There is a massive post that shook the internet almost 6 years ago.
1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly posted way back in 2008!
Many of you have probably read it but another handful probably haven't even come across the concept at all.
It's quoted by everyone from James Altucher to Tim Ferriss to Seth Godin.
Basically, as a new internet entrepreneur, your goal should be to get 1,000 people to like your material and be actively engaged so that one day they may buy something from you.
They are your fans.
Your evangelists.
You ARE an Expert
So how do you get this group of fans to follow you?
The internet has a massive amount of information, they can already get anything they want.
Why in the hell would they listen to you – some random they don't even know.
Well – because you give them lots of free shit and you SOUND like the expert in the field.
You DON'T have to be the BEST, you just have to have enough knowledge to introduce them to the main concepts that will get them where they need and WANT to go.
Think about your own life – are their areas where you know more than your friends or family.
Maybe it has to do with healthy eating.
Do your parents have less knowledge than you? Would they pay you for what you could teach them?
There are MANY more people online with less knowledge than you in these areas of life.
The problem then is simply finding them.
Plant Seeds to Attract Fans
You know that scene in 40 Year Old Virgin – where Seth Rogan is explaining to Steve Carrell's character how to meet and pickup women. And then he brings up the infamous “seed planting” theory.
Here it is in all its brilliance.
Although crude in its application – picking up women – I got everything I needed from this quote by Seth Rogan.
Listen, when I was growing pot, I realized that the more seeds I planted, the more pot I could ultimately smoke
Many of the things you plant/create will simply die, while a few will produce all the results you need.
It's a numbers game.
So here are things you can plant online today on your chosen topic:
- Udemy courses
- Slide-share presentations
- Blog posts
- YouTube videos
- Facebook / Twitter posts
- Instagram posts
and on and on…
However, a plant, as in real life, is useless UNLESS it is doing one of two things:
1. Producing Immediate Fruits
If the visitor from any of these sources is primed for buying stuff from you – then GREAT!
However, we generally know this doesn't happen immediately.
Like a plant, you have to nurture it, feed it water and sunlight for months before you see results.
Then when it is ripe for picking – you f**k the plant…ummm I mean you pick the fruit
People, like the plant, need to be primed and the fruits of your labor will pay off down the road.
2. Access to Future Fruit Production
More likely from your first 1000 fans – you will be getting access to their attention TODAY and that means SALES in the FUTURE.
This is in the form of things like:
- Their email address
- A Follow on Twitter
- A Like on Facebook
The good thing about these sources (especially for email) is that you have access to their immediate attention down the line.
You post or email something and they see it.
Why Build a Community
Many people that visit this site will have a 9-5 desk job that they commute to every day.
They invest time and they get money out of it.
Their equation for life is 1 = 1. Linear.
There are a few problems with this trade off:
1 – Exponential Returns on Investment
The returns on your time invested should be EXPONENTIAL.
The challenge is that at the beginning – your return on time invested will be close to zero.
Here is what Pat Flynn – the guy who makes $83,000 per month PASSIVELY has to say about the process:
The hard thing about building a business online and passive income is that you have to put the work in upfront, and while you’re putting in that work, you’re not getting paid for it. It’s not like traditional work where you put in X hours and you get paid for X hours.
If you can get past the first months or years of obscurity – you will be well on your way to escaping your desk job for good.
Pat now gets to work 4-5 hours at night and spends the rest of his day with his family.
2 – Make Money at Scale
Related to the previous point – the internet is like a bottomless pit of customers.
If you find the right topic and resonate with the right group of people, the possibilities and growth for your online business is almost INFINITE.
Just see what Pat Flynn has done.
Human Problems Will NOT Change
So what should your idea be?
What should you put out into the world?
The answer. Simply solve basic human needs/problems.
- To be healthier
- To make more money or
- To find more time for their loved ones and themselves
These aren't as glamorous as that next $50M startup idea you have in the back of your head.
But they are tried and tested and the majority of the world STILL has problems with them.
They will get you money but more importantly, the freedom we all desperately want.
If I was to tell you that you would be a lawyer for the REST of your LIFE.
Could you fiend passion for doing it each and every day until you were 65?
What if I said you could help others with their fundamental problems
For the rest of your life.
Which one is more sustainable?
Which one would get you up every morning EXCITED to begin your day?
Helping others obviously, at least that would be my answer.
So why not invest today, plant those seeds and build those 1000 true fans
Join our weekly newsletter below to learn more about building your first 1000 fans.
[chimpy_form forms=”2″]