Marketing podcast with Mike Stelzner (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen)

For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I interviewed Mike Stelzner – founder of the wildly popular Social Media Examiner and author of Launch – How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition.

Mike uses a no nonsense and pretty matter of fact approach to describe one of the most powerful ways to build a business in the new marketing reality we live in. Mike’s Elevation Principle Formula pretty much sums up what many successful marketers are doing these days – whether they realize it or not.

The formula GC + OP – MM = G or Great Content + Other People – Marketing Messages = Growth. The concept of content as a core marketing strategy is one that most business accept anymore, but the addition of other people to systematically spread the word and the subtraction of blatant marketing messages is what trips many up.

Once you start producing great content (or perhaps even before) you need to actively build a network of folks that might take an interest in helping your spread the word. Like it or not this is done best by first figuring out how you can help them meet their objectives. Take an active interest in the needs of your network and you’ll find that they will take an active interest in your objectives as well.

There’s nothing that complicated about Stelzner’s formula, but simple and easy are not the same thing. This approach takes work, every day, but it’s one of the most powerful and profitable way to build a business.

You can listen to the show by subscribing the feed in iTunes or a variety of other free services such as Google Listen (Use this RSS feed) or you can buy the Duct Tape Marketing iPhone app. (iTunes link – Cost is $2.99) or