79. Meetup, the Secret Weapon for Businesses with Mel Cutler

Apr 26, 2017

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Today's conversation is with Mel Ethan Cutler, a Meetup expert and serial entrepreneur. Mel has created seven companies across four different markets since he discovered his entrepreneurial streak at 19 years old. He’s mastered the strategy of using Meetup to build a list and create a dedicated local following of people who want a specific product or service. Now, he shares his wisdom and insight with businesses—and, in this great conversation, with you.

Find Out More About Mel Here:

MelCutler.me Mel Ethan Cutler on LinkedIn Mel Ethan C. on Meetup @EntreRevolution on Twitter Mel Ethan Cutler on Facebook Meetup Master Meetup Zoo mel@meetupzoo.com

In This Episode:

[01:34] - Mel starts off by explaining why Meetup.com is a secret weapon for small businesses. He also addresses his own background and explores how he discovered the power of Meetup.
[04:37] - Mel discusses the costs involved in using Meetup: around $89 twice a year. He then offers some of his best tips for how to use Meetup, and mentions his event The Entrepreneur Revolution.
[07:36] - We learn more about how Mel uses a sense of urgency or scarcity to encourage people to overcome their fear and take action. He then talks about how to figure out what kind of meetup to create.
[10:33] - Does Mel suggest starting by creating your own meetup, or sponsoring someone else’s first? In his answer, he emphasizes the importance of providing value to others rather than just asking for things for yourself.
[13:29] - Mel offers some tips regarding finding a venue, which he says is the easiest thing.
[15:44] - Mel shares an example of a meetup that he’s hosting soon, and explains how it functions.
[17:35] - We hear about what Mel means when he says “mastermind,” and he talks about different kinds of masterminds. He goes into some depth on the differences between free and high-cost masterminds.
[21:23] - Stephen talks about working your way up instead of immediately asking people for $25,000. He then addresses sales funnels.
[22:53] - Mel addresses the possibility of paying to get on stage at an event.
[25:05] - How does Mel recommend people develop the skill set necessary to sell from stage? He suggests Speaking Empire and Speaker Revolution.
[28:07]- Mel talks about the optimization strategies and tactics for a meetup that isn’t getting traffic or attention.
[30:53] - In his early days on Meetup, Mel made some mistakes. Here he shares the horror story of his first Meetup event, where no one showed up except his brother, his mom, and a close friend. He then shares a secret from his Meetup Master course.
[34:27] - Mel shares some tips on how to find and use keywords for your Meetup group and event descriptions and titles.
[36:46] - What does Mel recommend in terms of color schemes and visuals?
[38:29] - Stephan points out that Meetup is a social network. He offers a case example of an employee who used Meetup to his advantage. Mel then expands on this, emphasizing the importance of your network.
[43:50] - The profile page on Meetup is often a missed opportunity, Mel says.
[45:18] - Mel offers his advice for people who made a group that hasn’t had any traction over several months: kill it off, start over, and use his course.
[46:20] - Mel talks more about his Meetup Master course, which is currently $297 (normally $1,000). (Note for listeners: if the price has gone up by the time you buy the course, buy it at the full price and then email Mel to get the difference refunded.)
[48:38] - We learn a little bit about how Meetup’s algorithm works, and what advice Mel recommends following to help ensure your Meetup group is successful.
[51:02] - Mel generously shares his super-secret strategy on how to get people from Meetup to provide their email addresses and phone numbers. It’s surprisingly simple: you ask something like “What is your best email and phone number to welcome you to the group with?” as one of the questions you create for new group members.
[54:50] - Mel lists some ways to get in touch with him and places to find him and his courses and guides online.

Links and Resources:

MelCutler.me Mel Ethan Cutler on LinkedIn Mel Ethan C. on Meetup @EntreRevolution on Twitter Mel Ethan Cutler on Facebook Meetup Master Meetup Zoo mel@meetupzoo.com Meetup.com The Entrepreneur Revolution Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Speaking Empire Speaker Revolution Speak-to-Sell by Lisa Sasevich Michael Port on The Optimized Geek Heroic Public Speaking Meetup Master Google AdWords Keyword Planner Madison PHP Meetup