No Matter How Far You’ve Gone…
Filed Under In General, Keep In Touch | 34 Comments
Image credit: cc Crystl (not me!)
~Turkish Proverb
It’s still surprising when Life tosses me an opportunity for a rethink (but at least I’ve stopped ducking or dropping them, eh?). Now, I see them coming out of the corner of my eye and field them easily, being sure to keep my eyes and mind wide open for what I know comes next— <switching metaphors> Signs pointing in a new direction. Read more
Making a Million With 1000 True Fans: Be a Toll Booth on the Information Highway
Filed Under In General, Keep In Touch | 27 Comments
Yesterday I introduced Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans concept of supporting yourself comfortably with a relatively small collection of avid followers. The idea has both skeptics and cheerleaders, there are valid arguments on both sides, and Alexandria Brown is proof that it’s possible. Also, I admitted I can be a Hater, explained why writing this series is critical to my business karma, and noted these are not sponsored posts.
You might want to read the series intro first if you haven’t already.
cc Ian Muttoo, courtesy of Flickr
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating” and I had plenty to nibble on when evaluating straight-from-the-source info that Alexandria Brown earned $2,000,000 in 2007. This post assembles details from her current sales pages and my notes from her Top 10 for 2008 teleseminar to demonstrate how a solopreneur can make $1 million USD with fewer than 1000 True Fans.
My figurings revealed big money in selling information (no surprise there), the mad cash that comes from selling access to information, and the potential in leveraging vendor access to subscribers…those last two caught me off guard. Read more
Making A Million With 1000 True Fans: Case Study Intro
Filed Under In General, Keep In Touch | 16 Comments
One true fan — cc Heraklit, courtesy of Flickr
The idea of supporting yourself comfortably on the proceeds from 1000 True Fans may sound loopy, but the math is straightforward. Get $100 a year from 1000 people and you’ll earn $100,000 each year.
The theory has its inevitable skeptics and hesitants, but Seth Godin believes it’s a concept worth restructuring a business around. Both positions call for a deep think, and it’s also important to ponder collecting a fanbase and improving customer experience.
Because although the math is simple, the execution of a 1000 True Fan Plan can be complex. Surviving and thriving on 1000 True Fans means: Read more
The Holy Grail of Swag
Filed Under Keep In Touch | 15 Comments
Capella University dishes out fabulous freebies. When I look over the swag (free promotional stuff) they’ve shipped, it seems they’re tuned in to the needs of their learners.
But a keen understanding of their demographic doesn’t equate to knowing diddly squat about me. So while their freebies score 100% on the IttyBiz Test of Great Swag, they’re at 25% with Crystal. Read on for what Capella sent, which item was head and shoulders above, and what this means for your business promotions. Read more
Optimizing the Power of Free
Filed Under Keep In Touch | 6 Comments
Swag: any corporate/branded merchandise given out for free to promote the company/brand (urbandictionary.com, #5)
Giving away stuff with your business name on it is a standard promotion tactic. Current customers and potentials will accept whatever goodies you’re handing out with glee. But wielding the power of free can easily demolish our tiny promotion budgets, so read on for tips on giving the right things to the right people. Read more
Manage Customer Expectations With Your Business Card
Filed Under Keep In Touch, Look The Part | 19 Comments
Sam Leader of Flying Solo offered this story on setting expectations for customer contact: she got an immediate—though automated—company email reply that promised someone would “get back in touch soon”. Months later she still hasn’t heard from them.
She notes her frustration isn’t because they didn’t reply, but because they failed to keep the promise they made. The first (and only) step she offers to avoid disappointing your own customers is
…review what channels of communication you make available. If your business card includes your landline, mobile and email, then you must be prepared to handle all interaction that follows.
Full feed updates
