Jason Fladlien — How to Engineer a Record-Breaking Marketing Campaign (Backstage Business #6)

Which is more important for marketing: tactics or strategy?

If you said “both,” you’re right. That was a trick question, and you caught me (well done).

Most marketing advice you see online is tactical. It focuses on what you need to do to grow your business. Usually it’s based on what other successful marketers and entrepreneurs have done. And there’s nothing wrong with that!

But implementing those in your business won’t get you very far, even if they come from the best in the world. Because you’re still missing a key piece of the puzzle.

You still need to know the why behind it. In other words, you need to know the deep strategy!

Today’s episode of Backstage Business is one of my absolute favorites — because it’s one of those rare times when a brilliant marketing mind reveals their full thought process behind a wildly successful campaign: the tactics, the strategy, the results, all of it.

And I get to record it and bring it to you, dear listener!

For this week’s interview, I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with Jason Fladlien — one of the top 5 marketers on the planet and the world’s #1 webinar superstar.

Jason has been working in digital marketing since the early 2000s. He was making money selling information products back when hardly anybody knew what those were. He is also the mastermind behind some of the biggest affiliate launches in internet history. In fact, you’ll get to hear him dissect one of those launches on the episode!

Right now, Jason runs a marketing agency called Rapid Crush, where he and his team work with businesses to power their ambitions with the tools, tech, and know-how they need to grow. He also created Webinar Genius — a system that teaches business owners how to create high-converting webinars.

Today’s interview is basically a marketing masterclass taught by one of the best in the world. In the episode, Jason dives deep into one of the most successful campaigns he’s ever done — his smash-hit $10 million affiliate launch. He meticulously examines every tactic he and his team chose and explains why they picked it, what the underlying strategy was, and what results he had.

Make no mistake: this is not an interview about affiliate marketing or webinar marketing — although we do talk about those a little bit. Instead, Jason uses his bestselling launch as an object lesson to show you and me:

  • How he thinks about positioning — whether it’s for his product or someone else’s.
  • How he outsmarts the competition (which is totally vicious in the affiliate space).
  • Which specific subset of customers he focuses on, no matter what he sells.
  • And how he creates an irresistible marketing message for his customers.

And much, much more. If you want to level up your marketing game, this is the episode for you!

(And yes, he’ll also casually drop some of the best advice you’ve ever heard on presenting webinars — but it’s barely 5% of the total interview.)

And now, without further ado, please enjoy this conversation with Jason Fladlien!

Also, don’t forget to check out the show notes for a full list of topics we cover (there are sooo many) and some useful links from Jason himself.

If you liked this week’s episode, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, to make sure you catch the next week’s Backstage Business when it comes out, please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

SHOW NOTES:

Why you should listen:

How often do you hear one of the greatest living marketers discuss the exact tactics and strategy behind their biggest-selling campaign… and in amazing detail, to boot? If you’re a hopeless marketing nerd like me, first of all — high-five. But second of all, don’t miss this episode! Jason talks a lot about positioning your business in the marketplace, creating an unfair advantage over your competition, designing a simple but irresistible sales message, and so much more. Head down to the show notes below to see the full list of everything he and I cover today!

What you will hear:

[00:19] Introducing Jason

[04:56] From rapping Krishna monk to digital marketer: Jason’s story

[09:20] Jason’s first marketing gig and information product

[12:15] “One problem, one solution, one sitting” approach to creating products

[13:20] Jason’s first dive into webinar marketing

[14:50] Finding underserved customers in any market

[16:50] The two kinds of high-paying customers: the affluent…

[19:49] …and the people who are in pain and want their problem solved — for good

[21:14] Start with the solution, not with the price point

[23:27] Jason’s biggest business win to date

[25:50] The strategy and tactics behind Jason’s $10 million affiliate launch

[28:00] Focusing on the 80% of people who say “maybe” — what do they need to hear?

[29:55] “Free luxury”: why Jason built the single greatest bonus package for an affiliate product

[33:40] Balancing the positivity and the negativity in marketing

[37:46] Creating the guarantee that’s impossible to refuse

[40:57] “What poison is my competition pouring in my customer’s ears?”

[50:23] How many people took Jason up on his incredible guarantee?

[52:30] The #1 business question you should be asking

[56:50] The information advantage vs. the implementation advantage

[58:38] The importance of positioning, or why Jason still flies Southwest

[01:02:10] An easy and powerful way to become #1 in your space (anybody can do it)

[01:05:25] Jason’s approach to presenting webinars

[01:07:15] Where to find Jason online and learn more about his approach to marketing

Resources:

Genius Webinars — this system distills Jason’s 10 years of experience creating, presenting, and improving webinars that convert. It’s perfect for any business owner who wants to sell their product or service with webinars.

Rapid Crush — Jason’s marketing agency.

Jason’s website