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Uncovering The Mailing List Lie (Required Reading)
Article posted on Wednesday, June, 16th, 2010 at 8:35 PM
Unfortunately in our industry, you are regularly lied to and given information that simply isn’t true. (Usually by people who have no idea of the truth and are copying what they have heard elsewhere)
One such lie is that you need a huge mailing list of thousands of people, to be able to achieve anything or to make good money online.
Simply put.. That’s bulls**t and misleading and I am going to show you why.
Let me give you an example.
All my life I have loved Porsches. Something about the lines of the car grabbed my attention even as a child.
Naturally, when I open the paper and see a picture of a Porsche (or most sports cars for that matter) I take a second to read what the article is about.
This particular article was about the new Porsche 918 Spyder. It is a concept car which was unveiled in Geneva during a recent motor show.
What the hell has this got to do with internet marketing? I hear you ask..
Well, as I read the article, I learnt that this car was purely a concept car. To manufacture it’s unique parts, Porsche would actually have to retool some of their production plants to make it possible.
Hence why it is named a concept car rather than an actual production car.
The interesting part of this story however is that despite these technical difficulties and the huge cost, this car is likely to go into production for real.
Why?
Porsche has so far received just over 900 orders world wide. Not set in stone orders, but simply serious expressions of interest worldwide.
Porsche, like many other car companies have a threshold that they stick to. A threshold that once reached, means they automatically go into full blown production of the car, concept or not.
“We need 1000 seriously interested people” Porsche said.
What is incredible to think about is this, they only need 1000 serious expressions of interest. With all the millions of people in the world, how many fans are there that would be seriously interested in Porsches new super car? I don’t even want to guess but I bet you it is in the tens of thousands.
Porsche recognize that just 1000 serious enquiries is a strong enough business case for them to change their production plants and spend millions making a concept car into a reality.
Now, how does this apply to you?
Well, you are always told to chase big numbers, millions of subscribers or sign ups or sales. So many people become casualties of staring at this seemingly unconquerable mountain and giving up before they have begun.
This is a mistake.
Rather than focusing on pleasing everyone and adding thousands of subscribers to your lists, you should focus on something far more powerful AND easier to achieve.
Focus on creating Fans.
Let me explain why and share with you what they DON’T tell you..
Think about it. We are all fans in multiple ways. I know there are certain actors or musicians who I will spend my money on regardless of what they put out, because I am a fan.
I love movies and you could say I am a fan of blue ray’s. I certainly spend a huge amount of money throughout the year on them if you add it up.
The thing that makes fans awesome is that they do two things differently.
First,
They buy with pure emotion.
Do you ask yourself if you need that new album if you are a fan of the artist? Of course not. You buy it out of pure emotion.
Secondly,
As fans, we keep coming back.
We spend more money, more often because our fan mentality kicks in. The lifetime value of a fan (LTV) is MUCH higher than that of a simple subscriber.
Over the course of an entire year, we spend substantial amounts of money on the things we are fans of, and we don’t whine, moan or ask for refunds. We LOVE buying these products and hand our money over with a smile because as a fan, we “just want it”.
Think about Apple products as an example. They sell out immediately.
The iPad experienced worldwide shortages (like the iPhone before it) because fans queued up all over the US to get one as quickly as they could. People camped out all night, stood in line and handed over cash with a smile. All because they were already sold before they even saw the product.
Apple do a great job of marketing to us and packaging their products in such a way that we feel proud to own them. They concentrate on creating fans.
They don’t however focus on creating a product everyone will be in the market for. They understand that you can’t be all things to all people. Many people hate Apple or think they are overpriced, but the point is we are passionate about it, we are either fans of their products, or fans of something that competes with them.
This is what we need to strive for with the people we communicate with in our business.
Never try to appeal to everyone. Instead focus on doing what you are passionate about as well as you can.
I can’t ever be all things to all my customers. If I try, I lose credibility. Instead I focus on providing the very best experience to people who like who I am, and what I do.
Be as cool as possible to your fans, don’t focus on making money from them but instead focus on giving them what they want. If you do that then the money will come. (and your fan base will grow!)
Let me give you some interesting numbers that are WAY smaller than the ones you are told about by everyone else..
An average fan spends $200 a year on purchases relating to what they are fans of.
So, with that in mind, if you can find 500 people out of the millions worldwide that become fans of what you do, by being seriously cool to them and giving more than they expect, you have the beginnings of a six figure a year business.
(500 fans spending $200 a year = $100,000 a year)
Out of all the millions of people in the world, you don’t need tens of thousands. You don’t need a massive list to make six figures a year like you have been told by other internet marketers. You simply need 500 people who become fans of what you do!
Now that’s an approach I like!
Why?
Because how much easier is it to really deliver to 500 (or even 5000) true fans of what you do?
Focus on giving them amazing free content, sharing advice, solving their problems and be happy knowing, as a fan, they will keep coming back, buying your products over and over again.
They will spread the word to others about you much more actively than normal subscribers, and they will more than likely spend enough with you throughout the year to take your business to the six figure level.
What is even better with this approach is that you will have the real reward of seeing your business become more successful as you genuinely help other people. That is worth even more than the money you will make by using this technique in your business!
So, forget subscribers. Instead focus on creating fans.
They may be smaller in number, but by focusing on your business in this way you can dramatically change your life. (And theirs at the same time!)
Speak soon,
Josh Bartlett
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WHO IS JOSH BARTLETT?
Josh lives in New Zealand. He makes a full time living as an Internet Marketer, Software Developer, Business Coach & Writer. When he is not working, he loves to spend time at the beach, travelling the world & sharpening his skills.
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Wow Josh, two posts in as many days – you are really spoiling us!
You raise another great point and I believe the “list building lie” has consumed all of us at some point.
I had become too focused on adding numbers to my list rather than “fans” and it proved detrimental to my business overall.
In fact, I have deleted almost HALF of the “subscribers” on my list in the past four weeks because they are completely unresponsive and I am now trying my best to nurture those I have left.
I suspect I will be building my list at a slower rate for the time being but I’d rather add high quality, responsive fans who actually want to hear what I have to say rather than multiple numbers who couldn’t care less.
Good stuff again, keep it up.
David
David Walker´s last blog ..Free Live Training: Wednesday 16 June
Hi Josh,
I agree with your sentiment, but I think this is kinda wishy washy and rather idealistic.
I agree that fans make for more powerful customers, as opposed to the generic “subscriber” , but there’s a few things you need to consider:
Apple (and any other global giant brand) creates fans because of the nature of the product. The reason why people attach themselves to these brands is because it helps them create identity and influence over others.
And because the brands are used by everyday people, you can relate to others more freely when “showing off” your latest product you’ve bought from the company.
With niche markets and products, the context is a little different. The brands you stick by are more personal to you as a buyer, and not something you do for social status or credibility/identity.
In other words, I would defend people like John Reese and Marlon Sanders till the cows come home, and I would already be predisposed to their material (which is what you’re getting at), but I wouldn’t blindly buy their stuff because I love them or their companies.
Why? Because I’m not buying for social approval. I’m buying for practical use. I’m using logic as well as emotion to make my buying decision.
I’m a fan of Apple, but I only own Itunes and an Ipod. That means I buy products based on my needs, not “just because.”
And when I do buy products from these brands, it’s usually because everybody else is buying them. That’s the TRUE power of a brand, and having fans to spread your message.
So I totally agree with your message, but I also think it’s a bit of a grey area to say “create fans, not subscribers” because ultimately, fans, at best, will be your own marketing department… but not necessarily your on tap money fountain.
Nick Brighton´s last blog ..Why, Why, Why, Why, Why?
Hi Nick,
I went to your 5 x Why and that is exactly the type of questions that I have been asking myself. In fact I have started to unsubscribe from the many opt in’s that I became a subscriber of and after my opting in I read the privacy wording below, however I am finding myself getting bombarded by all these people with so many offers –reading each and every one of them takes my whole day , so in reality I have figured all for myself that this Internet marketing isn’t for me. I will teach myself how to do Internet marketing without ever opting in.
For crying out loud, there are so many great DVD’s and other material available at my local library that teaches me at my own pace without the hype of do it now buy it now etc. In the end I am the loser.
Look Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Citroën automobiles or the Apple or any of these product companies don’t simply shove themselves into my face, rather I am a fan of these products and that when I am ready to make a purchase I just verify my budget as well as my need and or if money were no object just order any one of these products with no pressure.
I find that list building is a Bollony , the harder I try the worse it gets and also trying to build my list all my focus is shifted from the actual learning curve as well as putting into practice about CPA and the Internet marketing strategies.
I think that as soon as the marketers find out that this is a newbie, they just go full fledge in sending out offers week after week.
I will still stay subscribed to a few like Josh Bartlett (Pear).
Hey Nick,
Thanks for taking time to write your comment.
There is an important point I think you might of missed during your first read..
This is in no way idealistic, it is they way I have built my company and works in the REAL world.
I agree with your comment, we buy brands such as Apple because of social credibility and identity etc.
But, notice that in my post I point out that its not about building fans because fans just buy for the sake of it, (they dont) I point out, give people what they want, fulfil a need or solve their problems and they will buy and because of that, will become fans.
So, when I say “Create fans, not subscribers” what I mean is, gear your entire business and marketing towards doing something that creates a fan rather than a subscriber. If you focus on creating a subscriber, all you focus on is getting the opt in. To gain a fan you need to give true value.
Thats the difference, and thats why it works.
Thanks again for your comment.
Josh
Josh,
this is a great post and a really good example of what you can achieve with just a small handful of followers.
thanks for the post!
i hope to hear more from you soon
I’m glad someone taught me about the “list building lie” before I really got into it. One of my coaches has a list of 18,000 people and he was kind enough to send an e-mail out to the list for me and we got 4 clicks. The relationship is definitely the important part.
Adam Teece´s last blog ..How To: Easily Create Memorable Affiliate Links with Thesis 1.7 and Wordpress
Hey Josh,
You bring up some great points here Zealander. I guess once you get to the point that you drive down the road and paparazzi are flashing lights at you…well, maybe you got to the point you have too many fans.
Thanks for the refreshing look at list building.
Brandon
TheInfoPreneur´s last blog ..What is Your Why: The 1 Post to Watch This Week
hi Josh
If only these truths were exposed earlier on to newbies
it would of saved a lot of time and wasted effort.
Creating fans is more engaging.
This concept is often overlooked,
in fact it makes loads of sense.
As a big music lover, I get more out of an artists who engage with their fans,what ever industry your in this rings true.
The comment by Adam is Concerning.
Cheers Mick
MicK Fallon´s last blog ..Ed Dales Thirty day challenge is now open all year round.
Hey Josh,
Great post on list building. We’ve all been programmed by all the emails we get that we need to build a bigger list. We all fall into the same trap, I know I did. I’m all for the bigger list but only if it’s a responsive one.
Most of the list building strategies are geared towards building a huge list and not on building one that is highly responsive. I know that most of the people on my list could care less what I have to say, they’re just there because I gave away a nice freebie to get them to subscribe to my list. I can almost guarantee that most marketers lists are the same as mine because that’s the way we all were trained.
It’s up to me to figure out a way to get more people interested in what I have to offer as opposed to seeing how many subscribers I can get.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Jeff Sargent´s last blog ..Five Steps to Building Your List With Giveaways
Josh, I really inspiring content here. I love the “I can do this too” approach. Much more manageable too.
Now, what about “testing” content out to see how people respond? What systems do you like for that?
Ex: Blog content, videos, a series of posts?
-Lawton
lawton chiles´s last blog ..26 Hours of Video Are Uploaded To YouTube Every Single Minute!
There is nothing like simply paying attention to your target audience and asking them what they want.
Too many people do this backwards. They look for where they believe they could make money, go into that niche, try to become an overnight master in it and try to appeal to everyone.
That is a**ed backwards.
What people should do, is do what they love, let that guide them to their niche, stand by their morals, beliefs and focus on solving as many peoples problems in that niche and delivering exactly what people want.
(But at the same time, don’t try to appeal to everyone. Be yourself, let that create your “brand” and if people don’t like it, they can move on)
For example, its easy to instinctively know that in our niche (IM) so many people are crying out for honesty, REAL answers and guidance they can follow.
But, despite this, people copy the marketers who do it wrong and spread hype and empty promises because those marketers are often the ones most noticeable because they make the most noise. What they should be doing is focusing their efforts in giving the market exactly what it wants and being true to themselves.
My best tip though has always been to actually ask. Sounds simple but it works, do a survey or poll of your list/market and find out what problems you can solve for them or how you can make their life easier.
If you can solve their problem, that is a powerful motivator for them to buy from you. (and it gives them REAL value)
Its what I did with Easy Video Player. I listened to what the market wanted, listened to the problems everyone was having (and I was having) and made a solution.
Josh
Excellent post… and right on the mark. The trick is finding those “fans”!
OK Josh, if you are such a PORSCHE lover… here is a site I now maintain for a client. You need to consider one of his luxury trips to Europe, driving on the Autobahn and all that! http://www.fastlanetravel.com
And, if you contact him, be sure to tell Peter that Christine sent you! LOL
Thanks… looking forward to more posts.
Hey Christine,
Thanks for the tip, that looks like a lot of fun. I will certainly check it out!
Josh
Great post Josh.
It was one of the first things that I learnt as a Newbie that you should have a big list.
I am building mine up slowly, only because I don’t have the time to do it quickly ! I have got a bit obsessed with checking my stats to see if they are using my free products. I can’t understand why someone signs up for an email course and then never open the emails.
I will be doing what David is doing and removing any that don’t appear to be a ‘fan’.
I did receive a lovely email though from a volunteer, who works helping people who have gone through difficult experiences in their lives, and he is planning to have a series of videos aimed at newbies. He came across my free wordpress videos and remarked that I did a good job. I was thrilled because I did put a lot of effort into the videos. I have a ‘fan’, yipee.
Quality not quantity.
Thanks
Chris
Christina Beamish´s last blog ..My Top 7 Free Products for the Thrifty Internet Marketer
I forgot something Josh (please no offense when I said Bartlett as in Pear).
Yes I am a fan of your Video , I planned to purchase it the moment I saw it, however after trying to buy it, there was another up sell my Mike Filsame to get charged for a Mastermind program which is the very thing that I don’t want to have to purchase then cancel. All I am interested is in the Easy Video Player, just to purchase it out right out rather than having a Master mind membership along with the product.
I saw the same product a long while ago and wished that I had purchased it then as it did not have the Master Mind program up sell, also I believe that it was someone else selling this same program not MF.
Miles,
You can purchase EVP and simply hit the support tab in the members area and request a cancellation of the monthly mastermind membership at any time within the first free month without being billed.
Our support team will happily cancel it for you and you will never be billed for it.
Josh
Congratulations on the recognition of your hard work. Sounds like you are already building your “fan base”
You are right, quality is the most important thing when it comes to training.
Good luck with it!
Josh
Thanks Josh,
This post has done wonders for me.
As an Ausrtralian newbie trying to establish an online business from a remote Thai village with unreliable power and internet connections that are often a lottery..the thought of trying to build a huge list was always going to be a real challenge for me.
The list I have is pretty small but I treat them “like gold!” So I will follow your advice and keep great relationships with my list but stop chasing an impossible dream.
By the way I love my Easy video Player
Best regards
Thanks for the kind comments on EVP, I am glad you like it.
It is a relief when you realise you don’t need a huge list. Obviously, the more fans the better, but 500 fans or more is the foundation of a solid income.
My list is smaller than some of the bigger marketers out there but I know from talking to some of them personally, it is often more responsive than many of their lists.
Thanks for the comments,
Josh
Hey Josh,
This is something that EVERYONE starting an online business or running an online business needs to read!
I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit lately. You hear over an over again that the money is in the list….but your point about creating fans is where the real money is.
There are tons of ways to grow a big list…but at the end of the day- they’re just names.
I think if you’re in this for the long haul (I am)- then you focus on creating quality, building the relationship and acting with integrity.
The rest will fall into place!
Hey Josh, it’s great to have more from you on any subject.
The mantra “money’s in the list” has always felt to me as only a small part of the story – and only part of the story because a list of SOME size is necessary. But ‘it’ is actually in the relationship with that list – 4 clicks out of 18,000 isn’t much use to anyone, as Adam reflects. And the list that I made initially from giveaways returned similar results – essentially nothing.
I believe that we want to attract clients who want WHO we are, rather than WHAT we have to sell. Fashions change, times move on. If we’re just offering “stuff”, we’re not going to stand out. Being authentic and developing relationships with those who want to be associated with who we are is a much more sustainable model to emulate. IMO. David and Adam’s blogs are also great examples of marketers being authentic. IMO.
I have never focused on giveaways or adswaps. (I have done a few at most ever) I dont think they have my subscribers best interests at heart most of the time.
They are very popular and a great way to start when you have NO list but the biggest issue is that you are creating a list of people who expect only freebies and have NO relationship with you and probably have no idea who you are.
I seen this happen countless times to marketing friends of mine and each time I explain why I very very rarely do adswaps or giveways.
Your comment about attracting people who like who we are rather than what we sell is right no the money.
Josh
WOW! I have just became a fan. You are a blessing in disguise. I will change my attitude immediately. I have a list I built, using Twitter, of 16,000 followers and I have no idea what to do with them. I don’t think they even read my tweets. This is my fault of course because I used automated systems to get them to follow me.
You are a breath of fresh air.
Ray
Thanks so much for your comment!
Twitter suffers from this problem a lot. It can be a great way to keep people updated but as a mass marketing tool, its simply not something I would ever use.
Unfortunately many of the Twitter marketing techniques are very very similar to spam.
It can be used to good effect but unfortunately very few people use it in the right way.
I hope to provide you with useful info over the coming months that will help you get more from your efforts.
Thanks again for the comment
Josh
Nice post..
There are lists and then there are lists…
There is no point in having 50K on a list if they never respond, better to have 25 responsive friends!
Where have you heard this before ” You need killer headlines, killer graphics and a killer sales letter”
How many so called Guru products are the same old rehashed BS..
Before I launched blog traffic typhoon, I tested it well and did all the videos unscripted live..even felt shy about asking a good price for it then…
I bought a CB product and the upsell for over $100 and guess what..total rubbish..
Anyways Josh..you sound like one of the good guys to me..ride on man
Thanks very much for your comment Gordon.
Headlines, graphics and copy are extremely important to the sales process but I always believe that the relationship comes first. This is what people get wrong in my opinion.
There are a LOT of self named guru’s out there who should be ashamed, but I do have to say, there are also some who do have peoples best interests at heart.
Maybe I will do a blog post about the people I respect and trust in the industry soon.
Josh
Well put my friend. I have taken a serious step back in my list building. Why? Simply put, it became all too obvious that my list building techniques were not the type of techniques that bring truely interested people. It is so crucial.
One if the hig that was so hard for me to get was that I can be WHO I AM and I will attact the type of personality that is going to connec with me on a deeper level. I decided to make sure I am adding value… First to myself, then give it away.
There are a lot of methods for creating an income in the Internet. Seriously, there are a lot! I, like most, didn’t care how it happened in the beginning. I just knew I wanted the money. Funny thing is that it will happen SO much easier when you are being real with yourself and with the people that you are helping.
My goals have changed drastically. Not my goal to be free from corporae life, but my goal to just profit by any means. Who I am on an everyday basis is a big clue as to the lead generation method that will work for me. I believe it is the same for everyone. if you want to make this a life time goal, you had better be sure that you are doing something you enjoy, and it will be natural to share the wealth.
You can tell who these people are. You know when you are reading someone’s content or watching someone’s video, if they are true to who they are.
Summing it up… It is the quality of your list is directly related to the quality of your value. Successful people are generally quirky and have weird hangups. Kind of like me, and every other person out there. Know who you are and who you appeal to and the rest is going to be a lot easier.
Hope I ended with something of value here. Great post! Thanks for writing. Small responsive list = growing success. Huge non-responsive list = big Aweber bill.
It’s time to clean up, and concentrate on the real people out there.
“be WHO I AM and I will attract the type of personality that is going to connect with me on a deeper level”
EXACTLY Matthew. Well said.
It is no different from real world, offline relationships. Nobody likes false people who pretend to be who they are not.
Be genuine and true to yourself and the rest will come.
Great points, thanks for the comments.
Josh
Hi Josh,
Great information. I have heard both big list and small list. I agree that a small list of fans that open,read and buy sometimes is a lot better than thousands of names that never open your emails would be worthless. I won’t call any names but someone sent an email that he is changing up his emails where they will be ad swaps only sent by someone else unliss I buy his product and I guess get on a different list.
He said he has over 600,000 list and only about 9,000 emails get opened. I can understand that because I am one of the ones that open his emails sometime to see if he has changed anything. Always about how great he is doing and buy this. His is one of the list I am getting off.
Thanks for the great information,
James
Interesting at the most Thank you for sharing this
Claude (from Belgium)
Wow Josh, It’s really great to read what you have to say about the List. I am pretty new to Marketing on-Line and I have about 600 personal friends/contacts in my Outlook database that I regularly send good content to. Usually I’m passing on info about Trainings, Free E-Books etc.
My challenge now is to get them all transferred over to an Auto Responder system and send out a proper newsletter. I am also just putting up my Blog with a CP on it to get more names of people who like what I have to say.
I will concentrate on building a relationship with them and only recommend things to buy now and then that I am an Affiliate of. I do think you are right about the “thousands” of names because I’ve sent out e-mails to List of 40,000 names and only got about 40 “opens”. I think they don’t know me so why bother to read what I have to say……….
I look fwd to more of your posts and I’ll link to your Blog when I get mine up and running.
Blessings, Dazzling Dolly Lutz
Thanks a lot for the comments
600 friends is a great start.
When promoting affiliate products (Which I do VERY rarely even though I get requests on a daily basis) I focus on only promoting products I genuinely think will help the people on my list and products that I myself would either love to use or would of used at some point in my journey.
Good luck
Josh
Hi Josh,
I am a Mini fanatic, so you can keep your porsche ha ha.
Thanks for explain mailing lists so clearly.
I think I was definitely trying to be everything but ending up achieving nothing, quite clearly I need to define the purpose more.
To be honest I don’t even know what my “list” want, which is probably why I don’t get very good results from it.
I am going to start afresh with a new list, so at least this time I know for sure what they want and expect from me.
Someone suggested I try to split up my big cold list, to filter them onto smaller lists of a particular interest so I may also try that too.
Great post, I got lots from it, thanks
Sally
Sally´s last blog ..Alex Jeffreys OTO Interview Feedback
haha, both my wife and my good friend Matthew Wolfe’s (Fellow marketer) wife are Mini fanatics too. I always get scared of the thought of them getting together as someone may well end up with a new car! lol
I personally dont split my list up too much.
A great way to find an angle and find out what people want is to look at your biggest problems that you wish were fulfilled and solved.
We are very rarely alone in our problems, if its a problem or sticking point for you, it will most likely be the same for many people.
Easy Video Player is a good example. I made it for me because I thought using video in a marketing capacity should be more simple and take up less of my time.
Doing that led to everyone asking me if I was going to launch it because they loved it when they saw it and heard about it. They all had the same problem I did.
The launch went on to do over six figures in 11 hours (my first six figure day) and now most of the top marketers in the world use it regularly.
I genuinely DONT say any of that to brag, but to show how one small private problem solved can lead to VERY VERY big rewards.
Glad you liked the post, keep in touch,
Josh
We have built, and consult other successful businesses, businesses structured to PROVIDE impeccable Service and Product to “small targeted Audiences” for 4 decades
New to the Internet these past five Years I could not understand the mentality of Large Numbers and pure Schlock regarding product and information.
The Internet is now providing myself, and select clients, comfortable added cash flow with High ROI from Small selected targeted Markets.
Thank you
Chuck Bartok´s last blog ..How my Alexa Ranking Grew and Helped Grow My Business
Hey Josh,
This is great. I’ve heard this theory being eluded to recently but you’ve put forward the clearest explanation of it. I can finally stop worrying about trying to get thousands of subscribers on my list and just focus on doing stuff that helpful to people and fun to do. Awesome, you DA MAN!
Cheers
Tony
Anthony Murphy´s last blog ..Let’s have a giggle !
Josh,
Details of your epiphany, please? It’s always a quantum leap when we suddenly experience moments of clarity. The whole “1000 true fans” model has always been logical to me, but I’m an old dog learning new tricks. All those years in brick & mortar old school marketing are living proof of the truth you tell. I know it firsthand. And the word-of-mouth we all used to chase (rightfully so) is amplified today with all the far reaching influences available via the web. Looking forward to your continuation of your bright light moments.
I still think EVP is among the top purchases I ever made, by the way. Thanks!
In truth, my epiphany came when I looked at my business and realised I was unhappy with it. It was successful, making a LOT of money and giving me the lifestyle I wanted but I was not personally happy.
I realised it was because I had started to shape it into the “IM business mould”
Immediately I decided from that day onwards I would do things my way and stay true to my beliefs.
I have always believed that giving leads to great rewards. I am a giving person in real life as well as in my business and this was a core belief I transferred to my business.
Thank you for your kind words on EVP. I am very glad it has helped you.
I made it with a goal to make it the best video marketing software product around and make it the very best I could and solve other peoples problems with video. (not with a goal to make a profit) That approach made it very profitable and that was a great lesson.
Josh
Nice post. Coll way to break down the numbers. Fans are cool.
Ted Mauro´s last blog ..Work At Home And Gather Money You Need
Hey Josh,
I really enjoyed your post.
Your “Fan Model” is the logical and very practical extension and application of something that Don Peppers and Dr. Martha Rogers of Peppers and Rogers, one-to-one Marketing Fame, uncovered some 15 years ago when they conducted their seminal market research exploring the importance of developing one-to-one relationships between the buyer and the seller, which became the foundational underpinnings for the entire development of Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
I applaud you for reaching these same conclusions and applying them.
Just to give you my brief background, prior to entering this Internet Marketing arena, I was the Chief Economist for the Assurant Group located in Atlanta, GA. I hold an advanced degree in this subject. Assurant Group is a division of Fortis, a $340 Billion European Insurance and Banking Entity.
While at Assurant Group, I was responsible for implementing and managing the $100 Million Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Initiative, and it was here that I got to know Dr. Martha Rogers (half of the Peppers and Rogers dynamic dual that is noted for developing the notion of one-to-one marketing; please visit http://www.1to1.com) quite well; we used her as one of our primary consultants.
Almost no Internet Marketers (excluding present Company), even today, are utilizing the foundational principals of one-to-one marketing that Peppers and Rogers pioneered more than 15 years ago.
Best Regards,
Ken Yasuda
Co-Founder and CEO
The Yasuda Music Company
http://www.YasudaMusic.net
Atlanta, GA
Ken Yasuda´s last blog ..Welcome!
Hi Josh, I have been trying hard to succeed in internet marketing since 2002 without any success. What you say makes a lot of sense. My business is teaching oral hygiene to people of any age and helping parents and teachers to educate their children in oral health. My teachings are based on Treat Your Whole Mouth, not on the 15th Century disease causing instruction Brush Your Teeth which keeps the dental profession busy doing treatment every day. I have just started looking for fans on Facebook, and hope soon to have a few fans help them successfully and then they will help me to spread the word. PS. I love EVP, it’s magic!
Good luck, it does take time to see success but when it comes, it comes fast
Thanks for the kind comments about EVP!
Josh
Hi Josh
Certainly makes you think, there is so much hype out there and we all get swept away with it, even if we afford ourselves a chuckle at some of the BS dressed up as facts that lands in all our inboxes on a daily basis
Porsche and Apple are both great examples of companies who create products that people aspire to, you don’t need a Boxster or an Ipod but you know they are both great products
Thanks Tony
I really enjoyed your post, Josh. If we take the number of 500 and let’s say that they are not all fans at the moment. By treating them right and not being e-whores they would, over time become fans because they like what we do for them.
So, with these numbers “Success” becomes very do-able! Chasing after the big list of 30K – 50K looks a bit different now.
Glen Wayne´s last blog ..Can I Learn From Product Launches?
What I love about this model and approach is that you can literally spend the majority of your time helping others to the best of your ability and seeing the real impact that has on their lives, WITHOUT charging them.
If you do that, you create fans that will buy from you and that in turn means that you will never have to worry about where the money is coming from.
This means you can spend the majority of your time helping for free because when you do release a product, your fans will be ready to buy from you and you make more money as a result.
Josh, I totally agree! I have been in the food and beverage industry for close on 30 years and the one thing that sticks out in my mind most when building a successful restaurant is that we are what we give away. No, I am not talking about a port and coffee, but that is a gesture of “goodwill” but rather a gift to someone that you hope to see again because you love what you do! Yup, it’s all about service and goodwill.
Hi Josh,
I have to take my hat off to you – a well written blog and very truthful.
I am not off the ground yet – but will take onboard your sugestions.
Victor
Spain
Josh,
Great post! You really put it into perspective for me. We are not trying to convince the whole world. We are simply targeting our messages toward people who dig our vibe and appreciate our expression. By creating such high quality content with extreme value we separate ourselves from the pack that is constantly pushing products. Thanks again Josh for the great post.
PJ´s last blog ..Blogging: Free Internet Marketing Method
Josh,
You put a new perspective on the list. I like it!
As a somewhat experienced marketer who isn’t making a ton of money but hasn’t given up on the dream as of yet, I, and everyone else for that matter, hear from the ‘gurus’ about how you ‘need’ to build a responsive list.
Well, if you’re building that through email/adswaps/giveaways, basically what you are doing is attracting people looking for the ‘easy’ button and will spend $7 or $17 occasionally but not consistently.
I like the way you put it…build a list of fans.
People want to get great content and value from your information and when that happens, you don’t need a list of 100k to make a living. Simple.
BTW, as a few have said and I will echo, EVP is probably one of the easiest pieces of software I have used. THANKS!
Keep up the great work and I am looking forward to more of the same from you.
Hello Josh,
A good post and I would say that what you are getting at does coincide with what some of the best internet marketers do which is try to really help their subscribers and provide as much free (and useful) information as possible. Many marketers, as you said, think that as soon as they have a list they can send out multiple offers and people will buy, but it is vital to build a proper relationship with subscribers so they begin to trust you, and I guess that approach would tend to make the subscribers ‘fans’ in a way as they would be pre-disposed to firstly read your emails (as opposed to trashing them) and also much more likely to consider buying from you on the occasion you did send offers.
I think there is a point in a subscriber relationship where you could probably begin to describe someone as a fan if you had built a high level of trust and loyalty.
Your post has certainly got many people including myself thinking about this.
Regards
Dave
Dave Smith´s last blog ..Make Money Using Private Label Products In Internet Marketing
Josh
Some real words of wisdom here – so much bette to have a handful of ardent loyal fans than hundreds of non-interested subscribers who signed up for the initial freebie or offer and then dont read anything further so no matter what value you deliver they dont give it a chance as they dont see it.
This is obtained by delivering true value from day one and engaging with your readers and delivering things that add value and are what they want/need. That is exactly what I have seen you do with your customers and lists and is a great example to the rest of us. Thanks for leading the way, Tom
Tom Harvey´s last blog ..Video Marketing – Anatomy Of A Successful Affiliate Campaign
Hi Joshua,
Long time no speak! Great post and I can’t agree with you more. As a long term developer in the gaming field our users love nothing more than to be heard and appreciated. Understanding that everyone cannot be pleased is a huge learning step for many developers and can be a tedious tinkering process.
Keeping your users in a tight knit community of fans is not only a great way to increase sales but it also becomes an addictive prospect as users can relate with others and broaden the approach of the use of your product.
Thanks again Josh, will have to catch up soon.
Tom Starkie
http://www.onlinegamingnetwork.net
Managing Partner