Category: Uncategorized

Aiming for Sustainable Blogging: My Quest to Cover Medium Subscription Costs

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Embarking on a Monetization Journey

Less than a week ago, I took a decisive step in my blogging journey by opting for a Medium membership. Before this transition, I was a casual blogger on the platform, sharing my thoughts without the ‘member’ tag attached to my profile. As the years rolled by, I noticed a transformation in the content landscape of Medium. The platform started to brim with tantalizing, insightful, and valuable content, sprinkled generously with practical tips for readers like me.

Hitting the Subscription Button

As a non-member, my access to these treasure troves of information was restricted, limited to only a few full articles per month. The tantalizing urge to delve deeper into this reservoir of knowledge finally nudged me to hit the subscribe button. And so, a week ago, I found myself armed with a Medium membership and unlimited access to the wisdom shared by fellow members.

Engage and Earn: My Early Observations

In the days that followed, I immersed myself in the universe of member-generated content, actively reading, and engaging with the pieces that resonated with me. My comments section started buzzing, reflecting my thoughts and initiating conversations with the authors. This active engagement inadvertently acted as a beacon, drawing more readers towards my blog.

Then came the cherry on top: earnings from Medium’s Partner Program started trickling into my account. While the amount was modest, to say the least, it marked a significant milestone in my blogging adventure.

Daily Dose of Startup Chronicles

Motivated by this initial success, I am now committed to sharing daily insights from my journey as a startup founder. The road traversed by founders is nothing short of a roller-coaster ride, featuring an intriguing mix of highs and lows, victories and challenges, learning and unlearning. Through my blog, I aim to offer you a front-row seat to this exhilarating journey, with the hope that my stories will not only engage you but also offer valuable lessons and insights.

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Inviting You to Join My Journey

The initial earnings may be small, but they symbolize a big leap towards my goal of making my blogging endeavor sustainable, at least enough to cover the cost of my Medium membership ($5 a month). With each day and every new post, I am moving closer to this goal, fueled by my experiences and your engagement.

So, keep those comments coming! Engage with my posts, share your thoughts, and let’s keep the conversation going. Together, we can create a space that is not just informative and valuable but also supportive and engaging. Looking forward to having you with me on this exciting journey!

Like my article? Follow me here.

How an IoT Startup Overcome the Hardships and Monetise Their Business

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In the world of business transformation, there’s a new term on the rise: IoTising, a concept introduced by FAVORIOT. IoTising involves the process of using IoT technology to revamp organizational operations and business strategies.

While this journey towards digital transformation may not happen overnight, it starts with visionary leaders who can champion these initiatives. However, organizations with deep-rooted traditions may encounter internal challenges due to differing cultures and eras. It’s important to note that technology itself is not the primary hurdle; instead, meticulous planning from the outset is crucial to avoid wastage and to gain widespread support.

Let’s dive deeper into this journey through an insightful interview with Mazlan Abbas, the driving force behind FAVORIOT:

1. Embracing Change as a Dynamic Leader

Question: What, according to you, makes one a dynamic leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

Answer: In today’s era of constant technological and business upheaval, dynamic leadership requires agility in responding to evolving landscapes. A dynamic leader is open to unlearning and relearning new things to stay relevant.

2. The Birth of FAVORIOT and Lessons Learned

Question: What led to the formation of FAVORIOT? What role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

Answer: FAVORIOT’s inception in 2017 was inspired by a trip to Silicon Valley in 2016, where the potential for visionary ideas became evident. Initially, we aimed to monitor Senior Citizens using IoT wearable devices and mobile apps. Looking back, we realized our strengths lay in the IoT platform we built. We could have tapped into the education sector earlier before expanding to business and corporate customers.

3. Overcoming Challenges and Ensuring Client Satisfaction

Question: What has the journey been like for Mazlan Abbas over the years? Looking back, what would you have done differently when starting?

Answer: Often, technology isn’t the main obstacle; it’s convincing people of how IoT can transform their businesses. FAVORIOT, as an early IoT Startup, faced the challenge of accommodating diverse customer needs. We should have targeted the education sector sooner before moving up the value chain. It’s essential to educate customers through training and webinars, align with their business goals, integrate with legacy systems, and focus on data for new revenue streams, cost savings, and better insights.

4. Advice for Aspiring Leaders and Entrepreneurs

Question: What would be your advice for young and aspiring leaders or entrepreneurs?

Answer:

1. Test your ideas early.

2. Seek feedback on your product and iterate until you find product-market fit.

3. Don’t be discouraged if your original ideas don’t succeed initially.

5. The Roadblock and Learning Opportunity

Question: What has been the biggest roadblock during your journey? What has been your most significant learning?

Answer: The initial challenge was gaining the trust of the first few customers. What we perceived about our product might differ from the customer’s perspective. The most valuable lesson was achieving product-market fit as quickly as possible.

6. FAVORIOT’s Vision for the Future

Question: Moving forward, what does the future look like for you and FAVORIOT?

Answer: FAVORIOT’s IoT platform has expanded from fewer than three countries in 2017 to 115 countries in 2021. IoT’s rapid growth is fueled by awareness and the convergence of various technologies. FAVORIOT aims to excel by becoming the go-to IoT platform for businesses worldwide, fostering IoTization in all sectors.

In this journey of IoTizing business, we learn that dynamic leadership, adaptability, early education, and understanding customer needs are essential. Additionally, embracing change and iterating on ideas are keys to success. FAVORIOT’s journey showcases how perseverance, innovation, and a commitment to evolving with technology can lead to remarkable growth and impact in the world of IoT.

How We Monetise Our IoT Product: The Odyssey of Our Third IoT Creation

Embarking on the Favoriot journey wasn’t just about developing another IoT product; it was a pivotal moment, a turning point steering us towards our dream: embedding IoT into every business’s essence.

The Birth of Raqib: A Learning Curve

Raqib, our first IoT product, didn’t come easy. It was two years of relentless work, learning, and adapting to the entrepreneurial challenges of the IoT space.

Raqib was envisioned as a comprehensive solution; hence, we meticulously searched for the perfect hardware partner, as manufacturing wearables wasn’t our forte.

This end-to-end solution also demanded a robust IoT platform for data communication, a user-friendly mobile app, and a CRM system to manage customer relationships smoothly.

Favorsense: Rapid Execution, Valuable Insights

Then came Favorsense, our second brainchild.

The market witnessed its arrival within a year, a testament to our evolved skills and understanding of the IoT terrain. The feedback was invaluable, serving as the cornerstone for refining and enhancing Favorsense to meet user expectations better.

Favorsense

The Unplanned Masterpiece: Favoriot

In the grand tapestry of product development, Favoriot emerged almost stealthily. Initially conceptualized as middleware while developing other products, it soon dawned upon us that Favoriot held immense potential as a standalone solution.

A free trial period provided crucial user insights until we introduced a pricing model in March 2019.

Navigating Through Challenges

Every product brought challenges, draining resources, time, and capital.

The country, we presumed, had abundant IoT talent to collaborate with, but reality painted a different picture.

With my association with local universities as an advisory member, it was evident that while students were eager to explore IoT, the lack of structured IoT education and an acute talent shortage hindered progress.

A Market of Untapped Potential

In the shadows of challenges, opportunities often hide.

With the IoT market expected to burgeon to a whopping $1.39 trillion by 2026 and Malaysia just beginning to embrace IoT since its official introduction in 2014, Favoriot could be the critical enabler for commercial IoT deployment and education.

Favoriot: More Than Just a Product

With every IoT deployment requiring a platform component, Favoriot was positioned as a cost-effective, cloud-based solution accessible to students for their projects and feasible for lab experiments.

It promised security, user-friendly APIs, and protocol support, offered as a Platform-as-a-Service to encourage innovation while ensuring user data ownership.

Different subscription plans, a cohesive community for shared learning, and extensive documentation and tutorials completed the package.

Learning, Adapting, Growing

However, initial responses were lukewarm, with many users gravitating towards more familiar platforms.

The tide turned as we compiled use cases and tutorials and actively promoted Favoriot through various channels, widening our user base to over 5300 across 115 countries.

Unleashing a New Wave of Talent

Now, universities are producing graduates well-versed in building IoT projects, with practical knowledge of Favoriot, ready to be the torchbearers of IoT growth in Malaysia and beyond.

Five Startup Tips from Our Journey

  1. Persistence: The entrepreneurial journey is arduous; brace yourself and persist through challenges.
  2. Continuous Learning: Absorb feedback and learn continually to refine your product and services.
  3. Invest in Talent: Recognize and nurture talent; they are the building blocks of your startup’s success.
  4. Spot Opportunities Amidst Challenges: Every problem presents an opportunity; it’s imperative to identify and leverage it.
  5. Foster a Community: Building a supportive and engaged community can be a game-changer; shared success and collective learning are invaluable.

Embark on your journey armed with these insights, and may your startup thrive and inspire!

Remember to Subscribe to receive email updates on every post I publish.

You can also follow my Medium Publications Aspiring Writer’s Journey, Influencer’s Journey, Startup Survival Journey, and IoT World.

Charting a New Course: Amplifying Readership & Monetizing My Blog

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Setting the Scene for Growth

In the silent corridors of the blogging world, my digital space has witnessed a humble increase of six readers over the past year. While it’s a climb, it’s subtle – too subtle. This realization led me to consciously decide on September 25, 2023, to transform this whisper into a symphony of engaging dialogues and growing readership.

Taking the Premium Plunge

To catalyze this transformation, I’ve taken a leap of faith and upgraded to a premium membership on Medium. This step is more than a commitment; it’s a mission – a mission to not just grow, but to thrive, share, and connect. With the premium canvas, every day will paint a new story, a fresh article designed not just to speak but to converse with you.

A Journey Begins With a Single Step

And steps have been taken. In the soft glow of beginnings, the past days have seen four new readers join our journey. Each one is not just a statistic but a partner in this exciting expedition of words and wisdom. It’s a small yet significant victory, marking the promise of what lies ahead.

Beyond the ‘Followers’ Facade

It’s easy to stumble upon articles flashing the success of gaining followers, tales woven with the threads of monetization strategies and follower magnetism. Such stories undoubtedly attract a flock of readers. But, my pen aims to ink a different narrative, not because I lack expertise in the ‘follower magnet’ genre, but because there’s a deeper, more personal tale to narrate.

Tales of Entrepreneurship: The Rollercoaster Ride

The canvas of my blog will unfold the chronicles of a seven-year-long entrepreneurship journey, meticulously detailing the peaks of triumph and the valleys of challenges. Every founder’s journey is a rollercoaster, and mine is no different – a tapestry of highs and lows, of lessons learned and battles won.

As we navigate through the undulating terrains of entrepreneurship, each article will aim to be a beacon of insight, a mirror reflecting the multifaceted life of founding, failing, learning, and succeeding.

Stay Tuned: The Journey Has Just Begun

So, here’s my invitation to you: stay with me. Walk with me through the archives of experience and the live chronicles of an entrepreneur’s journey. With a story unfolding each day, your company will not just be valued but cherished.

Let’s embark on this expedition together, exploring tales untold and paths untraveled. Your readership is not just a number; it’s a valued partnership in this odyssey of words, wisdom, and the wired world of entrepreneurship. Together, let’s see where this journey takes us!

Crafting Favorsense: Our Second IoT Endeavor Aimed at Smart Cities

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Introduction

In this reflection, we’ll delve into the journey of crafting Favorsense, the second IoT product by Favoriot, designed with Smart Cities in mind.

Favorsense is a successor to our inaugural IoT product, Raqib (originally named Favorwatch), which we explored in a prior article.

The Inception: Addressing Urban Challenges

Living in the city, one must recognize the daily challenges urban infrastructure and services pose.

These range from the commonplace, like unattended garbage and potholes, to critical issues, like burst pipes and fallen trees.

Often, citizens resort to traditional complaint mechanisms — phone calls or emails to the local councils — but these reports sometimes vanish into administrative black holes, leaving the complainants frustrated and in the dark about the status of their concerns.

The Solution: Empowering Citizens Through Favorsense

Favorsense is a mobile application that is somewhat divergent from conventional IoT products as it incorporates human interaction.

It leverages the capabilities of smartphones, utilizing the camera, GPS, and sensors to gather and transmit data.

We drew inspiration from our previous experience crafting similar solutions but decided to seize this opportunity to develop an enhanced version.

Favorsense at a Glance

The application is user-friendly.

Once a city resident identifies an issue, they open Favorsense and capture a photo, which is then automatically geotagged and time-stamped, providing an accurate report of the problem’s location and time of occurrence.

This process not only facilitates ease of reporting but also aids in maintaining the integrity of the reports by preventing fraudulent complaints.

However, the app isn’t the only player in this innovative solution; it’s part of a trio. The other components include a Crowdsensing Management Platform (CMP) and a Field-Force module.

The CMP is where the appointed admin handles and escalates complaints, tracking the status and timeline of each report.

Meanwhile, the Field-Force module is where assignments are dispatched to contractors or internal teams for resolution, providing them with crucial information like the location and image of the reported issue.

The Market Potential

With over 150 councils across Malaysia, a population nearing 32.37 million, and some cities boasting populations over 500,000, the potential for Favorsense is substantial in our home country alone.

This potential is even more pronounced globally, considering there are over 10,000 cities worldwide, many of which lack a streamlined platform for citizen complaints.

Go-to-Market Strategy

Engaging the councils directly, we pitched Favorsense through presentations and proposals, making our presence felt at Smart City conferences.

However, we adjusted our approach due to the extended sales cycles and procurement processes encountered with councils. Currently, we collaborate with the Malaysia Smart City Alliance (MSCA), sharing our proposals for various Smart City initiatives.

Valuable Lessons for Startups

Launching a product like Favorsense has been a journey filled with insights and lessons. For other startups looking to navigate the intricate IoT landscape, here are three key takeaways from our experience:

  1. Understand Your Audience: Identify and understand your target audience. Knowing the councils’ needs and pain points helped us design a product offering genuine solutions, making pitching and selling Favorsense easier.
  2. Iterate and Improve: Drawing from past experiences and products is invaluable. However, always be open to enhancing and iterating your products to meet the market’s needs better. The creation of Favorsense was grounded in our past work, but we didn’t hesitate to innovate and improve where necessary.
  3. Flexibility in Approach: Sometimes, the initial go-to-market strategy won’t yield the expected results due to unforeseen challenges. Being flexible and willing to adjust your approach, like our engagement strategy pivot is crucial to overcoming hurdles and ultimately achieving success.

Conclusion

Favorsense is a testament to Favoriot’s commitment to creating innovative IoT products and contributing positively to the functioning and management of Smart Cities.

Through this application, we envision a future where city councils and citizens collaborate efficiently, fostering urban environments that are responsive, accountable, and truly smart.

For startups embarking on a similar journey, understanding your audience, iterating, and being flexible are cardinal rules to guide your way to success.

Remember to Subscribe to receive email updates on every post I publish.

You can also follow my Medium Publications Aspiring Writer’s Journey, Influencer’s Journey, Startup Survival Journey, and IoT World.

Our Journey Creating the First IoT Product for Senior Citizens

Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash

Inspiration from Silicon Valley

Upon our return from the tech mecca, we were determined to tackle the challenges faced by senior citizens using IoT. Starting in April 2017, we embarked on a two-year-long journey to turn our vision into a tangible product.

Understanding the Problem

With an increasing number of elderly opting to “age in place”, many face health challenges such as heart problems, diabetes, and dementia.

Their adult children struggle to provide constant care because they juggle work and family responsibilities.

In emergencies, like falls or health issues, the seniors might be unable to seek help promptly. There was a clear need for a technology solution that could offer continuous monitoring and a straightforward way to call for assistance.

The Growing Market

Our research showed a global aging trend. By 2050, the world will host over 2 billion people over 60.

In Malaysia alone, 7% of the population is currently over 65. This indicated a significant potential market for healthcare solutions tailored to seniors.

Designing the IoT Solution

We envisioned a solution that would prioritize the health and safety of our senior community. Our essential requirements included:

  • A compact, single device for ease of use and mobility.
  • Continuous health monitoring through built-in sensors.
  • A GPS feature for location tracking, both indoors and outdoors.
  • Connectivity to relay health and location data to caregivers.
  • A two-way communication feature.

After much deliberation, we opted for a wearable device akin to a smartwatch. This device would effortlessly track steps, heart rate, and blood pressure and detect falls while ensuring the wearer’s mobility.

Navigating the Market

Introducing a novel product to the market takes a lot of work.

Initially, we reached out to Senior Citizen Care Centers for B2B collaboration.

However, we soon realized this wasn’t our target demographic, as these seniors were already under 24/7 care.

Shifting gears, we turned to online marketing and began engaging potential customers through social media and events.

Although the initial response was promising, the market segment still felt limited.

A further pivot led us to explore the Hajj pilgrims market, offering value-added services for their health and safety during their pilgrimage. The reception was mixed, prompting us to re-evaluate our approach.

Final Thoughts

Our first foray into IoT for senior citizens was filled with lessons, challenges, and invaluable experiences.

We’re excited to adapt and grow in this ever-evolving space as we continue our journey.

Three Essential Startup Tips:

  1. Deeply Understand Your Problem: Before seeking a solution, fully grasp your target audience’s challenges.
  2. Stay Agile: The market is unpredictable. Be prepared to pivot and adapt your strategy as needed.
  3. Engage Your Audience: Actively seek feedback and build a community around your product. They’ll offer invaluable insights and can become your product’s most prominent advocates.

Remember to Subscribe to receive email updates on every post I publish.

You can also follow my Medium Publications Aspiring Writer’s Journey, Influencer’s Journey, Startup Survival Journey, and IoT World.

My Silicon Valley Awakening: From Techie to Entrepreneur

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The Air of Possibility

I’ve always heard that there’s something magical about Silicon Valley, and during my 2016 trip with the MDEC delegation, I felt it. The air buzzed with innovation, dreams, and the shadows of tech giants like Apple and Facebook. It was a far cry from my own quiet ambition of becoming a CTO.

A Change of Heart

In the midst of these technological wonders, a realization hit me. These legendary companies? They all started with a simple idea. And just like that, my direction shifted. FAVORIOT, my dream IoT startup, took root in my mind.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Visiting the Computer History Museum was like stepping into a time machine. I was transported from the age of clunky vacuum valves to witnessing the birth of Apple. Every artifact was a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance.

Where Unicorns Are Born

The Plug and Play Tech Center was a revelation. To think giants like Dropbox emerged from such humble beginnings! It was hard not to think, “Why not me?”

Pitching and Learning

Silicon Valley’s heartbeat isn’t just its tech behemoths; it’s the thriving culture of sharing and collaboration. Pitching at Hero City was nerve-wracking, but the feedback and camaraderie were invaluable. Everywhere I went, from cafes to parks, potential collaborators and investors seemed to be just a conversation away.

Tech Campuses: Not Just Buildings

Walking through the Google and Facebook campuses, I felt like an explorer in tech wonderlands. These weren’t just offices; they were monuments to what’s possible when imagination meets resources.

The Ultimate Lesson

My Silicon Valley adventure taught me one thing: Limits are self-imposed. No matter your age or background, if you’ve got an idea and the passion to pursue it, you can carve your own path. And in the supportive ecosystem of Silicon Valley, you’re in good company.

Golden Nuggets for Aspiring Startups:

  1. Stay Inspired: Immerse yourself in stories of triumphs and trials. They fuel the journey.
  2. Collaborate and Share: Embrace feedback and join hands with others. Remember, even titans like Apple and Microsoft grew from partnerships.
  3. Dream Big: Your only limit is your imagination. Harness it, and the sky’s the limit.

Stay with me as I share more about my journey and the allure of IoT in my upcoming article.

The Power of Personal Connection

In our modern, digital-centric era, many believe that the key to connecting with customers lies mostly in virtual platforms. While online channels like social media have indeed transformed the way businesses engage with their audience, there’s an enduring magic in the traditional face-to-face interactions at events and exhibitions. Favoriot’s experience is a testament to this belief, and here’s a deeper dive into the reasons.

The Magic of Direct Interaction

Despite the leaps and bounds in technological advancements, there’s something irreplaceable about the genuineness of face-to-face conversations. Personal interactions foster a unique depth of trust and understanding, facilitating off-the-cuff questions, on-the-spot demonstrations, and authentic responses.

Establishing Authority Beyond the Podium

Being on the dais at a conference is both an honor and a platform to project expertise. It showcases an individual or a company as a pioneer in their field. However, away from the confines of the lecture hall, the dynamic environment of the expo floor allows for a more spontaneous, widespread interaction, reaching an even wider spectrum of attendees.

Show, Don’t Just Tell

The age-old adage, “seeing is believing,” holds especially true in a business context. An expo stand gives companies like Favoriot the perfect stage to bring their products to life. These real-time showcases don’t just catch the eye; they often sway decisions for prospective clients.

Connections That Count

The intensity of a 3-day expo brings together a plethora of potential clients, all under one roof. Visitors to such events come with purpose — to find solutions, forge partnerships, and scout for opportunities. Each chat at the stand isn’t just small talk; it’s a potential business opportunity.

Teaming Up with MDEC

Our presence at the Smart Nation Expo 2023 (from 19th to 21st September) wasn’t just as a standalone entity. We were proudly stationed under the MDEC Pavilion. This partnership with MDEC, a brand of significant repute, acted as a beacon, pulling attendees our way and setting the stage for Favoriot to be in the limelight.

The Ripple Effect Post-Expo

The buzz of an expo doesn’t die down once the stalls are dismantled. The real magic unfolds in the days and weeks that follow. Every expression of interest, each business card handed over, morphs into potential collaborations, partnerships, or client relationships.

To wrap it up, even as the digital world offers a sprawling canvas of opportunities, events like trade expos are like a goldmine of focused potential. For us at Favoriot, these events have been nothing short of transformative, with our recent stint at Smart Nation Expo 2023 as a shining example. We remain committed to tapping into the unmatched power of in-person connections, engaging heart-to-heart with our audience.

Bridging Malaysia’s IoT Talent Gap: The Favoriot Way

In the expanding universe of the Internet of Things (IoT), Favoriot has carved its niche with a clear focus — IoT training. But why the emphasis on training? The answer lies in the challenges posed by offering an IoT platform-as-a-service.

1. The Reality Check of an Empty Platform

An IoT platform’s potential remains untapped if there are no takers. When Favoriot first ventured into offering its IoT platform service, the uptake was dishearteningly minimal. A dominant reason? The brand ‘Favoriot’ was a new kid on the block, unfamiliar to the tech-savvy crowd and students who leaned towards platforms they recognized like ThingSpeak, ThingsBoard, Blynk, or Azure.

2. Identifying the Gap in the Market

We noticed a pattern. The Malaysian market had more resellers of IoT products than genuine product creators. For a nation aspiring to transition from a consumer to a producer, this spelled stagnancy. There’s a gaping chasm between importing technology and producing it. To bridge this gap, the nation needed talents capable of pioneering their own IoT innovations.

3. The Favoriot Pivot to Training

Recognizing this void, Favoriot decided to channel its energies into IoT training. From basic tenets to advanced nuances and IoT data analytics, we designed a comprehensive training regimen. The introduction of Professional Certificates was a game-changer, amplifying the professional credibility of participants.

Today, over 15 Malaysian universities have integrated the Favoriot IoT platform into their curriculum, predominantly in final year projects. Some institutions are even contemplating introducing Favoriot’s Professional Certificates, testament to its industry relevance.

4. Expanding Beyond Training

Does Favoriot’s vision culminate with training? Emphatically, no! Our IoT platform has been embraced by diverse sectors, from manufacturing and agriculture to smart cities. The training was the catalyst, the spark that ignited IoT adoption across Malaysia.

In Conclusion

Our journey at Favoriot is characterized by adaptability. We saw a need, recalibrated our strategy, and are now playing a pivotal role in Malaysia’s IoT talent evolution. As we look ahead, our commitment remains unchanged: empowering the nation through state-of-the-art IoT solutions and training.

Originally published at https://mazlanabbas.com on September 18, 2023.

Why Mailing List is Far Better Than Social Media Followers for Startups (Build Them Now)

In the early stages of a startup, it’s easy to get excited with the idea of building a massive social media following.

Don’t get me wrong; a strong social media presence is important.

But how many of the followers really read your posts?

Only if they open the specific app, right?

However, the thrill of seeing your follower count rise can distract from a more intimate and arguably more effective form of communication: the mailing list.

With email, almost all people will read their inbox daily.

Email is a direct way to connect with that specific person.

The Social Media Dilemma

While it’s true that social media platforms offer incredible reach, the dynamic is inherently different.

The audience is far less captive; your posts are just one among hundreds or thousands that your followers scroll through each day.

There’s also the taxing task of growing your follower base organically, which requires consistent posting, engagement, and time-a daunting endeavor for a startup hustling to get off the ground.

The Mailing List Advantage

Emails offer a direct line of communication to your audience.

When someone opts to subscribe to your newsletter or leaves their email to download an eBook, they’re expressing an explicit interest in what you have to say.

For my startup, Favoriot, this direct approach led to a more global audience.

By offering free eBooks filled with tips, tutorials, and articles on IoT (Internet of Things), we not only gained an audience but also provided value upfront.

This strategy led to a global following, including overseas customers who subscribed to our platform.

Value Before Selling

One key to successful mailing lists is providing genuine value before ever making a sales pitch.

People are savvy; they know when they’re being sold to and can easily be put off by overt sales tactics.

On my LinkedIn, for instance, my newsletter isn’t just about Favoriot.

It’s about my journey in entrepreneurship and my general insights into IoT.

This balanced approach helps establish trust, rapport, and credibility-all crucial for a startup looking to build a loyal customer base.

Cutting Out the Middleman

What’s more, once you’ve built a substantial mailing list, you gain independence.

Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms and policies dictate your reach, your mailing list is yours to control.

In my experience, I no longer need third-party mailing software to send out thousands of newsletters.

A Global Objective

My objective is clear: to gain more followers and customers, particularly from overseas markets.

The key is to strike a balance, sharing valuable information without making the reader feel like they’re merely a potential sale.

People want to know who you are, what you stand for, and how you can add value to their lives or businesses.

In Conclusion

While it’s tempting to pour all your efforts into building a social media following, remember that emails offer a more direct, intimate line of communication with your audience.

Done right, a mailing list can be a powerful tool for customer acquisition, retention, and global reach-all while adding genuine value to your subscribers’ lives.

So if you’re in the early stages of your startup, or even if you’re more established but haven’t yet explored the power of mailing lists, now is the time to start.

Trust me, your future self-and your growing customer base-will thank you.