The New Paradigm That Built a $100 Million Online Business

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Six years ago, n Agora Publishing decided to test a theory - to see whether the same n methods used in running a successful publishing business offline could n be translated into running a profitable online business.

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Did it work?

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In fact, the results n were remarkable - so much so that savvy online businesspeople now refer n to this as the "Agora Model." Even so, the approach seems n to fly in the face of conventional wisdom.

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"Build a website," n they say, "and people will visit that website in droves and buy n your products."

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But people don't n tend to do that. Just throwing up a website with details about your n products and copy taken from your corporate brochure does not appeal n to people's emotions.

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Even if you have n top-10 search engine placements on all your keywords, a website will n bring in only a small fraction of sales compared to what you could be n realizing by using the Agora Model.

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In the Agora Model, n the main idea - the new paradigm, dare I suggest - is that online marketing n works best when:

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• You have a person's n permission to contact him.nn
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• You have already n established a relationship with that person. He recognizes you and n has a sense that he already knows you (to some extent).nn
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• You offer the n person something of value beyond what it is that you would like him n to buy from you.nn
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• When you do n this, the person doesn't feel that you are trying to sell him something. n People online like "being sold to" about as much as ... n well, about as much as they like it offline. They don't!
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Any direct-response n marketer knows that the most important thing in building their business n is to grow their "house file" - the list of people to whom n they are able to communicate.

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In the Agora Model, n this translates into the "e-list" - a list of people (along n with their e-mail addresses) who have given you permission to communicate n with them online.

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You can make a n lot of money in conventional direct response, but it can also cost you n a lot to build your mailing list and to print and mail letters to potential n customers. It seems logical, then, that you should want to build an n online e-list instead. After all, it's almost free to send e-mail - n and the technology you need to build and maintain your e-list costs n next to nothing.

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But how do you n find these people, obtain their e-mail addresses, and gain their permission n to communicate with them online?

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It's not by sending n out sp*m. This approach is unethical and illegal - and it doesn't even n work.

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So the team at n Agora decided to test whether offering free online newsletters ("e-letters") - filled with interesting, inspiring, and useful content, ideas, and n information - would motivate people to sign up to continue to receive n them. The idea was that if people would do that, the three core tenets n of the proposed model would be fulfilled: (1) You would have their permission n to contact them. (2) You would have an established relationship with n them. (3) You would be giving them something of value beyond what you n would like them to buy from you.

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People sign up n for these e-letters and tell their friends about them. Then those people n sign up and tell their friends. The marketers at Agora built their e-lists n with these names - and came up with creative ideas to help source new n e-mail addresses and marketing opportunities.

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The Agora team n now has many successful online newsletters, all contributing to the n almost $100 million of online sales that the companies within the Agora n group enjoyed last year. (This year looks like it's going to be even n better.)

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Most website designers n and Internet experts will tell you that almost every principle Agora n has followed in doing business online should not work.

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But it does. The n Agora Model is known to be successful.

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But can you learn n how to repeat that success?

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Michael Masterson n says it takes about 1,000 hours of practice to become really competent n at just about any valuable skill (copywriting, marketing, martial arts, n playing a musical instrument, etc.). If you have expert guidance from n a masterful teacher, you may be able to cut that to as little as 500 n hours.

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And anyone who n has read of or who practices NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) knows n that copying (mirroring) an expert in any field with the help of a skilled n teacher will help you greatly accelerate your learning curve.

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Watch an expert. n Copy what they do. And put in your time. That's what it takes to become n an expert in anything - including online marketing.

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Start small - but n start now.

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That's what I'm n going to help you do in future ETR messages. In upcoming weeks, you'll n learn how to put the prove Agora Model into action - and how to use n it to start, grow, or expand your own online business.

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