    Do this one thing   Create a short ‘I know about this' style Facebook post where you share a useful piece of content which encourages people to share their opinion on something.   Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work! Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day). Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here Join the Facebook Challenge group    Podcast shownotes How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (1:04). Why asking questions is a great way to get engagement on your Facebook page (2:37) How to create I know about that content for your Facebook page (3:10) How to create posts with short or two tap answers for your Facebook page (3:40) Why you should make it easy for people to respond to your Facebook posts (4:30) How to get engagement with your audience by using quick short tap answers (5:05) How to use short quick tap answer posts to create a buzz around a new product or service (5:55)   Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it) (podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement (podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page(podcast)   Resources [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party (podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast) Build Your Audience Programme Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn  

 If you're struggling to get engagement on your Facebook page, you may be confused about what kind of content you should be posting.  In this episode I share four types of Facebook page posts that generate lots of engagement.  {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode} Having tested hundreds of different types of content - on both my own account and my clients' I've noticed there are four types of post that generally get more engagement. I need to know this I know about that  This is what I think  I know how that feels  You may have spotted already that there's a common theme: relatability. If you want people to engage with your content, it needs to be relatable - something that either solves a problem for them, they have experience of and/or an opinion on.  Let me break that down for you.  ‘I need to know this' content  Creating content that solves a problem for people is a great way to get engagement. This can be anything from a vlog on how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (link to blog post), an important piece of industry news (link to article on Twitter change of terms) to an amusing cat video (link to amusing cat video) (making people laugh is definitely solving a problem). However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content, which I'll share with you tomorrow.  ‘I know about that' content People love to share their ideas, so content that asks people to state their opinions/preferences, generally works a treat.  This can be anything from asking people whether you should stock the handbag in blue or read to whether they like to have an iron in a holiday cottage to what they think of new laws that affect your industry.  In the example below, I asked my audience which cover they preferred for my media diary:   N.B. You do need to be specific to get engagement on this kind of content and I'll show you how to do that on Day 4 of the challenge.  ‘This is what I think' content People love to share their opinions - particularly on topics that are divisive. This is why posts like this one on whether you should put toddlers on reins  tend to perform better than other posts.   ‘I know how that feels' content People also love to share their experiences/advice, which is why more vulnerable, personal content works well. This post on picking up an injury during my London Marathon got more engagement than any of my business posts (as did many of my other marathon related posts).    It's worth remembering that Facebook is, primarily,  a ‘friends and family' platform - which is why personal posts - of the kind you might post on your own Facebook wall - often do better on your Facebook well than business related posts. This is not to say you need to share your deepest, darkest secrets, but people like to do business with people. If you're willing to share a little of the person behind the business you'll get much better engagement on your page.  Do this one thing Brainstorm at least five ideas for each type of content.  I need to know this I know about that  This is what I think  I know how that feels  Be brave and share them in our Facebook group  so you can get feedback from myself and other members of the group  (we have a dedicated thread for your ideas) Podcast shownotes How to take part in the challenge when it has finished (01:05) The four types of posts that will generate Facebook page engagement (2:55) How to create content for your Facebook page that adds value or solves a problem for your clients or customers (3:11) How to ask people's opinions to generate content and engagement (4:34) How to create content by getting people's opinions (especially if they disagree) (5:33) How sharing relatable personal stories will increase engagement on your Facebook page (6:08) Why you'll get better engagement if your content is personally relatable rather than just about your business (06:58) What you need to do for the challenge for this podcast (08:08) Resources Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here Join the Facebook Challenge group  [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it)(podcast) [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members(podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358]13 Ideas for engaging social media posts(podcast) [361 15 post ideas for your Facebook group(podcast) Build Your Audience Programme Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn  

Creating content that solves a problem for people is a great way to get engagement on your Facebook  page. This can be anything from a vlog on how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest, an important piece of industry news,an amusing cat video  (making people laugh is definitely solving a problem).  I generally refer to this as ‘I need to know this' content.  This is one of four types of content that generate lots of engagement.  I need to know this I know about that  This is what I think  I know how that feels  However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how.    {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}   Sharing content that solves your customers' problems - or just makes their day easier - can be a great way to get engagement on your Facebook page.  But it doesn't matter how useful your new blog post is or how funny your cat video is, if you don't create curiosity you'll be lucky to get a few likes, shares and/or comments. One really easy way to create curiosity is to ask a question that relates to the content you want to share. So, for example, I published a really podcast episode entitled 15 post ideas for your Facebook group. Although this is a useful episode, when I just post a link to the episode I don't get very much engagement. If I ask a question that relates to the subject of the podcast episode, I get far more engagement. I can still share the link to the episodes in the comments. Other ideas for generating curiosity.  Share a short clip from your podcast/vlog (rather than the whole episode) and ask people to predict what happens next  Share a divisive quote from your blog post and ask people if they agree/disagree Share a blooper from your vlog Share a still/photograph and invite people to write a caption  Summarise a piece of industry news and ask people if they agree/disagree   Do this one thing   Create a short ‘I need to know this' style Facebook post where you share a useful piece of content that helps solve a problem for your audience (remember that entertaining people can be solving a problem). Instead of just posting a link, think about how you can create curiosity about your post using some of the strategies I've shared above (sure you will also have loads of your own - can't wait to see them!). Don't forget to include a call-to-action Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work!  Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day).    Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here Join the Facebook Challenge group  Podcast shownotes How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (01:06) How to create engaging content for your Facebook page that adds value and solves a problem (2:40) How to turn your Facebook post into a conversation and create curiosity so that people engage (3:10) Ways that you can create curiosity and start a conversation on your Facebook posts (5:20) What you need to do for the Facebook challenge for this podcast (07:27) Why you should just include one Call to Action at the end of your Facebook post (07:59) Why you need to get engagement in the first 15 minutes of a Facebook post (08:40)   Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it)(podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast)   Resources [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members(podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358]13 Ideas for engaging social media posts(podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group(podcast) Build Your Audience Programme Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn    

Building a subscription-based product is one key way small businesses can scale up. But they can require a significant trade-off in at the beginning. It takes time, energy, infrastructure, and savvy marketing to get to a point where the business is healthy and profitable. I know this from personal experience. So does Callie Willows, the co-founder of The Membership Guys. Callie runs Member Site Academy, a leading training resource and community for membership site owners. Callie and I talk about why The Membership Guys chose to focus on just one offer, the mindset shifts she's had to make running a membership site, the operations that go into keeping members happy, and how running a membership site is a great fit for her as an introvert. The post EP 233: Creating Scale With A Single Offer With Membership Guys Co-Founder Callie Willows appeared first on What Works.

Does your Facebook group feel like a ghost town? You're showing up regularly, but you're not getting much engagement.  In fact you may be wondering if it's worth bothering having a group at all. If this sounds  familiar, you'll love this podcast episode with Bella Vasta.  In it she shares tons of valuable advice including what to post in your group (versus what you post on your page), how to get members to respond to your posts PLUS some ninja tips on selling to your group members (without being spammy or selly). {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}   Bella's story Bella started using Facebook groups to help promote her pet sitting business owner in Phoenix, Arizona back in 2012. It was only when her daughter was born prematurely in 2014, weighing just 350 grams that she really began to see the power of Facebook groups.  During a six month long stint with her daughter in Neonatal Intensive Care Facebook groups not only allowed her to keep her business running. They also provided her with the support she needed to deal with having one of the smallest micro-preemie babies in the world.  Since then Bella has gone on to open a number of other groups for her own business and is now recognised as one of the world's leading experts on Facebook groups for business.  Understanding the difference between Facebook pages and groups To explain the difference between Facebook pages and groups, Bella uses the analogy of your front and back garden. Your Facebook page is like your front garden and your group your back garden.  If you were hosting a party, you wouldn't hold it in your front garden, explains Bella. You'd hold it in your back garden where your guests (all personally invited/vetted by you) could mingle and chat in a more relaxed, informal environment - without feeling like passers by were listening in on their conversations. It's exactly the same in a Facebook group, where you're the host, but your guests can start their own conversations and hang out with different groups of people. One of the biggest differences is that conversations on your Facebook page are all started and led by you (what Bella refers to as a ‘dictatorship' model). Members of your Facebook group are free to start and lead their own discussions (what Bella refers to as a ‘socialist' model).  While anyone can see and interact with the content on your Facebook page, only those personally/invited vetted by you can see the content in your Facebook group, which creates a completely different kind of atmosphere.  How should the content differ on your Facebook page and in your group?  This really depends on what you are trying to achieve, says Bella. But you will almost certainly need to be posting content that encourages discussion. And because the group is private, you may be able to tackle more sensitive/personal issues than you can on your own page.  Bella recommends asking three questions to those wanting to join your group (the maximum allowed by Facebook). Ideally, this should include one question that asks them what their biggest challenge is right now (in relation to your paid products/services) and another that asks for their email address.  She uses a resource called Group Funnel to collect the data from these initial questions and add it to a spreadsheet. This information can be used to generate content ideas for the group and for in copy on sales page. Used in conjunction with the tool Zapier you can also set up an automated email that welcomes new members to the group. This can be personalised with a video message, using a tool like Bonjoro. Creating a content schedule for your Facebook group Bella suggests planning your content ahead, using a resource like the Media Diary for ideas and scheduling posts inside Facebook.  She recommends using questions, polls and Facebook Lives to generate discussion inside your group.  And there are tons more ideas in her free download 23 Ideas To Get More Engagement In Your Facebook Group: bellavasta.com/janet.  Podcast shownotes How Bella started her business and her first Facebook group (02:19) Why people will listen to your personal story (10:10) Why your Facebook group and page are like your front and back garden (14:40) How people engage differently in Facebook groups and pages  (20:37) How should the content differ on your Facebook page and in your group? (22:38) Tips for managing your Facebook group as your group gets bigger (25:44) How to get the conversation started and generate content in your Facebook group (and tools to help you) (30:43) Bella's tips for content ideas and questions to ask in your Facebook group (37:05) Why you shouldn't abandon your Facebook page (41:48) How Facebook is making it easier to monetize and manage your group (45:10) How to use video strategically in your Facebook group (50:45) Resources Get Bella's download 23 ways to get more engagement in your Group Bella Vasta Facebook Bella Vasta Instagram Find out about Zapier  Bonjoro and Group Funnel [300] How to Build an audience and why you need to  (podcast)  [326] The one thing you need to do to create a passive income (podcast) [327] Why I am closing my 13.5K Facebook Group (podcast) [329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook group without annoying your members (podcast) [355] How to create and launch your own planner for your industry (podcast) Buy your ticket to my 2020 Content Planning Masterclass #2020Sorted Masterclass: How to write social media posts that sell  Build Your Audience Programme Order your 2019 Media Diary  Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook  Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn The post [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party appeared first on Janet Murray.

John Hatcher from the Blues Guitar Institute joins Callie Willows for this episode of Behind the Membership. John was previously a CPA and tax accountant working 60 to 80 hours a week, but since having his membership he has been able to quit his job and now focuses full time on his membership site, giving him far more freedom. This is even more impressive when you consider that John's membership only actually costs $9 a month! In this episode John talks about how he made that career transition, as well as how he manages his time and the challenge of content creation in a video-heavy membership site. John also talks about how he went from not having any community at all in his membership, to struggling to get engagement, to now having a thriving community with members connecting and sharing their own videos as well. And of course lots more too!

Does Twitter confuse the heck out of you? If so, you're not alone. It's a busy, fast-paced platform that can feel overwhelming at times. But with the right strategies, it can be a powerful - and quick - way to attract and connect with your ideal clients. Plus it's a great way to reach journalists and influencers in your space.  In this episode Twitter expert and ‘FOMO creator' May King Tsang explains how you can build your online audience through Twitter. She explains everything from hashtags and DMs through to Twitter Chats and using Twitter lists to cut out the "noise".  Plus she shares tons of ideas on what kind of content you should be posting on the platform. Even if you're already using Twitter, there's tons of practical advice and tips you can start using today. {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}   How does Twitter work  For the uninitiated, Twitter is like a big online party, says May King. There are groups of people having topics about different topics. You can join conversations that interest you or you can start your own. Anyone you want to talk to is just one tweet or direct message away. And the best thing is you can ‘stalk' people (e.g. prospective clients, journalists and influencers) and gather information that will help you make a better first impression.  And - unlike on platforms like LinkedIn, where people can see you've been checking out their profile - they will never know you've been listening into their conversations.  Connecting with journalists on Twitter Twitter started as a breaking news platform - and still is. So if you want to connect with journalists, Twitter is definitely the place to hang out. Journalists are actively looking for people to talk to for the stories they are working on. Following hashtags like #journorequest and #prrequest can be a great way to connect with journalists who are looking for stories - without having to send a single pitch or press release.  Find out how to connect with journalists on Twitter.  Twitter chats  A Twitter chat is a public conversation that revolves around a unique hashtag  e.g. #contenthour (N.B. hashtags group together tweets on a similar topic). A Twitter chat can be ongoing, but more commonly are hosted at a regular time and/or day (e.g. once a week or month) - which is why May King compares Twitter chats to TV programmes. Twitter chats are a great way to network with your ideal clients  - without even leaving your house.  While she is not aware of any online lists or directories of Twitter chats, May King suggests carrying out a Google search for Twitter chats that are relevant to you/your industry.  Find out how to take part in a Twitter chat.  Twitter lists If you're following a lot of people, Twitter can feel really noisy, May King suggests creating Twitter lists of people you want to follow e.g. journalists in your industry, prospective clients, so you can follow along with what they're up to. Twitter lists can be both public and private, so no one needs to know you are ‘stalking' them. How to reach out to prospects on Twitter  One of the best things about Twitter is that anyone you want to talk to is just a click away - including your ideal clients. But blundering in and pitching people over Twitter is probably not the best way to go about it. If there is someone you want to connect with, you can start by liking and retweeting their posts (i.e. sharing their posts with your followers), then move onto replying to their posts and/or starting conversations with them on Twitter. Then, when the time feels right, you can ask them to follow you (if they're not already) and take the conversation over to the direct messages. In the direct messages you have up to 10,000 characters to play with (as opposed to 160 characters in a standard tweet).  Spending a bit of time ‘listening' to what they are tweeting about first can be a good idea. That way you can establish common ground e.g. they like cats, went on holiday to Croatia and/or watch the TV show Casualty too. This can make it much easier to strike up a conversation later.  Creating a great Twitter bio Most people will decide whether they want to follow you within seconds of looking at your Twitter profile, which is why May King suggests spending some time getting this right.  A good quality headshot is a must.  You can also use the cover picture (which sits just behind your profile pic) to promote your products/services. As May King puts it, this is basically your “billboard.” So for example, if you are running a live event, you can list the name of the event, date and venue and a call-to-action to buy a ticket.  You can use a free design tool like Canva to create an attractive cover picture or hire a designer to create one for you.  Make sure your bio (just 160 characters on Twitter) explains clearly what you do. If you have a branded hashtag (i.e. one you have created just for your business), you can add it into your bio.  Twitter allows you to pin a tweet to the top of your feed (known as a ‘pinned tweet'). This is the first tweet, someone who follows you will see, so use this space wisely. You could share an amazing testimonial from a client and/or promote one of your products/services, changing it up as and when your priorities change. What kind of content should you be sharing on Twitter While there are no hard and fast rules about what to post on Twitter, as with all of your social media content, remember it's not about you. It's about adding value for your followers. Which is why the following types of content generally get good engagement:  Content that educates your followers about your area of expertise e.g. helpful blog posts, tips, useful articles (and not just your own)  ‘Live' coverage of events you're attending/speaking at (including photos and videos) Conversation starters/polls  Just because you're using Twitter for business, doesn't mean your content has to be serious. For example, May King recalls being at a conference and asking her followers whether they preferred pastries or fruit for breakfast (as that was what was on offer) and getting really good engagement.  It's important to give your followers a sense of the person behind the brand, which is why May King Tsang regularly tweets about her love of Karaoke singing and tea. While this might seem frivolous, it's actually really important.  “I think a lot of people, too many people are trying to jump five steps forward and try and close that deal but we can't close that deal before getting to know somebody getting to you know build a relationship with someone and build a rapport with someone and how do you get to know someone and build a rapport with someone? It is the small talk. The "What did you watch on TV? What did you get up to "at the weekend? Do you like bananas or apples?" That really helps build the relationship. Podcast shownotes How May King became a FOMO creator (04:25) How Twitter works and how it can help your business  (11:49) How to get publicity for your business by connecting with journalists on Twitter (17:00) How Twitter chats can build your audience and business network (18:01) How Twitter lists can reduce the noise and help you connect with prospects (22:37) Key points about your Twitter bio and profile and why it needs to reflect what you do (28:07) Types of content you can post on Twitter and why it's really important to engage (32:32)  How showing your personal side on Twitter can help people connect with you (36:56) How to find clients and raise your profile on Twitter (41:21) Why you need to ‘walk the talk' and demonstrate you are an authority in your field on Twitter (45:40) Resources May King Twitter [233] How to monetise your personal brand with Chris Ducker (podcast) [247] How to find customers on Twitter with Samantha Kelly (podcast) [259] How to build a loyal following on Twitter with Madalyn Skylar (podcast) [267] How to get more engagement on Twitter (podcast) [300] How to Build an audience and why you need to  (podcast)  [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)  Buy your ticket to my 2020 Content Planning Masterclass #2020Sorted Course: How to write social media posts that sell  Build Your Audience Programme Order your 2019 Media Diary  Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook  Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn The post [356] How to build your audience through Twitter (and create FOMO) appeared first on Janet Murray.

Varvara Lyalyagina from Start Blog Up joins Callie Willows for this episode of Behind the Membership to talk all about her membership for Russian speaking entrepreneurs, The Studio. In this episode Varvara's talking about how she is succeeding with her membership despite it being for a market not as familiar with the membership model, and why she has decided, after a year of being open all the time, to experiment with moving from an always open model to closing the doors and only letting new members in at certain times. Varvara also talks about the emotional challenges of running a membership and learning not to take cancellations personally, the power of members promoting your membership for you, and how adding a personal touch with things like video and gifts is aiding her retention. And Varvara also shares her strategy for running online parties to attract new members, plus more!

Do you love the idea of publishing your own journal/planner…but feel unsure where to start?   If this sounds familiar, you'll love this podcast episode on how to create and launch your own planner.  In it, I share everything I've learned from creating my own industry planner (the Media Diary), which is now in its fourth year. I break it down, step-by-step - from how to find out whether your planner will sell (without even creating it), to finding someone to design and print your diary, to marketing your planner.  I'll also compare the pros and cons of getting your planner printed yourself versus using a print-on-demand service like Amazon's Createspace.  {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.} Step 1: Market research  While it's tempting to start with the creative stuff, it's important to start by carrying out some research to see if there is a market for your planner or journal. Skip this step and you could end up wasting an awful lot of time and money.  Remember that most online sales convert at just 1-2%, so if you're hoping to sell hundreds or thousands of copies of your planner, you will need an audience to sell to. If you already have an audience of people who would be likely to buy your planner/diary(e.g. an email list and/or engaged Facebook group) share your planner idea and ask for feedback. Start by asking quite general questions e..g ‘I've got an idea for a planner. Is this something you think you would buy?” Don't have an audience? Find 5 to 10 people you think would be the ideal customer for your planner and ask them if they can spare 15-20 minutes for a quick phone/Zoom call to get some feedback on your idea. And please read Step 5 of this post before you take your planner idea any further.  Sadly getting a few positive responses isn't enough to justify creating your planner. If you sense there's some interest, you need to go deeper. This might include sharing your ideas/pictures on how your planner will be structured, what it will look like and how it will be laid out. Not only will this help you validate your idea, it will give you useful feedback that will help you create a planner your ideal customers actually want (rather than what you think they want). While research is important, it's worth remembering that you won't know for sure if your planner will sell until you ask people to pay you for it. This is why I recommend starting with a test offer (more on that later).  Step 2: Decide on a topic for your planner Nice-looking stationery is all very well, but if your planner doesn't solve a problem for people, you'll probably struggle to sell it.  If you've done your research correctly, you should have a good idea of the problem your planner will solve for your customers.  Let's take my media diary as an example. It's an A4 desk diary that features key dates and awareness days that can help you plan out your content for the coming year. It is also has planning templates that can you help you create annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily content plans. So the media diary solves two key problems for the people who buy it: not being able to think of any/enough content ideas and not having a clear content plan to follow. Not publishing regular content can decrease your visibility, authority and credibility - which can have an impact on the bottom line of your business.  Remember that your planner doesn't necessarily have to solve a practical problem e.g. not being able to think of ideas. It can also solve an emotional problem/need, such as wanting to look stylish around your peers.  At this stage, it's also important to think about how you might build a community around your planner. For example, Danielle La Porte's Desire Map brings together people who want a different approach to goal setting. People who want to create goals around how they want to feel rather than what they want to achieve. That shared identity and set of values is really powerful.  Step 3: Plan the content of your diary - page by page  In order to get a quote from a printer, you will need some key information.  This includes:  How many pages you want  Size (e.g. A4, A1)   Type of printing   Weight and type of paper   Finish (e.g. gloss/matt)   Type of binding e.g. spiral or perfect bound  If you don't have all of this information to hand, you won't even be able to get a quote from a printer.  This means sitting down and planning out exactly what you will include on every page of your planner - even down to how many pages you want for each month of the year. This is generally known as a flatplan.  This is important because you can only print a perfect bound book (and, essentially, your planner is a book)  in multiples of four pages. This means that if you decide to add or take away content at a later stage, it could have a big impact on your project (and your budget). If you go for spiral bound, you can add or take away pages in multiples of two, but if you don't plan out your content thoroughly beforehand, you could still create problems for yourself further down the line.  it's difficult to estimate how many pages you will need without knowing how you planner will be laid out.  Sites like Canva and Creative Market have planner templates you can browse for inspiration. Pinterest is also a great place to look for inspiration.  At this stage, you also need to some research on the correct paper weight for your planner and best method of binding. If you want to create a product people can use (and possibly carry around with them) for a full year it needs to be hardy.  Skip this stage and you could end up with customers complaining that the cover of their planner has ripped or that they can't write it in (because the ink is seeping through to the next page and/or smudging everywhere). And the last thing you need is a ton of refund requests to deal with.  Your printer will also want to know the weight of the paper you want on your cover and whether you want a matt or gloss finish  Most printers will be happy to advise you and/or send through paper samples. It's important to touch/feel the paper yourself before you get anything printed. I'd also suggest buying some different planners so you can compare size, binding and layout plus how easy they are to use.  There are instructions on how to create a flatplan for your planner (and flatplan templates), a checklist of information you need to supply a printer with in order to get a quote and a list of all the printing terminology you need to know in my online masterclass on how to launch a planner for your industry.  Step 4: Calculate your pricing  Having mapped out the content of your planner and worked out your print specifications, you can start to gather printing quotes for your planner. I'd suggest getting at least three so you can compare.  While it may be tempting to outsource your printing overseas this may not be the best practical solution. While it can be cheaper, if there is a problem with the printing, it's much more difficult to fix if your printer is in China. This is definitely something to bear in mind if you want to launch a seasonal planner i.e. one that runs from January to January. Not only will you need to allow an additional time for the initial print and delivery, if you are unhappy with any aspect of the printing, it could take weeks (or even months) to fix. This is not to say it is a bad idea, but for your first planner it may be best to stay local. Once you have some printing quotes, you can estimate how much it will cost you to produce each copy of your planner. Then, based on how much profit you want to make (and research on similar products on the market) you can decide on the price of your planner.   When costing out your planner, remember you also need to include things like: Packaging (and postage, although you may want to add this on to each order) Fulfilment i.e. getting the planner packaged up and sent out  Stripe/PayPal fees Design  Proofreading and editing  Marketing  Your own time  There is a comprehensive list of the costs you need to consider in my online masterclass on how to launch a planner for your industry. If you don't want the hassle of organising your own printing, there is the option of using a print-on-demand service like Createspace, Lulu or Ingram Spark. With this option, you upload your artwork file for your planner to their website and, every time someone orders a copy, it is printed and sent to them. This cuts down on packaging and fulfilment costs, but you will still need to pay for design, editing and proofreading.  While print-on-demand is often less expensive per copy, you also have less control over the process.  So if something goes wrong, it can be much more difficult to fix. Many people mistakenly think that using a large, established platform means you have a ready made audience to buy their planner. This couldn't be further from the truth. You will still need to work really hard to market your planner.  There is a detailed comparison of DIY printing versus print-on-demand in my online masterclass on how to launch a planner for your industry.  Step 5: Do an audience audit Remember that most online sales convert at just 1-2%, so if you're hoping to sell hundreds or thousands of copies of your planner, you will need a large enough audience to sell to. You can use my audience calculator to see if you have enough people in your audience right now to make your target sales.  If you don't have a big enough audience, you have two choices. You can either focus on building your online audience to the size you need to launch a planner. This may take at least a year but could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Here's how to build an audience.  Or you can explore the idea of doing a short print run to test your idea. This will almost certainly reduce your profit, as shorter print runs are generally more expensive. But it will also reduce the risk of you making a loss on your planner (and ending up with a stack of planners gathering dust in your loft/garage). At this stage, you should also ask yourself some tough questions about whether you have the authority to launch a planner on your chosen topic. For example, if you want to launch a planner for yoga teachers, but you're currently working in banking, you may find you don't have the credibility to make enough sales. In this case, it would be better to spend some time building your audience before launching a planner.  Step 6: Create a test offer You can carry out tons of research, but won't know for sure if anyone wants to buy your planner until you ask people to pay you money for it.  This is why I believe you shouldn't print your planner until you have made enough sales to at least break even.  Instead, create a test offer. This is where you get a designer to create an image of your diary, create a simple landing page (a web page where people can only do one thing i.e. order your diary) and invite people to pre-order their planner at a reduced cost on the understanding that they may need to wait a bit longer for their planner.  I use Leadpages for building landing pages. Step 7: Pitch your test offer Once your test offer is ready and you have worked out your ‘break even' figure, you can reach out to your hottest leads and offer them the chance to purchase your planner at the pre-order price. I'd suggest making this a limited time offer. Your hottest leads are generally people you already have a relationship with i.e. those who are already working with you or have done in the past. As a result, high-touch strategies e.g. personal messages, voicemails and phone calls may be needed alongside automated emails and/or social media updates.  Step 8: Hire your designer and printer Once you've hit your ‘break even' point, it's time to hire your designer and printer to create your planner. For design, I'd recommend getting recommendations from friends, family and colleagues. Ideally, you should work with someone who has worked on similar projects and has a background in book/magazine publishing.  Step 9: Create your launch plan I'd suggest a 12 week run up to your official planner launch.  Month 1: Warm up your audience by starting conversations and getting feedback on the planner you're hoping to launch (See Step 1).  Month 2: Focus on creating and launching your test offer  Month 3: Having gathered enough pre-orders to break even, you can sell your planner at the standard price leading up to an official launch date when you post out the planners.  Doing it in this way builds excitement and anticipation amongst your audience so that when their planner lands on their doormat they can't wait to share pictures on social media.  This should give you around 6 weeks from your test offer to ‘make' your planner. I wouldn't recommend leaving it any longer or your audience might get fed up waiting for it.  Step 10: Launch  If you have followed all the steps set out here, at this point, you should be able to enjoy the results of your hard work and watch the sales drop into your inbox. Shownotes Who should listen to this podcast (3:06) How to find out if there is a market for your planner (4:05) Who do you know that will buy your planner? (08:25) How to decide on a topic for your planner (and what problem does it solve for your audience?)  (14:58) What you need to know before going to a printer (17:09) How to choose a printer (and why a local one is best) (24:22) Key costs to consider when working out how to price your planner (26:53) Pros and cons of printing yourself or using a print on demand service (31:37) Key points to consider when thinking about your buying audience (38:37) How to presell your planner before you create it (41:36) How to market and create a launch plan for your planner (48:20) Resources Masterclass: How to launch a planner for your industry Audience Calculator: Work out the audience size you need that you need with my audience calculator Graphic design with Canva Self publish with Amazon Create Space Self publish with Lulu  Self publish with IngramSpark [300] How to Build an audience and why you need to  (podcast)  [ 334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [335] How to create a high converting lead magnet (podcast) [339] How To Build An Audience for an Online Course or membership (podcast) [342] How To Build an Audience on YouTube with Jessica Dante (podcast)  [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)  Buy your ticket to my 2020 Content Planning Masterclass #2020Sorted Course: How to write social media posts that sell  Build Your Audience Programme Order your 2019 Media Diary  Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook  Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn   The post [355] How to create and launch your own planner appeared first on Janet Murray.

Do you like the idea of hosting a live event but worry you don't have a big enough audience to sell enough tickets? Perhaps you've tried hosting a live event or workshop but struggled to get enough bums on seats? If any of this sounds familiar you'll love this podcast interview with business coach and Expert Empires founder Nick James. He fills large conference spaces with up to 1400 delegates and, in this episode, he shares practical tips and tactics on selling out your first live event, including how to identify the people who are most likely to attend your event (plus how to get them to buy a ticket). He also talks about how to find joint venture partners i.e. people who have a similar audience to you who are willing to sell tickets on your behalf. Plus he shares bonus tips on how to land speaking gigs at other peoples' events. Nick relies heavily on email marketing and text messaging to promote his own live events, so you might be surprised at some of the advice he shares in this episode. But it is some of the best (and most honest) advice I've ever heard on this topic. He shares some priceless advice on building relationships in your industry (and why you need to). {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode} How to fill live events If you're interested in running your own live events, Nick's advice is to start small but think big. “In my experience, people dramatically overestimate what they can achieve in a year, but underestimate what they can achieve in ten,” he says. So instead of starting with an event for hundreds of people, try putting on a small event for just 10 to 15 people. As you get more experienced, you can always go bigger. He speaks from personal experience; just eight people attended his first event in 2009. A more recent event attracted over 1400 delegates. When it comes to filling your first event (or an online course or programme) it's always best to start with your hottest leads. These are generally people you know - those you're working with right now or have done in the past. Which means personal outreach is likely to be far more effective than social media or email marketing. And the more personalised the better. That's why Nick favours picking up the phone, sending a WhatsApp message or a voicemail message on social media over email. In fact, if you need to fill an event or programme - and do it quickly - be believes email should be your last resort. Nick uses both email marketing and text messaging in his marketing, but he still believes that personal outreach is the most effective way to fill an event or programme - particularly when you're starting out and/or need to bring money into your business quickly. “Generally speaking, observe the masses and do the opposite,” he says. “What everyone else is doing is sending blanket messages and emails. So, doing something like a voice note...will instantly make you stand out.” If you're worried sending personal messages will make you look desperate it's probably because that's how you feel. Which is all the more reason to invest time in personal outreach, as this is far more likely to bring money into your business quickly. Strategies like social media and email marketing are effective but typically take much longer to generate leads and sales. “It's far too easy to hide behind your laptop,” says Nick. “You post can post loads of content, and videos out on Facebook, and LinkedIn, and that's all very nice…but if it isn't actually getting anywhere you need to change what you're doing.” How to use joint ventures to sell out your live event Teaming up with people who already have an audience you'd like to get in front of  - otherwise known as ‘joint ventures' - can be a great way to sell out events, courses and online programmes when you're just starting out. But there is a right and a wrong way to approach joint ventures, says Nick. First off, a joint venture has to offer a fair exchange of value for both parties. So if you're just starting out in your business, approaching someone with a massive audience and asking them to promote your products/services is unlikely to be an effective strategy. Nick suggests starting with existing relationships. Who do you know who already has your audience, or has people in their audience that would be a good fit for you or products or services? What could you offer them that would represent a fair exchange of value for introducing you to their audience? It's worth remembering that for someone who already has an audience, money (offering affiliate payments for example) may not be enough. You have to ask yourself why they would promote your products/services when they could be promoting their own (and making more money for doing so).  This is why there is no substitute for relationship building before you even thinking about launching an event or programme. “There really is no substitute for good, old-fashioned relationship-building,” says Nick Time in the saddle, building your reputation, building those connections over a long period of time.” The first question he asks any prospective affiliate/joint venture partner is ‘how can I help you?' - rather than the other way round. How to land speaking opportunities If you're interested in speaking at other peoples' events, relationships are equally as important, says Nick. He is frequently approached by people he has no prior relationship with asking if they can speak at his events. "And I'm like...well, okay. So, I've just spent £200 000 on this event, and now you want to come, and speak on my stage. And what exactly is it that you're doing for me?" Because I'm spending a fortune here, and I'm putting a lot of my time, and energy, and my team's resources into doing this event.” For Nick, it all comes down to relationships. If you want to speak at a particular event or attract a particular joint venture partner, start by thinking about what you can do for them. This might include: Buying a ticket to their event so you can meet them in person and get a feel for the event (it also shows you have skin in the game) Investing in one of their products/services Inviting them onto your podcast/Youtube channel - so they can benefit from getting in front of your audience Spreading the word about them on social media And relationships win over money every single time, he says. “There are plenty of people that I would happily JV [joint venture] with, promote their products and services, for zero financial gain for me. And then there are more people that I would never promote, even with financial gain. So, it doesn't come down to the commercial deal... the relationships will outweigh the commercial value of the partnership every single time.” Podcast shownotes Nick's business story (02:52) Where to start with live events and why you should start small (5:19) How to fill a live workshop or event (and why personal outreach is the best way) (9:08) Attendees (15:43) How to find the hottest leads for your events and stop hiding behind your laptop (18:53) Tactics for building relationships for event joint ventures (22:58)  Why good old fashioned relationships are your biggest asset  (25:25) The first question to ask when approaching a partner for a joint venture (29:33) How relationships are key for choosing speakers and sponsors at your event (32:32) Why the success of an event stems from good relationships (36:28) Resources Nick's website Seriously Fun Business Nick James Expert Empires Facebook Nick James LinkedIn[300] How to Build an audience and why you need to  (podcast)  [ 334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows  (podcast)  [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)  How I chose the speakers for build your audience live  (blog post) How to add captions to your video using Kapwing and Rev.com (blog post)Buy your ticket to my 2020 Content Planning Masterclass #2020SortedFind out more about my Build Your Audience Programme Order your 2019 Media Diary Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook  Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn The post [354] How To Sell Out A Live Event Or Workshop (Even If You Have A Tiny Audience) appeared first on Janet Murray.

Chris Marr from the Content Marketing Academy (also known as CMA) joins Callie Willows for this episode of Behind the Membership. Chris launched his membership in 2015 after running a six month in person masterclass and it's now a major focus of his business. Here, he talks about the importance of customer experience in creating a community culture, using free in-person workshops as a way to attract new members and how he has recently launched a very low cost price tier to help those who can't afford his full membership fee yet. We also talk marketing challenges, how Chris is successfully using Slack for his members community and how the membership has enabled Chris to create the lifestyle that he wants, as he's undergone the transition from flying solo to being a father of four and family man.

Learn about how to add a live event to your mostly online education business mix with Mike Morrison from The Membership Guys in this episode of LMScast with Chris Badgett of LifterLMS. Chris and Mike dive into topics relevant to membership site owners, from customer retention to bringing in experts to speak to your audience. Mike runs a weekly podcast called The Membership Guys Podcast that covers practical advice and strategy tips for creating and growing a membership website. His business partner Callie Willows also does a podcast called Behind the Membership, so be sure to check that out as … How To Add A Live Event To Your Mostly Online Education Business Mix With Mike Morrison From The Membership Guys Read More » The post How To Add A Live Event To Your Mostly Online Education Business Mix With Mike Morrison From The Membership Guys appeared first on LMScast - LifterLMS Podcast.

Less than a month ago, Callie bought a book. Unbeknownst to her, that simple act would be the start of the single worst buyer experience she's ever encountered, as she found herself subscribed to a membership she never signed up for, with no clear way out. In the interests of seeing how far the rabbit hole of terrible business practices went, she decided to see it through... Join us on this rather unusual episode of The Membership Guys Podcast as we take a step by step tour through how NOT to run a membership (or any other business, for that matter!) Episode Summary: Why tricking people into joining your membership is a seriously dumb strategy! (And could land you in serious trouble) Ignoring support emails and deleting comments from your community will hurt your rep and cost you customers Trying to hold members hostage and making it impossible to cancel doesn't work Why seeing people who lack integrity and use bad practices motivate us to be better

Are you trying to grow your audience but don't have the funds for paid advertising?  Or are you feeling fed-up with forking out on ads which aren't bringing you a good return on investment? In this episode, Callie Willows from The Membership Guys, shares practical tips on how to grow your audience through content marketing,... READ MORE The post [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows appeared first on Janet Murray.

Wow, time flies when you're rocking the membership world! In what has become an annual tradition - we're celebrating the 3rd anniversary of Member Site Academy with a very special episode looking back at the past 12 months of our business. And of course I'm joined once again by the other (and arguably better) half of The Membership Guys, the one and only Callie Willows, to discuss year three of running the Academy. In this episode, Callie and I discuss: Picking up where we left off at the end of our 2nd year and discussing where we went from there. Changes we've made to our strategy and the reasons and circumstances behind those decisions Our highlights from the past 12 months, what's worked, what hasn't and what challenges we've faced A sneak peek at our future plans for the Member Site Academy and the business in general

Lisa League from QPractice is today's guest on episode 9 of Behind the Membership with Callie Willows. QPractice has been running for 4 years and focuses on helping interior designers to pass their professional exams, which means that the membership is somewhat finite as there is a natural conclusion to the membership once members pass their exams. Listen in to find out how Lisa deals with this and ensures that the membership works for both her and her members. "I really have liked how it's just grown and evolved over time...I've really, really enjoyed the under the hood stuff as well as making the content." Listen in to find out: How Lisa initially got started with online education and community building Dealing with the inbuilt churn of a results based or limited lifecycle membership Using audience feedback to steer course development Pre-selling the membership and creating content live Providing assessments, hands on review and feedback as core membership features The challenge of getting and keeping good team members How the membership site has drastically evolved over the last 4 years, including the need for custom software development Being hands on in the community and dealing with high levels of customer support Why she uses and recommend Mighty Networks for membership communities Attracting members with SEO and content marketing Using a guarantee to encourage action and implementation Why she's focusing on simplifying for the future

Just like that, another year is over. As we reach the 2nd anniversary of Member Site Academy, we have some insights and lessons to share from the past 12 months. In what is sure to become a tradition, I’m joined on this very special episode of the podcast by the real brains behind The Membership Guys, the one and only Callie Willows, to discuss year two of running the Academy. In this episode, Callie and I discuss: Picking up where we left off on last year’s episode and looking at where things went from there. Changes we’ve made to our strategy and the reasons and circumstances behind those decisions Our highlights from the past 12 months, what’s worked, what hasn’t and what challenges we’ve faced A sneak peek at our future plans for the Member Site Academy and the business in general

An introduction to Behind The Membership with Callie Willows: where the idea came from, why we're doing it and an overview of what to expect in the coming season as Callie sits down for frank, no-fluff conversations with membership site owners.

We talk about WordPress Membership Websites With Special Guest Mike Morrison Joint Founder of Themembershipguys.com. Mike Morrison is one half of The Membership Guys. Along with his partner Callie Willows has spent years guiding the growth of memberships, e-learning businesses and online communities. Now they run the Member Site Academy, where they teach small business owners and entrepreneurs the skills and strategies they need to build and grow their own successful membership website.  

Mike Morrison is one-half of The Membership Guys, and along with his partner, Callie Willows has spent years guiding the growth of memberships, e-learning businesses and online communities. Now they run the Member Site Academy, where they teach small business owners and entrepreneurs the skills and strategies they need to build and grow their own successful membership website.   Guest Recommendation: Book: Go it Alone by Geoff Birch (http://amzn.to/2qkwudH) App: Instagram & Slack Join the facebook group www.successinstiators.com and be part of a community who want to create and live an exceptional life.   If you have found anything useful on this episode, then please leave a comment and rate the show.  If you would like to ask Geoff a question or suggest a topic to cover on the show, please email him at podcast@geoffnicholson.co.uk You can find more information about Geoff at www.geoffnicholson.co.uk or on the following social media links YouTube (http://www.twitter.com/gncoach) I have also created a Facebook page for the show, would love you to join me over there as well.

#16: If you are in the online business scene for any amount of time, I think you might notice one of the hot topics recently is about Membership based Business. It reminds me that in my former corporate life as Director of Membership in Asia years back for a prestigious membership business club, we have Spa, 7 outlets of restaurants, Gym, Squash courts, etc. Basically it’s like a Ritz-Carlton hotel, just without accommodation.  I was their 1st staff member, started from scratch, from marketing research to hire and manage a team, witness the building went up, sold, launched and served over 1000 members in less than 6 months, it was a super intense and fun project.  So you can say that I have experienced membership based business first hand way beyond just in the digital world. Since I got asked quite often about membership based business by my clients, and as I have been planning for my coming membership site to serve larger audience, I want to make sure I get the best expert to share the knowledge with you. I think I did. My good friend Mike Morrison, he is one half of The Membership Guys, Mike and his partner Callie Willows have spent years guiding the growth of membership websites, e-learning businesses and online communities, helping clients to attract hundreds of thousands of members and generate millions of dollars in revenue. That including one of my business mentor: Chris Ducker. Warning: In this jam-packed interview, Mike didn’t hold back a bit! It’s like a mini training course its own, so do take out your pen and notepad, well. If you are driving or work out, you’d have to re-listen again to take notes. YES, it’s that good! Now, let’s chat with Mike! Key Lessons: What’s Membership based business? 2 Common mistakes to avoid when build up membership based business The reality of membership retention rate, and the specific tips of how to boost it up The right mindset in operating membership based business to own the long term prosperity. Main benefits of membership based business Pricing strategy for membership business in different categories. 3 Top Tips to run a successful membership business  Links: Mike’s Website http://www.themembershipguys.com (http://www.themembershipguys.com/) Mike’s Membership tool kit com/toolkit (http://themembershipguys.com/toolkit) Mike’s Free FB group com (http://talkmemberships.com/) Show Page:  http://kellybaader.com/016

This past year has been an exciting one for us, and as we reach the 12 month anniversary of the opening of the Member Site Academy we're feeling a little reflective. To celebrate this milestone I'm joined once again on the podcast by the other (some say better) half of The Membership Guys, the one and only Callie Willows, to discuss our first year of running the Academy. In this episode, Callie and I discuss: What aspects of running the Academy we each found to be most surprising or unexpected Changes we've made to our strategy and the reasons and circumstances behind those decisions What we each enjoy most about running the membership What the future holds for Member Site Academy

To celebrate the 50th episode of The Membership Guys Podcast, we decided to do something a little different. Not only did we bring Callie onto the podcast (for only the second time!) but we did so as part of a live Q&A we hosted on Blab.im all about our favourite subject - membership websites! We had audience questions, a guest appearance, and a pretty epic rant from Mike that you're really going to want to hear (unless you can't handle the occasional curse word.. or twenty!) In this Q&A we discuss: What most appeals to Callie about the membership model Can you create a membership if you don't have knowledge, skills or experience? Why snake-oil salesman and lazy marketers are doomed to fail When it would be the wrong situation to create a membership The future of live video and what it could mean for membership owners How to organise your activity and plan content Which membership plugins are best to use with LMS platforms ...and more!

Fresh on the back of attending Social Media Marketing World 2016, we're sharing our top takeaways from the event for creating content and promoting your membership site through social channels. PLUS - you guys asked for it... after 8 months, the elusive Callie Willows finally joins me on The Membership Guys Podcast! Listen to the latest episode to hear us discuss our 4 biggest lessons from the event... In this episode: 2016 is the year of ____ _____ Organic reach is dead? You need to be more ________ with your content Stop focusing on _________ and _____

Today’s guest is Callie Willows, half of TheMembershipGuys.com, where she helps entrepreneurs create membership communities. In this episode, Callie shares how she got her entrepreneurial start, transitioning from nutrition consulting to building courses and membership sites…and why she and her partner started The Membership Guys and launched their newest course & community, Member Site Academy.