A few days ago, copywriter Stefan Georgi sent out email with subject line,
“Hang out with me in Scottsdale on Jan 29th?”
Stefan was promoting an entrepreneurs’ event in Scottsdale, AZ. So what’s the primary benefit to anyone on Stefan’s list in attending this event?
Well, it’s right there in the subject line. Getting to hang out with Stefan.
This made me think of series of ideas I got exposed to a few months ago. They came from a certain Stew Fortier.
I don’t know Stew, but online, he bills himself as a “former technologist, current writer.”
Anyways, Stew wrote a bunch of interesting and valuable tweets — a horrible format in my opinion — about online communities and why they die or thrive. The answer:
“A purpose is the primary value that members get by participating in the community.”
Stew gives the example of a community of designers. Designers might want many different things. But a purpose is one specific thing, such as:
* Mentor each other
* Help each other find work
* Invent new typography together
* Give feedback on each other’s work
* Lobby Congress to replace the English alphabet with Wingdings
Stew then gives the hypothetical of somebody in this community of designers proposing a book club:
“If the community exists to help designers get higher-paid work, you’ll know to pick books about design careers. Your core utility isn’t diluted, it’s amplified.”
You might recognize this as the Rule of One from the Mark Ford and John Forde’s book Great Leads. And if you ever decide to create an online community, then as Mark and John write,
“Put the Rule of One to work for you in all your communications, especially in your promotions and their leads. You’ll be amazed at how much stronger — and successful — your copy will be.”
And by the way, as Stefan’s email and most online copywriting communities show, gazing at the guru is a completely valid purpose.
Because purpose in an online community is much like value in email copy. Hard core, practical stuff is ok on occasion and for a while. But more illogical, entertaining, emotional stuff is both more powerful and evergreen.
And now:
Would you like to join the community of readers who gaze at my entertaining and fluffy marketing emails every day? Our purpose is simple — to expose you to the most subtle and powerful persuasion ideas out there. If that’s a community you’d like to join, then click here and fill out the application form.