Membership Geeks Podcast with Mike Morrison

In this episode, I dive into the essential topic of delegating key tasks to a membership community manager.I walk you through the specific responsibilities that have made the biggest impact for us, and why freeing up your time is so crucial as your membership grows.I also share helpful advice for anyone considering hiring their first community manager, plus tips on how to get started if you’re unsure what tasks to pass on.If you’re looking to take your member experience—and your own sanity—to the next level, this episode is for you!In this episode:What key tasks should you delegate to a community manager in a membership business?How does a community manager enhance the experience for new and existing members?What role can a community manager play in keeping engagement high and answering member questions?What’s the best way to start when hiring a community manager, and how do you tailor the role to your membership’s specific needs?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"You can't be the rock star and the roadie. Your time, your attention is best spent on the things that only you can do. Things that are centered around really harnessing your expertise and turning it into content, turning it into coaching, turning it into opportunities to give your community access to you. That's going to take up enough of your time. And that's just the stuff where you're working in the business.""(The role of a community manager) is much more about being almost a concierge of sorts, about suggesting that other people join the conversation, about pointing them to other resources or even tagging myself, you know, if it's something that we know that I need to chime in on them going in there and tagging me to kind of bump it up my priority list." "If you know that you want to level up things with your member onboarding, but you just don't have the capacity for it, then these are some key things that your community manager could bring to the table."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode, I dive into the exciting world where gaming and memberships collide. Joined by gamification expert Kimba Cooper-Martin, we explore what gamification really means for online memberships and how you can use playful techniques to build stronger engagement, improve onboarding, and enhance member retention.We bust myths around gamification being just for fun topics or certain ages, get practical about challenges and best practices, and discuss the real psychology behind why gamification actually works.Whether your membership feels “serious” or already has a streak of fun, you’ll discover strategies to motivate and delight your community.In this episode:What exactly is gamification, and how is it different from simply adding points, badges, or competitions?Why does gamification motivate people, and how do you accommodate different personality types within your membership when designing gamified experiences?How can you apply gamification techniques to onboarding, engagement, and retention—but avoid the common pitfalls and keep things ethical and inclusive?Is gamification suitable for every type of membership, including so-called “boring” or highly professional fields, and how can you experiment safely without overwhelming your members?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"It's everywhere. So we've all played games, we've played conkers, cricket, tiddlywinks, you know, board games, video games, any kind of game you can imagine. And within those games are tools and techniques that are used to encourage you to keep playing, even when you're bored or you're frustrated because you want to get to that next level or you want to beat your opponent.""Give people an option to opt out if you're going to run competitive things, if you're going to run challenges, you know, some people run like a five day challenge or a 30 day challenge or whatever in their memberships. If you're going to do that kind of thing, absolutely fine. Give people the option to opt in or opt out so they don't have to take part.""If your membership is doing the same thing it's done for the last five years and you haven't made any changes, then people's minds, even if they want to engage, even if they find the thing really useful, even if it's what they want more than anything, it will naturally disengage because there's other things that are new and challenging and a bigger threat.""How can you incorporate the senses to change the way that people interact with your membership, which obviously with online memberships sometimes that can be difficult, but you can add in little things here and there to change people's association with stuff."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this special anniversary episode, I take a deep dive into what the future might hold for the membership industry over the next decade.Drawing from my experience and industry insights, I explore how foundational principles will persist even as we face seismic changes driven by technology, consumer expectations, and a rapidly evolving online landscape.I address the challenges and opportunities that come with AI, the need for community-centric memberships, and how to futureproof your business in the face of increased competition and commoditization of content.If you want to stay ahead in the membership world, this episode is packed with the big-picture thinking you'll need.In this episode:What key industry shifts are redefining the membership landscape as we look ahead to the next ten years?How will artificial intelligence impact the creation, delivery, and perceived value of membership content?What are the foundational principles that will remain essential for long-term membership success?Why is building community, personal connections, and trust more critical than ever for thriving memberships in the future?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"Knowledge and content can no longer be your selling point. You should not be aiming to be the Netflix of your industry. If you're trying to be the Netflix of yoga, the Netflix of marketing, the Netflix of drumming, you, your business will die within the next decade because content is becoming so, so over commoditized, it's becoming so accessible and there is so much slop, there is so much to wade through and your audience isn't always going to know the difference in quality and it's not always going to be able to care.""If you can find ways to shorten the path between problem and solution, to remove friction and deliver real tangible results, you're going to be more likely to succeed over the next decade.""Whereas I think quite often we've always jealously guarded our audience, like we don't want our audience to hear from anyone else who has too much expertise or might, might take their dollars away from us or anything like that. I think people are really, really going to tap into the power of collaboration even more than they ever have."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this special 10th anniversary episode, I take you behind the scenes for a candid look back at the past year in Membership Academy.I reflect on our biggest wins, tough decisions, reasons for change, and the evolution of our offerings as we hit a major milestone—ten years of helping membership site owners grow and thrive.Plus, I dive into the launch of some exciting new features, share the realities of juggling conferences with running an Academy, and reveal what’s coming next. This is a raw, honest year-in-review that pulls back the curtain on both our successes and the obstacles we’ve overcome.In this episode:What were the major highlights, challenges, and changes within Membership Academy over the past year?Why did I decide to make the Membership Roadmap course completely free, and what does this mean for the future of the Academy?How did we bring back popular features like live masterclasses and member-only podcasts, and what impact have they had on our community?What’s on the horizon for Membership Academy and the wider membership community in the next decade?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"A lot of people when they say that they're going to do this, what they really mean is they're going to show off how fantastically well they're doing and then sell you the secret formula to emulating their success. But that's not really what I'm about. I'm more about showing you the realities, ugly sides and all.""The challenge of somebody who is five years in is different from someone who's five months in. The scope of what membership owners need support with and need help with once they've launched is much broader and much wider.""We didn't just want to release the version of the Roadmap that we had, we've re recorded the entire thing for 2025. So it's, it's all fresh, it's all bang up to date with the latest strategies. It incorporates, you know, the various advantages and challenges that AI is brought into the mix. And so it's the most up to date, cutting edge, practical, tactical, useful and all the other superlatives. The complete course for launching a new membership. And it's completely free."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode, I dive into the huge decision we've just made to give away our signature Membership Roadmap course completely free to everyone.I explain the reasoning and motivation behind this bold move, what it means for our community, and why I believe now is the time to spark a new wave of successful membership launches.I also walk through exactly what the course covers and how it’s been updated to be more actionable and practical than ever.Join me as I share the mission behind this seismic shift—and how you can be part of the membership movement.In this episode:Why are we making our comprehensive Membership Roadmap course available for free to everyone, and what led to this decision?What exactly does the Membership Roadmap cover, and how does it help you launch a successful membership site?How is this move connected to our bigger mission of igniting a new wave of sustainable, thriving memberships?What sets our approach and resources apart from other high-ticket courses or generic advice in the market today?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"We've just announced that our membership roadmap course, this is our signature course that has been the backbone of Membership Academy...we're giving this to the world completely free. No catch, no fancy funnel, no little marketing gimmicks or tricks.""I'm sick of not seeing memberships launch the way they should launch. Because people have been swept up in seductive marketing campaigns by affiliates who are making a fortune off the back of commission. And they've done these courses that have taught them the wrong way, that have rushed them into starting a membership without validating, without doing it the right way, and they blow their shot.""Our competitors were selling $2,000 courses and they were making a whole big thing once a year, doing this big launch of this 2002 and a half thousand dollar course to get you in. And we just knew that it wasn't delivering results because people will come to us a month or two later having done this course and spent all this money and they come to us for help because they hadn't gotten anywhere."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this special episode, I celebrate 10 years of running Membership Academy by sharing the biggest insights and lessons I’ve learned along the way.I pull back the curtain on both the triumphs and tough moments, going beyond surface-level tactics to discuss what really matters for long-term membership success.From dealing with imposter syndrome to the importance of feedback and embracing imperfection, I dive into the realities of membership site ownership. Whether you're just starting out or scaling your community, this episode delivers honest, hard-won wisdom for building a thriving membership business.In this episode:What are the most important lessons I’ve learned from a decade of running a successful membership?How do you create effective, focused learning content without overwhelming your members?Why is stepping back from being the “guru” essential for building a vibrant membership community?How can feedback, data, and embracing imperfection help you grow and maintain a healthy membership site?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"If you are looking for a magic bullet, the magic bullet is not marketing strategies. It's not an ad strategy, it's not wording in a social media caption, it's not a funnel, it's not closing your doors and opening it. There is no magic bullet in marketing, but the magic bullets for membership and for all business is feedback and data.""Not hearing from people, not seeing people in your community, doesn't mean they're not happy, doesn't mean they're not active. And even, even if they're not lurkers like I am, some people will be part of your membership and be happy paying just because they like to know that it is there when they need it.""People are there for transformation, not information. And if they can accomplish something significant in just five minutes of logging into your membership site and never log in again the rest of that year, but that five minutes moves the needle for them in a way that is seriously groundbreaking, then they're going to be happy."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

Delve into the real struggles of running a membership business over a decade. Discover the tough decisions made during the launch phase and the impact of facing fierce competition. Hear about the challenges posed by external crises like COVID-19 and the lessons learned from navigating team dynamics. Experience firsthand accounts of resilience and adaptation through unexpected setbacks and changes in the team. This candid reflection offers powerful insights for anyone in the membership landscape.

Sophie Cross, the editor and publisher of Freelancer Magazine, shares her journey of blending print with a vibrant online community designed for freelancers. She discusses the evolution from a print-only publication to a hybrid model, highlighting the success of virtual co-working sessions and how they boost member engagement. Sophie also delves into targeting a UK audience while managing global connections, and explores innovative marketing strategies to maintain the sensory appeal of print media. Her insights provide valuable lessons for anyone in membership or publishing.

Discover the nine essential traits that thriving membership owners possess, focusing on personal growth rather than just marketing. Clarity of purpose shapes decisions and fuels passion, while resilience and empathy are critical for fostering strong community ties. Learn how effective communication and strong people skills can turn members into more than just numbers. Avoid burnout by setting boundaries and nurturing sustainable habits. It's all about connecting deeply with your members and continuously evolving as a leader!

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Marketing World and the Social Media Marketing Society, to dive deep into why he made the big decision to close down his successful membership after a decade. We unpack the strategic thinking, the data, and even the unexpected tech issues that led to this major pivot in his business. I also explore the launch of his new AI Business Society membership and what it means both for him and the wider membership industry. If you’re at a crossroads with your own membership, you’ll find plenty of actionable insights and thought-provoking guidance in our conversation.In this episode:What were the main factors and turning points that led Michael Stelzner to sunset the Social Media Marketing Society after ten years?How did market changes and the rise of AI influence the strategic pivot towards launching the AI Business Society?What was the process and communication strategy for closing down an established membership, and how were existing members supported during the transition?What lessons has Michael learned from running multiple memberships, and how is he approaching the new landscape in the world of online communities and AI?Key Quotes & Takeaways:"that idea of pivoting, even just a small amount can be daunting. But some of the lessons and some of the things that you've done in terms of maintaining that long term vision, looking for those overlaps and not rushing it, not just cutting everything off and considering it as an entirely new business.""I'm militant about saying no to anything that's not in alignment to my mission because I can't do it all. And those who do it all end up failing.""We at Social Media Examiner believe very strongly to do fewer things well is better than doing lots of things poorly."Thank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast. We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.