The Tumblr Lesson: Thinking Bigger Than Ebooks and SEO
You know, I think many of us kinda get stuck in the typical internet marketing "mold" of just creating info products, getting high search engine rankings, or selling $1 kindle ebooks. I know for a fact I do.
But in reality, I think if we would just take time to sit and think, do some proper research and look around a bit closer...we may have within us something MUCH bigger.
What do I mean?
I was reading this about the story of Tumblr and I could not help but feel inspired...
Tumbling on success: How Tumblr's David Karp built a £500 million empire (Wired UK)
It kinda woke me up to the reality that there is BIG money that can be made if we change from the "infoproduct" or "affiliate" mindset and actually focus on the idea of creating PLATFORMS.
A platform could be...
- A simple, branded, and cool online review site with ratings and reviews.
- A simple website where people plugin in certain info, and get something else.
- A simple program that solves or simplifies a problem.
- A simple website tool that simplifies everyday tasks online for the general public.
- A simple website tool that just makes things fun online (ex.Pinterest)
And no, this doesn't have to be on a GLOBAL scale. It can be "niched down" to thousands of niches out there.
The trick is letting the viewer be involved and to make it "sticky" so people will love it. Make it easy to use. Make the viewers create the content or spread the word. BRAND it, make it stand out.
Let the platform be like fertile ground and let your viewers be the seeds.
And of course, once it grows, there are numerous ways to monetize.
Just something to think about. I know this is nothing really new, but sometimes it's nice to think different about what we are doing, and the possibilities that we have within us if we just take a time-out and think, research, and solve people's problems and/or give them something that makes their life easier.
But in reality, I think if we would just take time to sit and think, do some proper research and look around a bit closer...we may have within us something MUCH bigger.
What do I mean?
I was reading this about the story of Tumblr and I could not help but feel inspired...
Tumbling on success: How Tumblr's David Karp built a £500 million empire (Wired UK)
It kinda woke me up to the reality that there is BIG money that can be made if we change from the "infoproduct" or "affiliate" mindset and actually focus on the idea of creating PLATFORMS.
A platform could be...
- A simple, branded, and cool online review site with ratings and reviews.
- A simple website where people plugin in certain info, and get something else.
- A simple program that solves or simplifies a problem.
- A simple website tool that simplifies everyday tasks online for the general public.
- A simple website tool that just makes things fun online (ex.Pinterest)
And no, this doesn't have to be on a GLOBAL scale. It can be "niched down" to thousands of niches out there.
The trick is letting the viewer be involved and to make it "sticky" so people will love it. Make it easy to use. Make the viewers create the content or spread the word. BRAND it, make it stand out.
Let the platform be like fertile ground and let your viewers be the seeds.
And of course, once it grows, there are numerous ways to monetize.
Just something to think about. I know this is nothing really new, but sometimes it's nice to think different about what we are doing, and the possibilities that we have within us if we just take a time-out and think, research, and solve people's problems and/or give them something that makes their life easier.