How Much?

It's been well over a decade since I started my publication MarTech, providing feedback, training, thoughts, theories, advice, discoveries, etc. to my community. It's a free site with a few hand-selected, relevant advertisements and a handful of sponsors.

I haven't built my audience nor my community for the income. I've built it because I love the fact that so many people have been able to find value in my writing and it's helped them to grow their business and navigate this complex landscape that continues to grow by the second.

In the last decade, only a few times have I missed publishing for more than a day. If you peeked at my drafts, I have almost one hundred articles in the works as well. Each time I have a discovery or an idea, I start a post. I research it and mull it over - sometimes for months, and eventually publish them. It's not uncommon for me to get up from bed, open the laptop, and publish before I fall asleep.

That said, just because I enjoy what I do doesn't mean that it didn't come without effort. That it's free doesn't mean that it's not of value or worth. I'm not exactly sure how much, but it is worth something - to both me and my following. Many publications my size have been sold, received investment, hired staff, and made their owners wealthy. I'm not one of those publishers (yet).

How Much?

Each and every day I open my inbox, there are dozens of requests. I get people requesting paid backlinks and I delete them. I get people requesting a positive review without disclosing a paid relationship, and I send them packing with FTC regulations. I get requests from PR professionals that are off topic and make me scratch my head. I get pitches from platforms that are intriguing but don't have any collateral to help me write about them.

There are two requests that get my attention:

1. Business Opportunities - Companies research me, my publication, my community, and my agency, see the value I can provide them, and they seek a meeting to assist them with their business or the promotion of it via my publication. They recognize that I've helped in building technology companies that have resulted in over $6 billion in investments and acquisitions. I'm no slouch and now we just need to get down to work and decide if my compensation will be a good trade for the results I can achieve them. Some will walk away, others will sign a contract. Either way, I'm okay with it.
2. Disrespect - Companies who do not research me or my site often make requests that are self-serving and provide no value to me or the audience and communities that I've worked so hard to build. They send me a link and ask me to just add it to a post out of the goodness of my heart. They set appointments with me to pick my brain and bring their paid consultants on the call (seriously). Or others send me a promotion and ask me to push it. Still, others ask me to support an event or conference but won't invite me to speak at it or become an affiliate of it. The assumption, I'm guessing, is that I'm some millionaire on the beach and my staff will be more than obliged to help them. (I'm in Starbucks in Greenwood, Indiana writing this on a beautiful Saturday afternoon... no assistant).

You Should Promote Me

This morning, I received an email letting me know a company had filled its speakers, had exhausted its travel budget, but since I was a leader in the industry - they thought I would want to promote their event because I write about their industry. In return, they'd add our logo to their collateral.

So, if I might paraphrase:

Hey - we blew our budget with other folks obviously more important than you, but you should help us anyways since you regard yourself as a leader in our industry.

I didn't delete the request or respond rudely. I simply wrote back the following:

Thanks for the opportunity. Given that you reached out, it's clear that you identified me as a leader in your industry that could help move your event forward. As you may have noticed, my publication and following has been built over the last decade - a decade of carefully building trust and authority with my following. Given that incredible investment of my time, I'm curious how much you believe that's worth to both our organizations. With Respect, Doug.

If I receive a response, which I don't believe I will, it should be interesting.

I'm curious if they'll be as insulted at my request as I am of theirs.

Disclosure: Before I get bashed as some greedy bastard who won't do anything without a check, that's not my point here. I meet with people every day in my office, on the phone, via email, and online and openly provide friends and strangers alike with free advice and direction. My point here is the total dismissal of the investment I made in my career and my reputation is insulting.

Next time someone makes a request to you of your time, ask them how much they believe it's worth. The response should tell you all you need to know!