Welcome to TGIM – Thank God It’s Monday. This is going to be a quick version of TGIM as I am in the mood to WORK.
I skipped TGIM last Monday because after the crazy weekend in Edmonton, I ended up messing up my back bad. I was a cripple for Monday & Tuesday, and thankfully on Wednesday I went for a massage that sorted it all out. However I always find that if I don’t get the week off to a good start then it’s wasted – and that was the case last week, as I just didn’t feel like working.
However the back is better, and I am pumped for this week. I just hope I don’t cave in and buy the new XBox 360 game Skyrim because man is it tempting me, but that will be the end of work for a couple of months.
As I said, just a quick TGIM this week with a couple of links to share and some marketing topics to discuss, then it’s time to WORK:
Link of the Week:
Wikipedia Fundraising Breakdown
This is a huge breakdown of what makes money for Wikipedia in terms of fundraising. It’s very interesting to read as they are extremely open about everything.
It’s also interesting to see how well the pleas from Jimmy do, compared to everything else. I had mentioned previously that testimonials on your website as CTAs might be a good idea – this is more evidence of that. It can really reach people on a personal level, and it is done in a manner where you are always ready to read more.
Make some coffee, and then sit down to read that one.
Lastpass:
If you’re looking for a great password manager you have to try LastPass. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it on here before but I was recommended it coincidentally at the same time I was frustrated with Roboform, and the way they used Firefox 5 to weasle more money out of everyone.
I’m extremely happy I made the switch. From a computer/desktop standpoint it is fantastic – it’s great at sitting in the background and popping out to make your life easier whenever needed. It’s very customizable too.
It’s free, but has a pay version that also supports mobile devices which is a real lifesaver. I’ve only tried it on the Blackberry, but it works for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Firefox Mobile, WebOS, etc etc and it’s only $1 a month too.
Honestly it’s such a great program that I’m not even bothering to look for an affiliate link on there. Everyone should try it – visit LastPass.com to try it out.
Sports Illustrated:
One thing that really blows my mind is when a huge magazine like Sports Illustrated absolutely SUCKS at customer retention. The model of a magazine is simple: subscriptions. Get lots and lots of subscribers, and increase your ad rates. Easy peasy.
Sports Illustrated are great at getting people to sign up initially. It’s an extremely cheap price, and you get a decent free gift like a zip-up fleece jacket, or a bag or something. The majority of people who subscribe are happy – it’s decent toilet reading each week.
But when it comes to trying to keep people subscribed – man, they suck.
First of all, they start hitting you up about 3 months before your subscription is going to end. They start offering you free gifts right away. However if you don’t re-subscribe then the free gifts start getting better. So instead of saying “Oh I think I’ll renew my subscription” it teaches the customer to hold off, because SI are literally down on their knees begging you to re-subscribe, so you want to wait and see how far they’ll go.
Second – the “last issue” stuff. I’m pretty sure my subscription ran out a month ago, yet I’ve received 4 issues since, all with notices saying it’s the last issue. I’ve also received mailers warning me about a “LAST ISSUE ALERT” with big red text on the envelope.
Basically what Sports Illustrated are doing are hurting their own brand name, because they’re telling you straight up: “Our magazine can’t sell itself, so we have so beg you and bribe you to re-subscribe”. By doing that, they’re losing a lot of value in the eyes of customers.
That short-term retention desperation will just hurt them in the long run. Rather than begging customers to stay, they should be rewarding existing subscribers and making them feel valued.
The point of this?
Promote Referback Brands:
Referback are running a promotion for referring affiliates, so I thought I would mention them here in the hope that you guys sign up and make me some extra Christmas cash!
They are actually a really great group; I met some of their top people earlier this year and it was a very productive conversation. I mentioned the whole Sports Illustrated thing because one of the main focuses Referback has is exactly what I mentioned: long-term retention. Their aim is to never have to work on convincing players to keep playing simply because players will never want to go elsewhere.
They do that via great rewards programs, and making every player feel valued. I’ve seen some great retention there in the last couple of months.
When you promote them, I’d mainly focus on Jackpot City Casino and Gaming Club Casino. I’ve found they are the best brands.
And with that – I am off to work! Have a great week guys, and for everyone in the USA – work like a mofo for the next 3 days, then you can REALLY relax and enjoy Thanksgiving!