Subscribers

This is just a note to clarify something I said on today’s show. After saying “There’s not even a place to sign up to subscribe on the website.” I was informed later that we actually were getting subscribers and have been since the show resumed. This was clearly news too me.

Subsequently I have asked for all those new subscribers to be “unsubscribed” manually on our end. So if you were one of them and were receiving email updates you will not any longer. But, before you get mad at me and scream, text, email _______(fill in your own here) “How dare you!” Let me explain so you truly understand, because it truly is a teachable moment as to show that what I say – I both mean as well as do.

In today’s world of clicks “subscribers” et al, claimed numbers – even if factual – are quite simply meaningless in many respects unless you want to fool yourself or fool others i.e., ads for eyeball purveyors.

As I’ve been stating on the show as of late this website runs via the WordPress® (WP) backbone for functionality. And with that comes the availability to follow a website’s content via email. It’s a great system, and WP is a great vendor. (note: no WP sponsorship should be infered nor is one implied) However, what their system is prone to allow is what we all consider the scourge of the internet, collectively known as: Bots.

Bots scour the web 24/7-365 and fill out every single contact form it comes across. Every. Single. One.

It will enter fake addresses, photos, profiles et cetera. It there’s a box to fill – it’ll fill it.

It does this because many people across the same web touting “6 million subscribers!” in actuality might have 6 real people and the entirety of the rest are bots they actually paid for. All to look like they’re really doing something. Hint: they ain’t. But it gets worse…

I know people that sell programs to unsuspecting “subscribers” just to unsubscribe them from websites, Youtube™ channels, podcasts and more they never signed up for. Why do they need or want such a program? It’s because they find out they’re subscribed to hundreds they never did.

How is this possible?

Bots get placed on their machines and every place they go – the bot silently signs them up using their own credentials. Again, they didn’t – a bot that slipped onto their computer did. But they’re not tech savvy so they just delete their inboxes all the while wondering “Why am I getting all this spam and keeps getting worse?!” As I just explained above, they’re the one filling out the forms and don’t even know it.

So you have bots that fill out on their own, bots that fill out sites you visit on your machine, and a host of click farms filling out forms by the millions daily based around the globe in third world locales.

The price going price for, say, 100,000 email subscribers today? Around $10 U.S. And that’s the high side. You can dramatically (yes, dramatically) reduce that price if you buy in bulk. Think about that next time you see someone boasting “Be part of the other 2million subscribers to this website!” It may be real, then again chances are…

This website has a separate subscriber program (“which is not cheap” as I’m known to point out) that filters out spam, bots, and other types of useless clicking. When someone subscribes through this access portal we know they’re real. And it’s only them (someday I hope you also) do I care about. They are whom I call “customers.” e.g., real customers. I don’t need to fool myself or anyone else with inflated numbers, which is also why I was surprised for I don’t actively monitor those. e.g, WP’s.

As I have stated many times and given speeches on precisely this topic. My thinking, as well as my actual stance, goes like this: One paying subscriber trumps whatever number followed by how many zeros you want to use that don’t or better yet – won’t.

It’s just that simple, but I’ve always been this way, and it’s also why I have the track record that I have. i.e., I know my numbers and what they mean – most everyone else’s are meaningless.

So if you’ve suddenly found yourself unsubscribed and you’re wondering why, now you know. It’s not because of anything you did, it’s just that when it comes time to truly subscribe we’ll all be on the same page. And I’ll focus on just you – the real customer – trying to do my upmost to deliver value to you rather: than trying to please some audience I think I have that couldn’t care less because – they were never real to begin with.

Only you that are reading this matters too me, as it should be.

© 2023 Mark St.Cyr

Note: This is not trading or investing advice of any sort. This commentary is for “big picture” discussion purposes only. Please read, or re-read the “About This Site” page for any questions or clarifications.