228: The Instagram Growth Playbook That Changed Everything
2026/02/27 | 16 mins.
I've been producing Instagram content for a long time and we haven't seen that much growth. Some posts would hit, most wouldn't, and I had no idea why. Then I discovered a tool that changed everything. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the exact system we now use to grow on Instagram. It starts with one hour of research per month, a weekly testing rhythm, and a collaboration strategy that gets 47% more reach. I also share a real example where I analyzed a client's competitors during a VIP day and found that 18 out of their top 20 posts used one specific format. The patterns are there -- you just have to look for them.
In this episode, you'll learn: • How to use Sort Feed (a Chrome extension) to find what's already working in your niche • Why monthly research + weekly testing beats random posting every time • The micro-testing framework: change one thing per week and track results • How name drops and collaborations expand your reach (with real examples) • Why we publish three posts a day and how that accelerates learning
📥 RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me
CONNECT WITH STU: • Website: https://stu.me • Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz • Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren • Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me • Membership.io: https://membership.io
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227: 3 Marketing Lessons the Olympics Just Taught Us
2026/02/25 | 19 mins.
Canada vs. USA for hockey gold. The whole country stopped. Schools turned on projectors, churches delayed services, restaurants opened two hours early. And buried inside that moment are three marketing lessons that can change your business.
If your marketing feels flat, if engagement is low, if you're doing tactics that should work but just aren't, this episode breaks down what the Winter Olympics taught us about selling, community, and the surprising power of doing what you actually enjoy.
In this episode, you'll learn: - Why the backstory behind your offer matters more than the offer itself - How community creates momentum (and a real example from inside our program) - Why Norway -- a country of 5 million -- won more Olympic medals than the US - The "joy is a strategy" principle and how it applies to your marketing - A simple exercise to identify which marketing activities you should go all in on
📥 RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me
CONNECT WITH STU: • Website: https://stu.me • Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz • Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren • Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me • Membership.io: https://membership.io
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226: One YouTube Comment Built Her a 400K Subscriber Business - Alex Cattoni
2026/02/23 | 26 mins.
Alex Cattoni was 6 videos in when she got her first comment. She made one video based on that comment - and it exploded her channel to 400K subscribers. Here's exactly how she creates content that converts. Alex Cattoni started her YouTube channel in February 2019 with zero content strategy. Six videos in, someone left a comment asking for a video on how to become a freelance copywriter. That one video exploded her channel. Today she has over 400,000 subscribers, makes thousands of dollars monthly just from YouTube ads, and has built Copy Posse into one of the most successful content-driven businesses in the space. In this conversation, Alex reveals: • Why one YouTube comment changed everything (the origin story) • The reason 1,000 YouTube subscribers beats 100,000 Instagram followers • Her top/middle/bottom of funnel content strategy • The "never recap" rule that's been killing your retention • Why AI generates words, not copy (and what that means for you) • The Claude AI voice guide trick that changed how I create everything
📚 FREE RESOURCE: Get Alex's YouTube Content Funnel Template + Retention Checklist → https://podcast.stu.me CONNECT WITH ALEX: • Website: https://copyposse.com • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexCattoni • Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexcattoni CONNECT WITH STU: • Website: https://stu.me • Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz • Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren • Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me • Membership.io: https://membership.io Subscribe for new episodes every week.
225: More Content Won't Save Your Membership (THIS Will)
2026/02/20 | 11 mins.
Your members aren't leaving because you're not giving enough. They're leaving because they feel lost, alone, or like nothing is working. Here's how to fix it.
If you run a membership, a course, or any kind of community, you've probably dealt with this: people join excited and then disappear within 60 days. The natural instinct is to create more content, add more resources, build more modules. But that actually makes the problem worse. The real issue isn't value -- it's that members aren't experiencing success fast enough.
In this episode, I walk you through a story about one of our clients who completely turned her retention around, and the three specific levers that made the difference.
In this episode, you'll learn: - Why adding more content can actually increase churn - The one thing retained members all had in common (within 2 weeks) - 3 levers that make a community sticky -- clarity, connection, and result - How to build a "GPS-style" onboarding that tells members exactly what to do next - A simple introduction thread strategy that creates belonging fast
📥 RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me
CONNECT WITH STU: • Website: https://stu.me • Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz • Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren • Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me • Membership.io: https://membership.io
Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.
224: The #1 AI Mistake Killing Your Content (And How to Fix It)
2026/02/18 | 12 mins.
Someone I admire dismissed my advice because it sounded like AI wrote it. The worst part? He was right. Here's how I fixed it. I'd built all these AI skills, created great prompts, and was churning out social posts, emails, and outlines. I thought I was winning. Then a creator with a massive following asked me for help with his membership. I dictated my advice into Claude, had it clean things up, and sent it over. His response? "Honestly, it just sounds like a ChatGPT response." That one stung. But when I looked at it, he was right. The advice was solid, but it wasn't me. I'd been using AI like a vending machine. Put in a topic, get out content, move on. But AI doesn't know your voice unless you teach it, your stories unless you give them to it, or your principles unless you define them.
In this episode, you'll learn: - The one mistake that makes AI content sound generic (and most people are making it) - How to build a voice library so AI actually sounds like you - A 5-point context checklist that transforms AI output quality - Why editing for humanity matters more than editing for perfection
📥 RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me
CONNECT WITH STU: • Website: https://stu.me • Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz • Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren • Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me • Membership.io: https://membership.io
Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.
About Marketing Your Business - Marketing Strategies for Business Owners
Marketing Your Business is a podcast dedicated to all things marketing. It's a behind-the-scenes look at the marketing tactics and strategies that lead to a loyal following, growing sales, and a business that gives you more freedom in your everyday life.
Each episode is packed with takeaways to help you get what you have in front of a lot more people. It's about leveraging your marketing to build a business that's high in profit, low in stress, and one that gives you the ability to have the greatest impact on the world.
Join leading online marketing strategist and entrepreneur Stu McLaren as he shares what's working for selling products online with product launches, online communities, email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and more. This is about the marketing that leads to more sales, more profits, and a high-growth business.
But this show isn't just about making money. It's about using the power of marketing to give you more freedom. The freedom to work with who you want, where you want, while having time to travel and do the things that matter. It's about reducing the "go-go-go" stress and redesigning your business so you can be more present in the lives of those who matter most to you.
About Stu McLaren:
For years, Stu has helped experts transform their knowledge and influence into recurring revenue by launching, growing, and scaling 7 and 8-figure membership sites. In 2008, he co-founded the world's most popular membership platform for WordPress (WishList Member). He then went on to partner with New York Times best-selling author Michael Hyatt, helping his company go from a high 6-figure business (with lots of stress) to a high 7-figure business (with low-stress). Michael's profitability soared, his email list grew from 70,000 to over 500,000 and he gained back over 100 days with his family by not having to travel.
Today, he's the Co-Founder of Membership.io, helping creators and entrepreneurs build thriving membership businesses. He's also the author of Predictable Profits, which shows business owners how to create recurring revenue so they can stop chasing new customers and start building real stability.
If you've got an established business and you're looking for ideas on how to get your products and services in front of more people OR you're thinking about starting a business and want to see the behind-the-scenes of another entrepreneur doing it in real time, Marketing Your Business is tailor-made for you.
Listen to Marketing Your Business - Marketing Strategies for Business Owners, BizNews Radio and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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