Ben Settle

Came a question from one of my Email Players of the Horde back on March 31:

“Just curious if you’re getting a higher than normal number of cancellation requests considering what’s going on around the globe? We also have a subscription program and we also have a “no return” policy (stolen from you, admittedly) and we’ve been trying to navigate how to handle these requests. On the one hand, I’m sympathetic to their situation, and I don’t want to seem callous but on the other hand, I feel like if you’re a true entrepreneur, you figure out solutions to problems during times like these instead of cutting costs and making rash decisions out of fear. Anyway, just wondering your experience and thoughts on the situation from one subscription model guy to another.”

As far as “Email Players” subscriptions have gone:

We ended up hitting a new milestone number of subscribers for the May issue.

And the ones who did leave desperately clinging to their “OMG Corona!” crutch were wise to cancel.

They were never cut out for it in the first place.

On the other hand, it has been a lot of fun hearing from the winners amongst my Horde who have been using the crisis to figure out whole new ways to make sales, and even create whole new businesses & niches they never would have otherwise.

The crisis is a gift to anyone with ambition, imagination, and character.

To everyone else?

The sky probably does feel like it’s falling.

And they probably should seek the nipple of the government teet or a day job.

After all, it ain’t gonna get easier as we wade deeper into deflation, without access to the easy credit these blokes have had for the past several years… and where relying on social media chest pounding won’t cut it anymore.

That mean ol’ tide Warren Buffet talked about went out in March & April.

And there were a whole lot of buck naked people exposed.

In my world the most ironic ones are those who had been banned from “Email Players” and tried to sneak back in. My policy about not letting people back is clear. I don’t want ’em back & immediately block them. Nor do I care to sell anything else to them in the future, even though it might “cost” me short term sales.

Why?

Because the Dan Kennedy-ism about toxic or unmotivated/lazy/lukewarm customers leaving always being quickly replaced by someone better is a very real phenomenon I have witnessed & experienced over and over and over again lo these last 10+ years of publishing newsletters – both “Email Players” and my old “Crypto Marketing Newsletter.” These blue flame specials trying to sneak back in after being blocked clearly lacked the ambition and/or intelligence to do the work to build a list and find/create an offer and use the info to make the whopping $3.23 per day in sales it costs the first time around, when times were booming with easy access to credit. Now they suddenly think they will magically have their shyt together when times are economically crazy, with deflation on the horizon, where just thinking positive thoughts & reading a newsletter they won’t implement will somehow save them.

Woo-woo positive thinking or temporary enthusiasm ain’t gonna cut it.

There’s a glitch in their thinking & character.

In fact, I noticed a few of these “try to sneak back in later after being banned” types hopped on our Learnistic mobile app service when it launched, thinking THIS will finally be the thing that will make them successful.

But it won’t.

Because those types have never been successful in the long term.

Not since the founding of business & commerce thousands of years ago. Leopards don’t change their spots, and these types have a sickness of the psyche they caught at some point in their lives. And this sickness is like herpes of the online marketing community – that never really goes away, quickly infects those they associate with, and will “flare” back up eventually.

That’s been my experience with those types over the years of dealing with them.

And, I have yet to see a single one who didn’t relapse into quit-and-do-nothing mode eventually.

Thus, they are curated out & blocked from coming back with extreme prejudice.

All right, enough of this.

The June “Email Players” issue is coming soon.

Here’s the link to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Riffing on my insistence this week that building your own media empire is far more important than having talent, skill, charisma, looks, or know-how… actress Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones, X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) made an admission a few years ago about why she got a specific part.

The admission?

This:

“I auditioned for a project, and it was between me and another girl who is a far better actress than I am, far better, but I had the followers, so I got the job,” she said. “It’s not right, but it is part of the movie industry now.”

Her followers were on social media, of course.

A very weak media for business people compared to others, especially for direct selling.

But, it’s still further proof these days it is more about having a media platform than having talent.

Or skill.

Or anything else.

Like it or lump it, we live in the Age of Media. This should be abundantly obvious to anyone paying attention. But what may not be obvious is, if you merge having a genuine skill or knowledge set (i.e., what it is you sell or do) with knowing how to puppeteer media platforms then, I dare say, you almost can’t lose.

All of which is what the May “Email Players” issue is about.

I cannot stress the importance of this skill enough.

In my opinion, it trumps copywriting skill.

Traffic-generating skill.

Storytelling skill.

“Engagement” skill.

Or any other skill.

Own the media = own your business destiny.

And no, social media ain’t owning your own media.

Thus, why I say the May “Email Players” issue — about finding, controlling, and stacking your own media platforms — is the single most valuable issue of the 105 prior issues to date.

If you want to partake of it, best hurry, Scooter.

Deadline to get it is tonight.

Specifically, when I send the list in.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

True story:

Last June I got to talking to my pal Robert Bruce about a novel I was about to work on (specifically, what is now the bonus 8th novel in my Enoch Wars: Omega Edition), and we got to talking about life, business, and marketing as is what always happens. And he was asking about my newsletter, and I told him how I was playing with the idea at the time of selling 3rd party ads inside.

I ended up nixing that idea.

But he told me about a local fisherman up in his neck of the woods who had once started a print newsletter for fisherman.

And, he told me about these particularly interesting facts:

• The newsletter circulation is 5k subscribers.
• Each issue has 21 spots for paid ads.
• Each spot costs $500.
• He has a waiting list of people wanting to advertise in it.

Now, let’s do the math:

Twenty one advertising spots at $500 a pop = $10,500 per month.

Just for writing about his passion to a hot market of receptive leads.

But that’s not even the most interesting part of it all.

To me, the most interesting and important part of it is, his newsletter is his own media platform he has 100% control and ownership of. A platform that reaches 5,000 people each month. That he can say whatever he wants, think whatever thoughts he wants, and sell whatever he wants — without any fear of Facebook, Google, or any other big tech platform de-platforming him, shadow banning him, playing with any algorithms, or telling him what he can or can’t sell, can or can’t advertise, or can or can’t say.

Now THAT is power.

Power only owning your own media can give you.

And having a subscription business like that is just one of many ways to give yourself this power. And it’s not even a mandatory way of doing it. (i.e., the point of this email is not to sell a subscription newsletter — if you don’t see that, then congrats on missing the point of all this, Maynard). In fact, I believe for a lot of businesses, stacking & mixing in more media platforms, that further enhance and compound on each other, could potentially take a 4 or 5-figure business and turn it into 6-figures, 7-figures, and beyond business if done correctly over the course of time.

This sort of “media stacking” is what the May 2020 “Email Players” issue is all about.

It goes to the printer tonight.

After that, it’s too late to get your meat hooks on it.

Here’s where to subscribe while you still have a little time left:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of the “rules” inside my “Copy Troll” book is:

Don’t engage one-on-one with a troll, unless they have a bigger audience than you.

I won’t go into all the reasons for this here.

That is, after all, what the book is for.

But, I will say, even if they do have a bigger audience than you, the best way to engage with them is, instead, via your own Media platform. That way, you can both troll them back without granting them access to any of your audience (like you do if you fight with them directly on social media or whatever) and also profit from them.

It’s something that dawned on me later than I would have preferred in business.

And, when I started reading how the late media empire-builder & squeaky voiced William Randolph Hearst did the exact same thing to grow his business, influence, etc, I tripled down on following that rule.

For example:

There was an incident when he was visiting France where the French did not like him, and wanted him out of the country. And when they told them this, in true Hearst fashion, he did NOT argue with or engage in any kind of shyt-talking directly one-on-one with the French leaders, which he probably wouldn’t have been very good at.

Instead, he wrote an editorial about it in his papers:

(i.e., on his own Media platform)

“I have no complaint to make. The officials were extremely polite. They said I was an enemy of France and a danger in their midst. They made me feel quite important. They said I could stay in France a little while longer, if I desired, that they would take a chance on nothing disastrous happening to the Republic. But I told them that I did not want to take the responsibility of endangering the great French nation; that America had saved it once during the war, and I would save it again by leaving.”

Pure Copy Trolling poetry.

But, I am not bringing this up to sell Copy Troll.

No, I bring it up to show you how to wield the incredible power owning your own Media platforms gives you, as well as one of many reasons it’s good to have your own Media platforms you control, and those you simply use, even if you don’t own or outright control them.

All of which are talked about in the May “Email Players” issue.

The deadline to get this issue is coming up soon.

Here’s where to subscribe, while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A tale for the business books:

One thing I found extremely ironic was when, last year, writers were shocked & freaking out over California’s AB 5 legislation. Way I understand it is, this legislation caps freelance submissions at 35 “submissions” per year per “putative employer.” Considering paid freelance stories go for a paltry $25 on the low end, and $1 per word on the high end, that makes it so anyone who makes their living as a freelance writer in California is pretty much screwed.

If that is true, then it’s just another run of the mill screwball California law.

And, the only reason I knew about it is internet marketers kept incessantly emailing me about it in a panic, weeping & gnashing their teeth about how it’s the end of the world for freelance writers, will soon spread to other states, etc, how I NEEDED to warn my list, yada, yada, yada.

And maybe it is the end for freelance writers.

I don’t know, nor do I care, and haven’t even kept up with the drama.

Why?

Because (1):

A lot of California freelance writers tend to be ideologically self sabotaging going by the ones I have personally known, interacted with, and have observed squawking nonsense from their social justice soapboxes over the years, and overwhelmingly voted for the bat shyt politicians who pushed for this law in the first place. If you are a writer living there and you like that sort of thing, and if you voted for these politicians to help “the children” or whatever, that’s your business. But don’t be shocked when the unintended consequences bite you.

And (2):

I don’t cater to nor pretend to be able to help someone who thinks in terms of just being a “writer.” Especially when there are so many ways anyone with even a smidgen of writing skill (not even talent, just skill) can make out like a bandit… and not only be immune to these kinds of idiotic laws, but probably profit from them.

The kneejerk reaction going on by writers horrified by it all was rather fascinating.

More:

This is also a perfect example of the important difference between thinking like a “writer” and thinking like a publisher.

If you are a mere writer your income is most likely capped due to time & energy constraints anyway.

If you are a publisher, the sky is the limit.

The power is not in your “writing”, but in owning and/or controlling your own publishing medias.

Which brings me to the punchline:

The upcoming May “Email Players” issue is all about stacking media platforms. If you are a mere “writer”, even if you enjoy voting for politicians openly hostile to your business, then I believe it can give you lots of ideas for re-booting that sagging self-sabotaging inner game, and become far more than a mere writer to potentially create a far bigger, more successful, and more secure business for your bad self.

Or not.

If you don’t use the info, and just curl up into a fetal position it won’t help you at all.

Whatever the case, you’ll have to decide soon.

The deadline to subscribe in time for the May issue is almost upon you.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Not long ago, I wrote in one of my daily emails:

“I’d bet green money someone who knows what they are doing with email can make more sales sending a handful of emails they quickly write and load in an autoresponder, dripped out over 4 or 5 days to a list of 1,000 people… than a chest-pounding social media rockstar can make lobbing 100+ posts per day to 100,000 so-called followers during that same time frame.”

This is simply a fact.

Anyone with even a modicum of email skill knows this.

And only an amateur marketer with their head shoved so far up their gluteus bootyus they foolishly think you “need” social media to build a business would dispute it.

In fact, right after I wrote that, “Email Players” subscriber Fotis Chat wrote:

So true. Today i started the “Trolling the feminists” campaign. I emailed my list and copy pasted the message to my Fb page.

600 people VS nearly 3,000

People on the list show their support via donating money. People on social media show their support by liking and sharing.

I expected that much but damn. I pity the fools who feel happy only with social media accounts.

I used to pity them, now I celebrate their ignorance.

Why?

Because technology as well as ideological political/social shifts are happening so quickly, with de-platformings happening so frequently, and with certain new media opportunities popping up so rapidly… that the future belongs not to the lowly “internet marketer” — and certainly not the “social media influencer” — but to the few who know, understand, and consistently apply the importance of building a media business, and not just a [insert whatever the “thing” is you do] business.

I don’t care if you’re a freelancer.

Or a coach.

Or an info-publisher, professional service provider, brick & mortar business, podcaster, seller of subscription offers, or any other kind of small or solo entrepreneur.

Behold the May “Email Players” issue.

I show you not just what medias I use & advocate using, and how to mix & match ‘em, but also — because there will no doubt be new medias created in the future, with current ones taken away — how to think like a multi-media publisher, and not just a seller or doer of whatever is is you do or sell.

It’s the difference between being a chef or the owner of a restaurant chain.

The former can make a good income.

Maybe even get “rich.”

But the latter?

Can potentially build lasting wealth, a lasting legacy, and, yes, a lasting empire.

The typical (i.e., majority of) small & shallow thinking “internet marketer” won’t comprehend this. But those with the desire and capacity to think big will. And, they are the only ones who should even think about subscribing in time to get the May issue anyway.

Here’s the link to subscribe to get this issue, while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Back in January, Mike Cernovich wrote on his blog about how a nurse got harassed and doxed (i.e., her private info published publicly) on Twitter.

Doxing is something social justice warrior-types are often keen on doing.

Especially when someone commits some kind of thought crime.

And, from what I can tell, they do it when getting someone de-platformed fails.

But why did they do it this nurse’s case?

What hideous sin did she commit against the Collective hive mind?

For advocating clean living, of course.

Specifically, for suggesting drinking water and going to bed early would do more to help prevent anxiety than going out partying and consuming alcohol, or popping a color-wheel of prescription drugs. She even got death threats and had to shut down all her social media accounts.

Moral of the story:

When trying to get you de-platformed fails, expect to be doxed.

Another moral of the story:

It’s yet more reasons to use, control, and take advantage of other Media platforms besides friggin social media. There’s this weird assumption that you ‘need’ social media, especially when starting out, to have some kind of business presence and it simply ain’t so.

Social media is an extremely fragile business building platform at best.

There are many others to choose from.

And while it’s perfectly okay to have social media in the mix, it’s borderline insane to rely on it.

Or any one media platform, for that matter.

Yes, including email, as Mailchump has been proven quite spendidly.

If you want an A-Z training on how to stop thinking like a marketer and start thinking like a multi-media publisher (on a big or small scale) make sure you are subscribed to “Email Players” before the upcoming May issue.

The deadline is coming up fast.

And once I send it to the printer, it’ll be too late to get it.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Not long ago, my woman sent me a screen shot of a burlesque dancer who had a huge Instagram following whining about how her account got abruptly shut down.

One day she’s living high on the hog selling to thirsty cucked men.

Then, just like that — poof!

Gone like a fart in the wind.

I don’t remember the reason why, or maybe she didn’t even know why.

But she had something like 125k followers.

Many of them thirsty men who pay her to show ‘em some skin or whatever, and she spends a lot of time on other platforms crapping all over men, complaining about how loathsome men are, how evil men are, yada yada yada.

I am guessing someone reported her.

And, in typical social media knee-jerk reaction, the platform decided to pull the plug.

The amusing part is she is one of the first to try to get other people de-platformed with her idiotic politics and virtue signaling. Thus, in her case, I not only have zero pity for her, but I found it entertaining to think of the fallout. And she ain’t the only one this has happened to. I’ve seen videos from other so-called “influencers” going into full-on meltdown mode when losing their platform and, thus, their income, for any reason or no reason at all.

I can only imagine how they are holding up now, since the economy went nutty.

The point of bringing this up?

There are two points:

First, there are few things more astounding — as far as people being small thinkers go — than these influencers with thousands of followers being shocked & going into freakout mode when they suddenly get de-platformed from wherever they make their money.

It’s not like they haven’t seen it happen to others.

Or, in some cases, even cheered it on.

And secondly:

Pretty much all of them foolishly never bothered to learn anything but how to show their natural talent, big bewbs, charismatic personality, or generously-stamped passports taking selfies next to indigenous people for that almighty social media Virtue Signal to show the Facebook likes brigade.

Natural attributes that help you sell are great.

And, it’s the height of stupidity NOT to use them.

But it’s even more stupid to rely ONLY on them.

And in all their cases they simply used their natural attributes to get enough influence to get people to pay them just because they exist… without understanding the limitations of those powers.

The villainous Carl Van Loon in the movie “Limitless” sums it up best:

Your deductive powers are a gift from God or chance or a stray shot of sperm, or whatever, or whoever the hell wrote your life script, a gift not earned. You do not know what I know because you have not earned those powers. You’re careless with those powers. You flaunt them and you throw them around like a brat with his trust fund. You haven’t had to climb up all the greasy little rungs. You haven’t been bored blind at the fundraisers. You haven’t done the time in that first marriage to the girl with the right father. You think you can leap over all in a single bound.

And so it is…

Anyway, all the more reason to never rely on one platform.

Not social media, not iTunes, not Amazon, not the Apple or Google app stores, and not even email.

Yes, that email platform you use ain’t immune to this, either.

Just ask Alex Jones & Stefan Molyneux (both de-platformed by Mailchimp).

And if that doesn’t wake you up, “Email Players” subscriber Ken McCarthy told me about someone he knows who had her Yahoo email address she had for 20 years (yes, a free yahoo email address) taken away for thinking the wrong thoughts and writing books saying the wrong things.

Ain’t no platform 100% safe.

But, you can put the evens in your righteous favor by learning how to combine multiple media platforms — including platforms you probably have never thought of using, much less even heard of, in some cases — so if you’re shut off from one, you have others to pick up the slack and everything is status quo.

Enter the upcoming May “Email Players” issue.

It’s all about this topic.

Not only what’s possible, but what I do myself with multiple medias, if’n that interests you.

To subscribe before the deadline, go here immediately:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Next week I am publishing what I believe to be the single most valuable “Email Players” issue of the 105 prior issues so-far published.

And the reason why is because it’s about building your own media empire.

This is not only mandatory knowledge for anyone who wants to compete and conquer in what I believe the new Internet (Web 3.0) will be… but also for anyone who wants to simply protect themselves from this insane economy being run by even more insane bureaucrats, incessant de-platforming, social media algorithm shenanigans, privacy debauchery, and from having a business relying on an ever more intrusive big tech industry openly hostile to small businesses and solo entrepreneurs of all stripes.

The irony:

The model for how to do it is not Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Zuckerburg, Murdoch, etc.

It’s someone who’s been dead for 70 years:

The infamous newspaper mogul & media “emperor” William Randolph Hearst.

For example, take this snippet from his excellent biography “The Chief”:

[Hearst] built the nation’s first media conglomerate by extending his newspaper empire horizontally into syndicated feature, photo, and wire services; magazines, newsreels; serial, feature, and animated films; and radio. . .The opportunities were limitless for expanding his empire — and his audiences — and he capitalized on every one of them.

Decades before synergy became a corporate cliche, Hearst put the concept into practice. His magazine editors were directed to buy only stories which could be rewritten into screenplays to be produced by his film studio and serialized, and reviewed, and publicized in his newspapers and magazines. He broadcast the news from his papers over the radio and pictured it in his newsreels.

This is what the May 2020 “Email Players” issue is essentially about.

Just “modernized” and adapted to my wily ways for using email and other media, and how to use them to potentially & exponentially “up” your sales, your influence, your business’s economic security, and your ability to leave your “mark” on the world.

A tall order?

Is there any other kind?

Whatever the case, the deadline to get this issue is coming up quick.

Here’s where to subscribe while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle