"Get Your Business in the Blue Zone"
by Lisa Nirell, EnergizeGrowth
Yesterday morning marked our final week in Tucson, Arizona.
We took a work/play retreat to escape the rugged Oregon
winter. Time in the warm sunny weather gave me a boost of
energy and excitement about my business this year.
While I was pouring tea and glancing out the patio doors
towards the Santa Catalina mountains, I kept one ear attentive
towards the "Good Morning America" news show.
I was really glad I did. My morning "fog" lifted
immediately. I was guided to a resource that I HAD to tell
you about.
Broadcaster Robin Roberts interviewed Dan Buettner, a researcher
and best selling author of "The Blue Zone."
Dan's five year assignment, funded by the National Institutes
on Aging and National Geographic, has been a passionate
quest to find what societies enjoyed the best health, happiness,
and longevity.
And he is bound and determined to meet this promise: by
practicing the habits of societies in far-off places such
as Okinawa, Japan and Nicoya, Costa Rica, he posits that
Americans can add up to 14 "good years" to their
lives.
The results are not as impressive as the way in which Dan
communicates his passion.
Just stop reading for a moment, and visit www.bluezones.com.
You will see what I mean.
Then come back here. OK, so what did you notice?
Here is what makes bluezones.com one of the most well-executed
"knowledge business models" I have seen in MONTHS.
(And I read 1-2 hours a day in search of great business
models!)
- Dan has selected a topic that aging baby
boomers and lifelong learners (like me!) care about.
He knows his market, and his website focuses on a topic
that often borders on obsession: maximizing human longevity
and happiness. This audience is relentless in their search
for knowledge, and they're willing to pay for it.
- The website implies that Dan runs with
experts. He cites the National Institutes on Aging and National
Geographic as two of his "investors." He mentions
media outlets everyone recognizes: CNN's Anderson Cooper,
ABC Nightly News, and Good Morning America.
- You are immediately invited to complete
a 2 minute "Vitality Compass" survey.
It made me want to linger on the site and take a test ride.
Among other things, this survey allows you to determine
your actual age, projects your life span, and suggests ways
to extend your life. After they cleverly capture your email
address, they allow you to take the survey. It's intriguing.
- You find scores of information-laden
articles about unlocking the secrets to healthier, more
fulfilling lives. It makes you want to return to the site,
and it made me think, "Hey, this guy seems to be pretty
credible! I might even want to tell my friends about this."
- The site promotes Dan's speaking engagements,
"education through exploration" programs, and
books.
But it goes beyond that.
It oozes commitment and passion for our next generation.
Dan's company, Quest Network, dedicates resources to educating
children on leading healthy lives. Its Blue Zones Programs
encourage children to explore, question, and act. Does your
company express that level of purpose in all of its messages?
- The site is dripping with opportunities
to socialize.
Within the first 30 seconds of visiting the site, I found
four ways you can communicate within the Quest tribe. This
included an e-newsletter, a blog, a members-only community,
and an option to leave comments about the free articles.
One box even told me how many guests and members are currently
online. "Hey, wait for me! I want to belong to this
group!" (that's how I initially reacted, anyway).
These six strategies will ensure many book sales of "The
Blue Zone" and higher speaking fees to fuel Quest's
mission. And they are well-deserved.
If you just incorporate one of these strategies into your
business, what would be possible?
We'll see you (and your business) in The Blue Zone!
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--Lisa Nirell
http://www.energizegrowth.com/
P.S. In case you wondered, my Biological Age is 40, and my
Estimated Life Expectancy is 97.8 years. Imagine what topics
I'll be covering in EnergizeNews in 2057! |
