Many of my clients schedule calls with new members to help onboard them into the membership program. These onboarding calls serve several purposes: To get your newest members engaged in your membership program. To obtain information about the member and feedback about the marketing process. Where appropriate, to upsell members into conferences, products, and/or higher level memberships. There are three … Continued
What do you regret?
Members often tell me, “I wish I had known about info-marketing before; I would have made a lot more money.” I’m always polite when someone says this; however, this type of thinking is a symptom of a larger problem. When we look back on an unpleasant situation in our lives, thoughts like these often occur: I wish I hadn’t said … Continued
Info-marketing sales factor we don’t discuss enough
Few info-businesses have more longevity than the one I’m about to describe. Launched in 1872, it’s 142 years old, predating the telephone and the electric light bulb. You may be one of its million-plus subscribers or never pay it any mind, but Popular Science magazine is worth studying. The point of your and my info-marketing businesses is to provide value … Continued
Your 5-Part Secret Formula for Building a Vibrant Tribe or Completing the Boston Marathon
Nothing could have prepared me for the Boston Marathon. Although this was Kory’s and my first time at the Boston Marathon, I’ve completed four others and Kory has completed five. In the marathon world, we are beginners. I’ve been a beginner throughout my short running career. I’d never run more than a quarter mile prior to 2010, when I was … Continued
Controlling you without you knowing it
Our brains are programmed to fight for survival, similar to other animals. If a squirrel is on the ground searching for nuts, hears a tree branch break, feels a swoosh of wind and then feels a sharp pain in her side, she is going escape by running into the woods, barely thwarting the hungry hawk. What happens the next time … Continued
What to do next
Some people shouldn’t be encouraged. There are many ways to fail in any business launch. The info-marketing business is no exception. You can choose a niche that is too large, under research your niche and launch the wrong product, market poorly, market too little or rely too much on joint ventures—and this is just the beginning of the list. Life … Continued
Radio, Newspapers, Trade Journals, Broadcast Television, and Social Media Will Come and Go: Why Membership Will Outlive Them All
The only sustainable business model for dispensing information is membership. Membership transcends media platforms because it’s built on a relationship rather than on a delivery mechanism. But there’s a lot more to membership than gathering your employees together to announce you’ll now refer to your customers as “members.” There are three basic ways media companies support themselves: Advertising We are … Continued
How the worst can come without warning
I had a job for six years. I started as a bookkeeper and quickly became the company’s controller. Within two years, I had become the director of business affairs. Then I bought the business, just six years after joining the firm as a bookkeeper. I used employment as an opportunity to learn as much as possible. I set up the … Continued
Stop Your Members From Quitting With a Transformation
I had the opportunity to meet with the owners of a terrific direct marketing resource. This resource provides a database that would be a useful shortcut to anyone creating advertising online or through email or direct mail. Yet it’s poorly subscribed to and renewals are low. This resource is being marketed as a library. A repository the marketer can refer … Continued
From debt overwhelm to financial freedom
My wife and I were having dinner in our dining room while the news played on the television in the adjacent living room. Although we weren’t paying much attention, one of the teases before a commercial break caught our attention. “Police shoot dog on Eddie Road! Story right after this break.” My wife, Kory, and I looked at each other. … Continued