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Thought of the Week

In this Week’s Newsletter:

Up Front: Don’t be Stooopid.

This Week’s Biz Quiz: Will We Stump You This Time?

Strategic Thinking: Strategies of the Grateful Dead

Need Help?: Help is On The Way!

UP FRONT:

Stupidity is Expensive. Don’t be Stooopid.

This week we’ll briefly explore two of the dumbest things I’ve seen this week.

Do these and you’re sure to lose money. Oh—and the shame of it all is that it cost absolutely nothing to be smart.

Don’t be an email idiot.

Check out the emails below and tell me what’s wrong with them:

Give up?

Tell me who these jokers are—I have zero idea who any of these senders are. So guess where they’re messages went?

TRASH!

Did they spam me? I don’t know. Perhaps.

But here’s their stupidity—they assume that I know who they are and that I actually CARE.

I don’t and I don’t!

Some of the smartest marketers do this all the time.

It’s fine if you’re a known brand like ‘Mr. Guru’ and the email comes from him directly. But if his assistant sends an email without making it clear who they’re representing (ie Terry Jones instead of ‘Terry from Mr. Guru’s office’…boom, straight to the trash.

It’s a simple fix which will result in a massive improvement to your open rate.

DELETE!

If you’ve been around me for any length of time, you know this is one of my biggest pet peeves!

Never send an email without context—instead, in the example above, the email should have come from “Terry from Mr. Guru’s office” or something similar.

It costs nothing to do and will improve your open rate dramatically.

As for the 3 emails I showed you above, those senders have all been unsubscribed and trashed.

Next rant…

Avoid the Groupon Fail.

Have you ever noticed that when you use a Groupon (or similar discount coupon or service) that you get lousy service?

That’s just plain STOOOPID!

The idea of giving a new customer a discount/incentive to visit that establishment is to CONVERT the visitor into a loyal, long term customer.

Remember: A customer’s first experience with your brand is crucial. Treat them like gold from the start, and they’ll stick with you for the long haul.

Instead, most places do just the opposite. Instead of welcoming them as heroes and celebrating their first visit, they treat them like trash.

Will you go back? Not likely!

Last week I had a disappointing experience on a tour in Japan. No, I wasn’t treated like trash—quite the opposite. I was on a tour to explore a fabulous location and the promoter went all out with 5-star hotels and great meals (if you like Japanese food, that is!).

HOWEVER—their intent was to show off the area so that we would talk about how great the area is. And the island IS amazing!

OK—it’s Hokkaido and we saw some fabulous things (yes, you should go!!).

BUT…

I really have no idea what makes it so special. We didn’t get much background on the island and the tour, which cost lots of money, missed the opportunity to show us more engaging things and get us inspired.

It was a missed opportunity.

Sure, I’m going to talk about my trip to Sapporo (the big city on Hokkaido), and I’ll recommend Hokkaido (because it really IS awesome!) but I could have been so much more effective for them had they been focused on the end result.

What a shame!

So here’s the big question:

What Are Your Stoopid Blindspots?

We all have them—so don’t think you’re immune!

This week, take 5 minutes to review your recent emails or customer interactions. Are you making these stooopid mistakes? Fix them before they cost you!

Take an honest look at some of the assumptions you’re making in your business. Ask your customers/clients about their experience working with you.

Be sure to tell them to be 100% brutally honest with their feedback. That will help you fix the leaks.

THIS WEEK’S BIZ QUIZ:

STRATEGIC THINKING:

Time to Leverage Fanocracy:

Turn Your Audience Into Raving Fans Who Can’t Get Enough of You

In today’s crowded digital world, grabbing attention is tough. But here’s a secret: the real power lies in creating fans, not just customers. When you build genuine connections, people don’t just buy from you—they love you. That’s the essence of Fanocracy, a concept coined by David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott.

So, what’s Fanocracy? It’s about transforming your audience into passionate fans who want to be part of your world. These fans engage with your brand, spread your message, and become loyal advocates, driving your growth far beyond traditional marketing.

What Makes Fanocracy So Powerful?

Fanocracy isn’t about transactions—it’s about creating a tribe. People don’t fall in love with brands because of flashy marketing tricks. They fall in love because they feel something. When your audience is emotionally invested, they’ll support you, spread the word, and stick around for the long haul.

A Real-Life Example: The Grateful Dead

Take The Grateful Dead. Instead of controlling their music, they did something radical: they encouraged fans to record and share their concerts. This built a community of die-hard fans who felt personally connected to the band. As a result, The Grateful Dead sold out shows for decades. That’s the power of creating fans, not just customers.

Another Example: MeUndies

MeUndies, the subscription underwear brand, tapped into the power of Fanocracy by focusing on comfort, inclusivity, and self-expression. Their fans are so passionate that they’ve shared millions of photos on social media, helping MeUndies grow to $75 million in revenue. That’s fandom at work.

How Do You Create Your Own Fanocracy?

 1. Be Real, Be You: Stop hiding behind a logo and start engaging with your audience personally. People want authenticity.

 2. Create Exclusive Experiences: Give fans early access, exclusive content, or special perks that make them feel like VIPs.

 3. Involve Your Audience: Encourage user-generated content and make your fans part of the journey.

 4. Build a Tribe: Create spaces where fans can connect with each other, whether online or in person.

Here’s the bottom line—Fanocracy turns your audience into your biggest asset. When you embrace it, you’re no longer just selling a product; you’re creating a community that people want to be part of. That’s the magic of Fanocracy.

Now, go back to the first article in today’s newsletter…because you can’t create Fanocracy by being stooopid!!

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Quiz Answer