It Starts with Passion
Commit to super-serve a small group of people, even if you’re only breaking even, and people will spread the word about you.
Less than a year ago, Kelly Niknejad started TehranBureau.com in her parent’s living room. According to a story on NPR, the site was born of her belief that news regarding Iran was “simplistic and dumbed-down.” She wanted to upgrade that coverage. The site, run on contributions, certainly wasn’t a cash cow. Yet, Niknejad persevered, building a network of contributors both in and outside her home country, who cover topics ranging from politics to the arts.
She didn’t start her business to get rich. The core of her business is a sincere interest to serve Iranians – and world culture – by providing a realistic view of Iran.
Today, TehranBureau.com attracts nearly 20,000 visitors daily, drawn to the site to view unfettered coverage of the Iran’s current political unrest.
While I urge you to visit TehranBureau.com, see the work of Niknejad and her correspondents, and make a donation; I cannot say whether this terrible crisis will lead to her financial success. But I don’t think she cares.
Quoting from the NPR story, Niknejad says, this “makes life meaningful for me.”
When you’re trying to decide what to do or where to take your business, your passion is a critical element in your marketing tool kit. Show a Kelly Niknejad-like commitment to super-serve a small group of people, even if you’re only breaking even, and people will spread the word about you.
If the world wakes up one day discovers it needs what you’ve been serving, you’ll be there to reap the benefits. If it doesn’t, at least you’ll be fulfilled.
I don’t think her intent was “super-serving” in the sense of marketing and she certainly is not doing this to “reap the benefits” in any ordinary sense. It’s funny the way marketing tries to “humanize” people/events that are already human - marketing “strategies” really come down to one thing - “reaping someone else’s benefits for it’s own sake”.
Not sure how to respond to that, Don. Is it wrong to take inspiration from that which is inspirational?
Your assertion that strategists reap the benefits of others for their own sake is pretty cynical. Kelly’s story shows two things. First, if your work is drawn from your passion, it can be fulfilling even without windfall financial rewards. Second, if you fill a void, the people who were waiting for that void to be filled will find you. Like it or not, that’s good marketing advice.