How would you go about spreading the word about something like this: https://tokyospark.com/ ?
I just launche, it’s growing ever so slowly, but I’m going crazy with the insane lack of reach in FB group posts.
I manage a couple, on-topic, groups with 5-6k members each ( granted, a small overlap)... but when like 30 people see a post... ugh.
I don’t mind good old fashioned elbow grease. Isn’t that the best way?
Thanks!
Really interesting concept, and "probably" aimed squarely at me as I run my own marketing and innovation agency. I'm taking a leap there as it's not entirely clear. Things I'd want to see before committing:
In terms of promotion. I'd try and pick up some PR mentions (offering advice on any Tokyo related, see #journorequest) and speaking gigs. Get yourself out there.
Good luck with it!
Thanks Stu. I think both enthusiast and professionals would equally find value.
Even travelers who want to visit and maybe fall in love with Tokyo and Japanese culture.
A sample... excellent idea. I have a sample entry: https://tokyospark.com/free-sample/ -- and will be adding a sample issue as well (which is a collection of entries).
Cancellation is super easy. You're right, I'll add more info there. The committment is monthly (no annual at this time, but a possibility of course).
Thanks again!
I wouldn’t ask for money right away. Give new subscribers a 1 month free trial. This should increase your conversion rate in the long run.
As for promotion, I would also try influencer marketing. Find people popular among your target audience and make a deal with them.
Or perhaps don't show the paid at all at first?
Just a simple subscription form to get into the free version, and let the free version sell the paid version?
You should run some tests to get a definitive answer! It's impossible to say what will convert better without data 🤠
Good point. ;)
I've contemplated it.
What do you think? A fully free version that that is maybe 20% of the full paid version.
Or a free trial period -- say, two weeks.
Or both? :)
Who are typically the people that would subscribe?
And yes, I don't know how others feel, but the whole FB (and building communities on other people's platforms) thing is not really sustainable.
Some ideas:
Is there a reddit you could post it to?
Use Pinterest - for each post, pull out a useful tip (or something similar), create an nice image with text, add it to a 'Tokyo' board, link back to your website.
What about creating meetups?
Are there expat community type places you can participate in?
Audience would be a few sets:
Travelers coming to Tokyo wanting more than simple "The best sushi in Tokyo" articles
Travel agents who'd like to get smarter on Tokyo
Foreigners living in Tokyo, particularly with the U.S. military (who are here for 2-4 years at a time)
Anyone who loves Tokyo and Japanese culture and wants to discover new things to see and do
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Reddit does sound like a great possibility, but I'm not super busy there and may come across as self-promotional if I'm not very careful.
Pinterest is a great idea. I'll do that for sure.
Meetups... I could certainly do something like that too. On the military bases here there are communities for that.
Thanks!
Thanks for all the great feedback. I've switched to a free email entry that sends a "lite" version of the weekly email and through automation "nurtures" them toward becoming paid subscribers.
And when the free subscriber does want to switch to paid, there's a 7-day trial.
We'll see how it goes, but so far so good -- it's certainly MUCH easier to get people to sign up free.
Now to tweak and polish my automation for good conversion rates. :)
hi, Chad! why don„t u simply run a facebook/insta page and start sharing there? it takes a while to pump a fan base on the 2 platforms, but your main focus will be creating ads and reach your specific target.
this is what i do for a client who runs an online shop and we get around 33% of our sales from that.
Do you mean publish the free content to get views and retarget?
I am also working on adding a free version of the weekly email so readers can get a sample.