Our Game Plan and how you can help (2 Viewers)

[David Dodds]

Everyone,

If you have been watching us closely this season you can see that Footballguys is pushing to become a bigger player in the fantasy information sector. We have grown every year since we debuted and we enter 2009 as a strong and vibrant company.

But the fact remains though that most of the people that use our services don't share what we are doing with their friends/rivals, etc. it's an interesting dynamic because if we were a restaurant or virtually any other business, word of mouth would help us grow significantly. But in the competitive business that we are in, people want the edge that comes with keeping us secret.

So we get the reason to keep us secret. It's your weapon. And we have some extremely powerful tools/applications/articles that would potentially be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I am going to attempt to offer a different perspective here.

Since we debuted, we have continued to add significant content every year. The last two years we have published over 50,000 pages of content each season. We have released better applications and continue to push technology and enhancements based on what you guys want. And we have done all of these things with only small increases to our pricing structure.

Joe and I's goal from day one was to make Footballguys.com the best fantasy football website. We opted for a pay model vice free one, because we knew we could deploy the added money to great use. We would like to think we have achieved those goals and our number of subscribers is a testament to that.

We have got to this point because Joe and I are surrounded with an outstanding staff. A staff that works around the clock to give you guys things like our magazine, Rate My Team, multiple sets of projections, constant stream of articles, products like the Draft Dominator, Year around podcasts, etc.

But almost every staffer we have is in a part-time role with us. Guys like Bruce Henderson have day jobs. His applications (Draft Dominator, Lineup Dominator, Projections Dominator, etc) are him working about 15% of his available time on Footballguys. Add in these same conditions to guys like Drinen (Rate My Team, FBG database structure), Keith Overton (tech solutions), etc and you see how amazing it really is to actually produce everything we have. We have two full-time people at FBG. Clayton Gray and I. That's it.

Our problem comes because we want to do more. In no particular order this is the Footballguys we want to have in the very near future:

- Draft Dominator for the Mac

- Expanded IDP, Auction and Dynasty content

- Iphone Apps

- Facebook Apps

- Text messaging services

- Rate My Team enhancements (imports / IDP / etc)

- More Freelance articles

- Multiple Magazine Releases (So the August Magazine is relevent)

- Added functionality of MyFBG (personal profiles, blogging capability, enhanced scoring options, etc)

- Video / Footballguys TV

- Bigger and more prizes for the Subscription Contest

- More Contests (Weekly, playoff, etc)

- FBG Trophies

- Enhanced News Services

- FBG Free Daily Email all year long

- More free content

- Expanded NFL Draft content/coverage

- Members ability to add comments to articles

- Site Redesign for ease in navigation/professional look

This is the list I came up with off the top of my head. If we had more money to work with I am certain we would add significantly to this list as we grow our company to meet the demands of this sector.

So here we are with a vibrant company, but one that Joe and I feel could be so much better. We essentially have one way to get there and that's by generating more money. We need full-time employees to get this kind of work done.

We already run a very streamlined operation so there is minimal fat to cut out. Cuts (and some were discussed at our Tennessee offsite feel like we are cutting bone).

We can generate more money in these ways: We can raise prices, add people or a combination of both efforts. I suppose we could also seek investment capital, but that option comes with a lot of headaches that Joe and I are not excited about pursuing.

Given the options in front of us, the one that we like best is growing the number of subscribers only. We know we could make more money, by separating out our many offerings. Sub only, Sub + Dom, Preseason coverage only, etc but we also like the one price fits all model. This model takes less maintenance and gives everyone a great deal (even if you use just 20% of our products).

This offseason, Joe and I decided we would take our shot with this company. We have rolled back our salaries/bonuses significantly to free up approximately $200K in a giant marketing campaign to put FBGs on the map. But just like using our people in part-time roles, this is an unsustainable situation for the long-term. We are likely going to need these types of marketing dollars every year going forward to continue to pay for the slate of products we envision ahead.

I am not writing this for anyone to feel sorry for us. I live a charmed life here doing what I love. Both Joe and I are financially stable and can afford to try this push. This isn't a call for any of that. It's just a heads up that sometimes there are multiple perspectives to things. The secret that everyone is keeping is also holding back what is possible here. And a lot is possible. I would like to think FBG has demonstrated what is possible with great minds and a devotion to being the best. But vision alone won't get all of these other things done. People and time will. And both cost money.

Joe and I always like to state the BOTTOM LINE when we say things. The bottom line here is we are going to be doing a TON of things to try and grow this company. Namely:

- Employing Street Teams to pass out a minimum 150,000 CDs at sports bars, events, radio stations across the country

- Marketing campaign consisting of 40-50 Million page impressions across many fantasy / sports websites

- Huge push to get our staff front and center on many radio stations in the country

- Direct marketing campaigns

- Extensive Google Adwords campaign promoting our FREE magazine

and the other BOTTOM LINE:

We would love your help in spreading the word about FBG. What we have found over the years is a high correlation between people that get on our FREE mailing list and people that eventually subscribe. So our entire push this year is not to directly sell subscriptions, but to get people that play FF added to our FREE daily email. It's our funnel approach and one that has served us well over the years.

For people capable of getting 100 email addresses or more for us, we really would like you to consider being part of our Street Teams. You get a 3-year subscription, two 1-year subs for friends, a polo shirt, business cards, improved access to the staff (via the message board), and 300 CDs to hand out in helping you secure the email names. Top producers also get to compete in special leagues for prizes, etc.

In the coming week, Joe and I will also roll out smaller incentives if the 100 email quota is beyond what you think you can do. These will likely include a 25 and 10 email option. Subscriptions, CDs to hand out, etc.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. We are excited about what lies ahead for the new Footballguys.com

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

So we get the reason to keep us secret. It's your weapon. And we have some extremely powerful tools/applications/articles that would potentially be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I am going to attempt to offer a different perspective here.

And this is the reason that word of mouth will not work real well IMO. I love this site, I have used it for 6 years and in that time I have not mentioned it once to any of my fellow league members. To be honest I also do not have a plan to do so. I love my fantasy league, I love winning our trophy, I love winning the cash that comes with it and in my league you need every edge you can get. I look at it this way, if everyone in my league knows about this site, uses the tools, articles etc etc, I just gave away a big edge. What's the point in that??

 

[Joe Bryant]

What David said.

FBG has always been fascinating to me in that it's different from most any other business I've grown as word of mouth wasn't a factor. In most businesses, the better you do, the more people talk. We found the better we did, the less people wanted to talk. But as I said the other day in the email update, that's about over. We're getting to the point now that only the most clueless owners won't have seen an ad or heard of Footballguys. That horse is out of the barn as we'd say down here.

There are some very cool things we can improve upon if we were able to up our staffing and our tech hardware and resources. But that takes money and by far the way for us to generate more money is to add subscribers. That's way more attractive than raising the subscription price to us. And I'm guessing you too.

So we're sincerely and humbly asking for your help. We don't need you to carry a sign on the street. We just would ask you to help us spread the word in very low key and casual ways. Primarily by introducing folks you know to our Daily Email Update. That's it. We'll do the rest. And I know you may not want to do that with the guys in your league. Fine. You know tons of folks that play FF that aren't in your league.

If we're able to do what we think we can here, the net effect of growing this will be a big improvement in the Footballguys.com site that you see each day. It's tired and cliched I know but the reality of what I'm asking here is "to help us so we can better serve you." It's that simple. If you choose not to, no worries. We're not going anywhere. Our company today is stronger than it's ever been. But by getting stronger, we can see what is just -right there- over the next hill and we're realizing how close are to really being able to provide you with some great stuff. And if you'd help us get to there, I truly think it'll be a great thing for the whole community.

So if you choose not to help, cool. We still love you. If you choose to help us get to that next level, thanks a ton. We really appreciate it. We'll have some really low key offers next week for you to help there. Stay tuned. And thanks for being a part of the Footballguys Community.

J

 

[Joe Bryant]

So we get the reason to keep us secret. It's your weapon. And we have some extremely powerful tools/applications/articles that would potentially be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I am going to attempt to offer a different perspective here.

And this is the reason that word of mouth will not work real well IMO. I love this site, I have used it for 6 years and in that time I have not mentioned it once to any of my fellow league members. To be honest I also do not have a plan to do so. I love my fantasy league, I love winning our trophy, I love winning the cash that comes with it and in my league you need every edge you can get. I look at it this way, if everyone in my league knows about this site, uses the tools, articles etc etc, I just gave away a big edge. What's the point in that??

Hi Buddy,I completely understand that. On your list of FF owners that you can share us with, guys in your league are towards the bottom of the list. I'm sure you have tons of folks you know that are into FF that aren't in your league. J

 

[mozzy84]

Maybe not in great detail but I have told plenty of people I play FF with about footballguys , I do understand your point though. Most people who have been playing since the internet has been around have probably been by here or have at least heard of you guys imo...I play in 3 local leagues and at least a 1/3 of the guys have subscriptions and probably more just use the board.

 

[FUBAR]

So we get the reason to keep us secret. It's your weapon. And we have some extremely powerful tools/applications/articles that would potentially be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I am going to attempt to offer a different perspective here.

And this is the reason that word of mouth will not work real well IMO. I love this site, I have used it for 6 years and in that time I have not mentioned it once to any of my fellow league members. To be honest I also do not have a plan to do so. I love my fantasy league, I love winning our trophy, I love winning the cash that comes with it and in my league you need every edge you can get. I look at it this way, if everyone in my league knows about this site, uses the tools, articles etc etc, I just gave away a big edge. What's the point in that??

I have a slightly different perspective which many will disagree with. I want my fellow owners to be knowledgeable and have most of the same tools, it brings it back to the individual skill and perhaps more luck. The stuff I enjoy is conversation and grabbing the next big player that not many others are thinking about - due to my own analysis, not just because Bloom, Joe, Cecil, Jene, etc. have done my work for me. If all you care about is winning your leagues, I have to wonder what kind of leagues you're in. Any "major" league will know about this and most other sites, the work leagues are more fun if they're informed.The only thing I don't like is when I ask for advice, my fellow owners will know it's me asking and see what I'm thinking before I do something.I'm not going to give emails though, I just don't like giving other people's information. I will and do tell people about FBG and other sites.

 

[Master of Past and Present]

I have never kept this site a secret from people I know. I point people towards it whether for the football content or the FFA (people are amazed that I seem to always know the world breaking news before them and that's a credit to the FFA). Most of the leagues I have been in, have been through the looking for leagues also so I basically have only played against people who knew this site. Maybe it's because the most expensive league I have ever played in was $35 but never seen the point of hiding FBGs. This site has been great to me that I want to help send people here as appreciation.

 

[Rounders]

slippery slope.....slippery slope.

I have no doubt that FBG will come out on top on this one, but I wouldn't be surprised to see current subscribers not renew their subscriptions knowing their edge is gone and their league members are using the same tools.

Good luck to FBG. Oh and with more subscribers, I fully expect a reduction in annual subscription rates, I mean it's not about the money right

 

[mozzy84]

So we get the reason to keep us secret. It's your weapon. And we have some extremely powerful tools/applications/articles that would potentially be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I am going to attempt to offer a different perspective here.

And this is the reason that word of mouth will not work real well IMO. I love this site, I have used it for 6 years and in that time I have not mentioned it once to any of my fellow league members. To be honest I also do not have a plan to do so. I love my fantasy league, I love winning our trophy, I love winning the cash that comes with it and in my league you need every edge you can get. I look at it this way, if everyone in my league knows about this site, uses the tools, articles etc etc, I just gave away a big edge. What's the point in that??

So if someone in your league asks what site you use for info you just lie? Seems kinda silly to me anyways, if your league is as competitive as you make it sound alot of the guys are probably here anyways.

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

This site has been great to me that I want to help send people here as appreciation.

I purchase a subscription, use to purchase the magazine and I purchase some of their gear. I am doing my part

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

I wouldn't mind giving out the site at all to my league, but I'd rather not on the IDP side ---- could you give that a secret url?

 

[seventwentykay]

Have you guys considered selling ad space in your email newsletter? I have to imagine that a small static banner ad placement in your daily newsletter would be both non-obtrusive and give you a little additional revenue, no?

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

All I can tell you is I've pushed the FBG name to everyone I play against in fantasy leagues for the last 3 years.

I reject the notion that being a subscriber gives me such an edge that I want to keep it a secret. I'd rather tell the other guys about this place, and then continue to kick their arses.

 

[Joe Bryant]

All I can tell you is I've pushed the FBG name to everyone I play against in fantasy leagues for the last 3 years.I reject the notion that being a subscriber gives me such an edge that I want to keep it a secret. I'd rather tell the other guys about this place, and then continue to kick their arses.

Thanks. I'm seeing this lots and lots more.J

 

[Joe Bryant]

if your league is as competitive as you make it sound alot of the guys are probably here anyways.

That's the other thing - it's really getting now down to only the most super casual owners haven't heard. I went to a friends local league draft 5 years ago (the guys didn't know me and that I did FBG), and 10 of the 12 guys were using my cheatsheets. It's out there. J

 

[Uruk-Hai]

slippery slope.....slippery slope.

I have no doubt that FBG will come out on top on this one, but I wouldn't be surprised to see current subscribers not renew their subscriptions knowing their edge is gone and their league members are using the same tools.

Good luck to FBG. Oh and with more subscribers, I fully expect a reduction in annual subscription rates, I mean it's not about the money right

Here's the thing, though. There really is no monlithic FBG "edge" here. There is so much info, and from so many different angles, that you could theoretically have as many - say - player rankings as there are viewers. How many staff writers are there? Two dozen? Change from leaning on one to another & your whole draft/team management style changes ton another note: Joe/David, have you guys thought about offering "lifetime" subscriptions? That would give you an infusion of cash from a source that you're not addressing here - existing subscribers.

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

if your league is as competitive as you make it sound alot of the guys are probably here anyways.

That's the other thing - it's really getting now down to only the most super casual owners haven't heard. I went to a friends local league draft 5 years ago (the guys didn't know me and that I did FBG), and 10 of the 12 guys were using my cheatsheets. It's out there. J

Then our work here is done! Congratulations everyone

 

[Matt Waldman]

I have to agree with some of the posters here, leagues are a lot more fun when your competition is well-informed. While winning championships is "the ultimate goal," the fundamental goal should be competing with the very best. When the knowledge level is reasonably even among fantasy owners that's when you have to push the envelope to get an edge. The great thing about this site is you do get a variety of opinions and perspectives that can help you formulate a strategy that will help you gain that edge. Ultimately, you can have all the info in the world but you are still the ones to make the decisions that result in wins and losses.

 

[FantasyTrader]

David,

As a competitor, I'm probably not doing myself any favors here but I love your site and the Shark Pool has been a tremendous help to me over the years so I'd like to give something back. IMO, Facebook is a market that's dripping with leads and viral potential for a company that is serious about tapping that community (with the $ to do so). A few BIG opportunities that I find mind-boggling you guys haven't cashed in on are:

1) An FBG Fan Page where you could offer incentives, publish articles a day early for fans + a more personal way to interact with your community. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.

2) A Rate-My-Team FB app. I'm tellin' you, if you only did one thing...

3) Also, regarding #14 on your list - I highly suggest you check out this page! http://developers.facebook.com/connect.php Here's a sample of Facebook Connect in action - http://baltimore.citysearch.com/ Currently, I don't know of a fantasy football site that has integrated FB Connect throughout their site but I'm looking into building into my site and suggest you think about it as well. You see, the true beauty of FB Connect for a site like FBG is that every time a FB user reads an article on your site and posts a comment or participates in a conversation about that article, their comments are cross posted on their own FB "wall" with a link to the article that ALL of their FB friends can see. So when somebody comments on the article, they inadvertantly are putting the FBG name in front of all of their friends. As we know, people who play FF like to hang out with people who play FF.

I'd highly suggest you guys begin building a presence on FB and look into FB Connect as a means of allowing users to comment on articles because of the viral potential that comes with it. You're welcome in advance and you can send my royalty check to...

 

[madd futher]

In the dynasty league I'm in about half are FBGs. In high stakes and super competitive leagues, I'm guessing that just about everyone in the league secretly uses it already. And that is very OK. Because it is not really about the information you get from FBGs, but about how you APPLY IT.

Some guys are just casual forum readers. Some are subscribers but skim the content or don't use the most appropriate tools to help them advance.

The only difference broader usage has meant to me is that I have become more of a 'forum lurker' on this site than an active participant. Again that is because some of the other guys in the league know my moniker here and I don't want to tip my hand. But I've found that even if I have a question, there usually are enough forum users who have close to the same question. I just don't contibute as much to the forum discussion

BTW, Rate My Team rocks. I use it as a modeling tool for porjected moves. In my dynasty team, I treat it like re-draft using only my 'core' players, and adding in a starting but vanilla D/St and K to both units. When I plugged in the dynasty team I bought earlier this year, the critique started "Let us say this as nicely as we can, this team is brutal. It is below average and/or too thin at all 3 core positions " "with good inseason management, we think you have about a 20% chance of making the playoffs."...... Several trades later, the comment was "the quarterback situation looks good, and we like your overall strength....with good inseason management, we think you have about a 40% chance of making the playoffs." Even better, with great inseason management, my playoff chances were rated at 60%. So I can SEE the result of making some great moves with my core players even before the season has begun. I also know that my team has gotten lots stronger from a dynasty perspective as well. It is great to get some re-assurance when making a trade proposal tht it is a good fit for improving the over-all team.

With the addition of Waldman's contribution, esp RSP, with creative use of Rate My Team, with the FBG Magazine free on site, and everything else you do, you guys are poised for a jump to the absolute top of the heap!

Kudos!

 

[Black]

So we get the reason to keep us secret. It's your weapon. And we have some extremely powerful tools/applications/articles that would potentially be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I am going to attempt to offer a different perspective here.

And this is the reason that word of mouth will not work real well IMO. I love this site, I have used it for 6 years and in that time I have not mentioned it once to any of my fellow league members. To be honest I also do not have a plan to do so. I love my fantasy league, I love winning our trophy, I love winning the cash that comes with it and in my league you need every edge you can get. I look at it this way, if everyone in my league knows about this site, uses the tools, articles etc etc, I just gave away a big edge. What's the point in that??

I agree with this perspective, as it sucks showing up to your draft with the same info/cheat sheets as even one other guy. Losing that killer 'sleeper' one round early really stinks.However...I have been thinking about this while listening to the Audible recently. I do have to put in the disclaimer that my leagues are low-stakes.1. Most of my league-mates are friends. It is fun smack-talking and taking them down year after year, but I am not usually despondent when they make a good choice and beat me. 2. The people I point to a FF information source are often fairly new to FF anyways. The entrenched guys have their own sworn sources, and probably won't switch. So, more than likely, you are just bumping the guys that probably need a bit of a handicap anyways. That makes the whole league more competative.3. Because of the quantity and different mediums (applications? podcasts? cheatsheets? rankings? last year's stats? articles?) of Information on FBG, I think you have a very good chance to not even end up with redundant info. Do you trust Bloom or Waldman? Who's your #10 QB? I think there's enough diversity in the FBG information that 2 different users will end up with 2 different cheat sheets.When I first started FF, I looked at 10 different sites daily, and realized that I got 10 different opinions. Because FBG is growing so fast, we are starting to see that same diversity within FBG...I like it, since nothing is really spoon-fed (but it's damn close). You still have to think and go with your own opinions.So, me personally, I plan to invite some guys who dabbled in FF, introduce them to FBG, and try to expand my league. Maybe I'll regret it when I am in the basement of my league in a couple of years, but I'll know I'll have some new buddies to trash-talk FF with during the games.I don't think I can effectively dispense 100 CDs/DVDs...but give me 20 and I can get the job done.

 

[Black]

Also, as a programmer, I know there is some serious value in 'Open Sourcing' development. It might behoove (that's probably misspelled) FBG to setup a FBG Geek Community that can work on apps with the 1/2-time/Full-time guys.

I have personally been waiting for the chance to get my hands on some raw statistics so I can develop some Historical

Research apps, possibly using AJAX or smarter and more interactive interfaces than the typical 'click 20 boxes and Search' static statistics.

You want to get the CBSSportsline Yahoo crowd? Make it EASY...anyone playing FF would pony up 25 bucks to have a single place to help them quickly do research to plan their draft and set their lineups each week.

One more thing...the Podcasts out there, other than the Audible, generally suck. Throw together some quality, weekly, simple 10 minute ranking podcasts (within the Audible family, or outside) and you might grab more newbies to the game. The Audible itself can be overwhelming if you don't have an hour and are a casual player. (Eventually those people will come around ). In general, make some bite-sized informational spots for the casual player and make it available for free. Hell, Talented Mr. Roto gets paid to tell people to start T.O. and ADP on Sunday morning television...most people see through that, so give them something a little smarter, and see if FBG starts landing more spots on Internet, Radio and TV shows.

 

[Black]

Sorry to reply again, but one more thing. I used to really like the weekly chats they did on Fanball a few years back, before it was sold and diluted. They lost alot of good people.

The point is, people sometimes want the 'who do I start' sort of thing, and they want the answer from Bloom, Cecil, Waldman, whatever. The Drive Block does that some, and the Sharkpool does also.

However, if visitors had some limited access to staff writers (longer chats for subscribers?) in weekly chats, esp in-season, I think you'd hook some users.

You could also get some help if the staff writers are spread thin. You might get some of the old-timers on the Shark Pool to moderate a weekly chat...I am sure it wouldn't be hard to do.

This makes FF Advice very personal, almost like FF Consultants. You'll hook people with that kind of service. I also think that the greatest opportunity for growth is with new adopters. FF is growing like crazy, we all know that. Get these new guys and teach them how to play.

 

[renesauz]

I've found that the guys who would be/are interested in a site like this are already the more challenging opponents. A lot of work league guys who are pushovers now, will remain pushovers even if you give them the site...you know the guy I'm talking about...the guy who takes Delhomme in the fourth round still because he's a Panther fan, or Desean Jackson in the 2nd because he's the greatest WR since Jerry Rice.

I would've joined the street team, but everyone I ever played with has been exposed to this site already through me, and I couldn't come up with 10 new emails let alone 100 (legitimately anyway), and I'm too much of a homebody now with a tiny social circle to bother. BUT...I really don't see much point in keeping this place a secret. By experiance, I can tell you it makes only a very little differance in the typical bar/work league.

 

[FUBAR]

So we get the reason to keep us secret. It's your weapon. And we have some extremely powerful tools/applications/articles that would potentially be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I am going to attempt to offer a different perspective here.

And this is the reason that word of mouth will not work real well IMO. I love this site, I have used it for 6 years and in that time I have not mentioned it once to any of my fellow league members. To be honest I also do not have a plan to do so. I love my fantasy league, I love winning our trophy, I love winning the cash that comes with it and in my league you need every edge you can get. I look at it this way, if everyone in my league knows about this site, uses the tools, articles etc etc, I just gave away a big edge. What's the point in that??

I agree with this perspective, as it sucks showing up to your draft with the same info/cheat sheets as even one other guy. Losing that killer 'sleeper' one round early really stinks.

I agree with the rest of your post, but the best use of the sheets here isn't to blindly follow someone else's work. Make your own or at least know who you want higher than the others. It's somewhat easier to draft if everyone is using the same cheatsheet, you know roughly when the player you want will be taken and you plan accordingly. My most frustrating moment in a work league draft came a few years ago when I drafted at the 1.16/2.01 turn and no kidding, 15 QBs went between my2nd and 3rd round picks. Then I thought "oh well, might as well wait and get the stud RB/WRs", like 8 more QBs went between my 6th and 7th round picks. I ended up starting Vince Young most of the year. I just find drafting with people who I have no idea what they'll do to be somewhat frustrating at times.

 

[DocHoliday]

Good Ideas

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

I'd have no problems giving out the FBG's cheatsheets to my competitors. I use the FBG cheatsheets as a guide to determine what the market value of a player is and draft my own team using my own cheatsheets and my own opinions. If I can guarentee the other 11 guys in the room drafting are using FBG cheatsheets, then I feel I would have a leg up on them because I already know what they are thinking.

 

[AcerFC]

I have always shared this site with my league since day 1 because I would rather have guys that know what's going on in my league instead of guys who will draft M Crabtree with the first pick of a redraft league.

Some have come over but have no Idea about the shark pool. Some have not and you see the difference in teams.

I appreciate all you guys do. Thanks and keep it up.

ETA I work in a school with tons of people that play fantasy football (kids and adults) so you can send me anything you want passed out

 

[Bri]

holler if you need help with any of the design stuff

 

[sjacksonfan]

Everybody I know who plays fantasy football knows about footballguys. Some people just don't want to pay for fantasy advice.

I thought you guy were one of the biggest players in the fantasy info sector already. A relationship with a bigger media entity is going to worth 100X and disc you could pass out. This thread perplexes me.

 

[netnalp]

I've always told the people in my leagues about FBG. I have even cut and pasted articles to support arguments for changes I wanted in my leagues (ie. point-per-3rd Down-reception, decimal scoring and IDPs). I'm not sure if the other guys use FBG, they never mention it, but might just be keeping it secret.

My teams records the past few years haven't been that good so maybe that why, (Jackson, Jacobs, Bush and Schaub all went down for me last year, that'd kill alot of teams.) I've been told they think I draft strong teams though.

My main reason for sharing FBG with the guys in my leagues, is I think it helps keep leagues together. Leagues where the same guys crush everyone have high turn over. Guys that aren't able to or willing to put alot of time into the hobby drop out if they don't think they can be competitive. My hope is the guys use FBG so they can feel they can compete even if they can't devote a ton of time.

 

[gianmarco]

Instead of just supplying emails, I think a referral system would work much better. It gives current subscribers an incentive to tell others. Knock off $5 for every new member that subscribes and now you get people who can get a free year easily while you get 5 new customers.

 

[obxlegends]

Finance the 5 Minute Drill and carry it on through the season.

It was easily the best 5 minutes I spent on FF all last season.

Who doesn't want more Sig and Cecil?

 

[Joe Bryant]

David,

As a competitor, I'm probably not doing myself any favors here but I love your site and the Shark Pool has been a tremendous help to me over the years so I'd like to give something back. IMO, Facebook is a market that's dripping with leads and viral potential for a company that is serious about tapping that community (with the $ to do so). A few BIG opportunities that I find mind-boggling you guys haven't cashed in on are:

1) An FBG Fan Page where you could offer incentives, publish articles a day early for fans + a more personal way to interact with your community. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.

2) A Rate-My-Team FB app. I'm tellin' you, if you only did one thing...

3) Also, regarding #14 on your list - I highly suggest you check out this page! http://developers.facebook.com/connect.php Here's a sample of Facebook Connect in action - http://baltimore.citysearch.com/ Currently, I don't know of a fantasy football site that has integrated FB Connect throughout their site but I'm looking into building into my site and suggest you think about it as well. You see, the true beauty of FB Connect for a site like FBG is that every time a FB user reads an article on your site and posts a comment or participates in a conversation about that article, their comments are cross posted on their own FB "wall" with a link to the article that ALL of their FB friends can see. So when somebody comments on the article, they inadvertantly are putting the FBG name in front of all of their friends. As we know, people who play FF like to hang out with people who play FF.

I'd highly suggest you guys begin building a presence on FB and look into FB Connect as a means of allowing users to comment on articles because of the viral potential that comes with it. You're welcome in advance and you can send my royalty check to...

Hi FT,Here's what I've been doing on our Facebook page for the last couple of weeks. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footballguys...80288534?ref=ts What do you think?

J

 

[FantasyTrader]

David,

As a competitor, I'm probably not doing myself any favors here but I love your site and the Shark Pool has been a tremendous help to me over the years so I'd like to give something back. IMO, Facebook is a market that's dripping with leads and viral potential for a company that is serious about tapping that community (with the $ to do so). A few BIG opportunities that I find mind-boggling you guys haven't cashed in on are:

1) An FBG Fan Page where you could offer incentives, publish articles a day early for fans + a more personal way to interact with your community. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.

2) A Rate-My-Team FB app. I'm tellin' you, if you only did one thing...

3) Also, regarding #14 on your list - I highly suggest you check out this page! http://developers.facebook.com/connect.php Here's a sample of Facebook Connect in action - http://baltimore.citysearch.com/ Currently, I don't know of a fantasy football site that has integrated FB Connect throughout their site but I'm looking into building into my site and suggest you think about it as well. You see, the true beauty of FB Connect for a site like FBG is that every time a FB user reads an article on your site and posts a comment or participates in a conversation about that article, their comments are cross posted on their own FB "wall" with a link to the article that ALL of their FB friends can see. So when somebody comments on the article, they inadvertantly are putting the FBG name in front of all of their friends. As we know, people who play FF like to hang out with people who play FF.

I'd highly suggest you guys begin building a presence on FB and look into FB Connect as a means of allowing users to comment on articles because of the viral potential that comes with it. You're welcome in advance and you can send my royalty check to...

Hi FT,Here's what I've been doing on our Facebook page for the last couple of weeks. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footballguys...80288534?ref=ts What do you think?

J

Oh PERFECT! I searched and didn't see it. The one other thing I'd add Joe is, when you're logged in as an admin, you have an option there on the left column to "create event". I'd think about posting upcoming Audibles as events and you can upload video as well. You may want to upload The Audible straight to the page. The nice thing about adding events is that when your fans log in they will have a little icon on their homepage of The Audible as an upcoming event. I find that adding events are a non-spammy way of keeping your brand on the minds of your fans.

 

[seventwentykay]

Hi FT,

Here's what I've been doing on our Facebook page for the last couple of weeks. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footballguys...80288534?ref=ts What do you think?

J

Not FT, but I would recommend using the Notes/Updates features more on Facebook to provide some of the useful free content in tandem with the links. I think the key to having a successful presence on Facebook is that your Facebook page serves as almost a micro version of the site.

 

[Joe Bryant]

David,

As a competitor, I'm probably not doing myself any favors here but I love your site and the Shark Pool has been a tremendous help to me over the years so I'd like to give something back. IMO, Facebook is a market that's dripping with leads and viral potential for a company that is serious about tapping that community (with the $ to do so). A few BIG opportunities that I find mind-boggling you guys haven't cashed in on are:

1) An FBG Fan Page where you could offer incentives, publish articles a day early for fans + a more personal way to interact with your community. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.

2) A Rate-My-Team FB app. I'm tellin' you, if you only did one thing...

3) Also, regarding #14 on your list - I highly suggest you check out this page! http://developers.facebook.com/connect.php Here's a sample of Facebook Connect in action - http://baltimore.citysearch.com/ Currently, I don't know of a fantasy football site that has integrated FB Connect throughout their site but I'm looking into building into my site and suggest you think about it as well. You see, the true beauty of FB Connect for a site like FBG is that every time a FB user reads an article on your site and posts a comment or participates in a conversation about that article, their comments are cross posted on their own FB "wall" with a link to the article that ALL of their FB friends can see. So when somebody comments on the article, they inadvertantly are putting the FBG name in front of all of their friends. As we know, people who play FF like to hang out with people who play FF.

I'd highly suggest you guys begin building a presence on FB and look into FB Connect as a means of allowing users to comment on articles because of the viral potential that comes with it. You're welcome in advance and you can send my royalty check to...

Hi FT,Here's what I've been doing on our Facebook page for the last couple of weeks. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footballguys...80288534?ref=ts What do you think?

J

Oh PERFECT! I searched and didn't see it. The one other thing I'd add Joe is, when you're logged in as an admin, you have an option there on the left column to "create event". I'd think about posting upcoming Audibles as events and you can upload video as well. You may want to upload The Audible straight to the page. The nice thing about adding events is that when your fans log in they will have a little icon on their homepage of The Audible as an upcoming event. I find that adding events are a non-spammy way of keeping your brand on the minds of your fans.

Thanks. Appreciate the info there.J

 

[Return of the Sheep]

How about making a page where guys can brag about their winnings and then donate or tithe 10% to FBGs. That way those who don't want to give away the "edge" can both help FBG grow and continue to dominate their leagues.

 

[cobalt_27]

I'm skeptical about the idea of recruiting people who do not already know about FBGs as a way of making this site better.

 

[Joe Bryant]

How about making a page where guys can brag about their winnings and then donate or tithe 10% to FBGs. That way those who don't want to give away the "edge" can both help FBG grow and continue to dominate their leagues.

Nice. Tithing to The Church of FBG... J

 

[gianmarco]

Instead of just supplying emails, I think a referral system would work much better. It gives current subscribers an incentive to tell others. Knock off $5 for every new member that subscribes and now you get people who can get a free year easily while you get 5 new customers.

Not to bump my own post, but I'll do it anyway Is this not even a consideration? I'd much rather try to get 4-5 guys actually buy a subscription than turn over 100 emails as I wouldn't like it if someone gave out mine, to be honest.

 

[cobalt_27]

Instead of just supplying emails, I think a referral system would work much better. It gives current subscribers an incentive to tell others. Knock off $5 for every new member that subscribes and now you get people who can get a free year easily while you get 5 new customers.

Not to bump my own post, but I'll do it anyway Is this not even a consideration? I'd much rather try to get 4-5 guys actually buy a subscription than turn over 100 emails as I wouldn't like it if someone gave out mine, to be honest.

I sort of missed this. Is this what Joe and gang are asking? For us to give them email addresses of our friends so they can spam them? Wow. That's shady. I thought it was just a request that we send people we know our own emails telling them about FBG. But, this sort of strategy is seriously lame.

 

[ratbast]

I'm an impressed, first year subscriber but I have been posting/reading the boards for years. I have many friends who aren't serious enough to have any site as their favorite. Might as well let their favorite be FBG. I would know exactly how they are ranking their players. Advantage Me!

All the power to ya! I've got 2 sports bars within walking distance that are full of fantasy freaks on Sundays. I'll sport a shirt and give some stuff out if thats what your thinking. Many of these guys could do that! Server might crash!

 

[cobalt_27]

I'm an impressed, first year subscriber but I have been posting/reading the boards for years. I have many friends who aren't serious enough to have any site as their favorite. Might as well let their favorite be FBG. I would know exactly how they are ranking their players. Advantage Me!All the power to ya! I've got 2 sports bars within walking distance that are full of fantasy freaks on Sundays. I'll sport a shirt and give some stuff out if thats what your thinking. Many of these guys could do that! Server might crash!

If you're paying money for FF information, you're doing it wrong. About as senseless as paying for pr0n.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'm an impressed, first year subscriber but I have been posting/reading the boards for years. I have many friends who aren't serious enough to have any site as their favorite. Might as well let their favorite be FBG. I would know exactly how they are ranking their players. Advantage Me!All the power to ya! I've got 2 sports bars within walking distance that are full of fantasy freaks on Sundays. I'll sport a shirt and give some stuff out if thats what your thinking. Many of these guys could do that! Server might crash!

If you're paying money for FF information, you're doing it wrong. About as senseless as paying for pr0n.

As you've said before, you don't think it's necessary to pay for FF info. We get it. That's fine. But please understand that our business is providing FF information to people that do think it's worth paying for. It makes everything else we do possible. Without that, these message boards wouldn't exist. Nor the podcasts. Or anything we do. So please, if you want to rail on the "people are senseless to pay for FF information" angle, find another board to do it on. This board exists because many folks think the product we offer is worth the $28 a year. If you don't , that's cool. Lots of people here don't subscribe. Just don't waste your time here calling people senseless for doing something that makes this board possible. Thanks.J

 

[cobalt_27]

I'm an impressed, first year subscriber but I have been posting/reading the boards for years. I have many friends who aren't serious enough to have any site as their favorite. Might as well let their favorite be FBG. I would know exactly how they are ranking their players. Advantage Me!All the power to ya! I've got 2 sports bars within walking distance that are full of fantasy freaks on Sundays. I'll sport a shirt and give some stuff out if thats what your thinking. Many of these guys could do that! Server might crash!

If you're paying money for FF information, you're doing it wrong. About as senseless as paying for pr0n.

As you've said before, you don't think it's necessary to pay for FF info. We get it. That's fine. But please understand that our business is providing FF information to people that do think it's worth paying for. It makes everything else we do possible. Without that, these message boards wouldn't exist. Nor the podcasts. Or anything we do. So please, if you want to rail on the "people are senseless to pay for FF information" angle, find another board to do it on. This board exists because many folks think the product we offer is worth the $28 a year. If you don't , that's cool. Lots of people here don't subscribe. Just don't waste your time here calling people senseless for doing something that makes this board possible. Thanks.J

Got it.:former_subscriber:

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'm an impressed, first year subscriber but I have been posting/reading the boards for years. I have many friends who aren't serious enough to have any site as their favorite. Might as well let their favorite be FBG. I would know exactly how they are ranking their players. Advantage Me!All the power to ya! I've got 2 sports bars within walking distance that are full of fantasy freaks on Sundays. I'll sport a shirt and give some stuff out if thats what your thinking. Many of these guys could do that! Server might crash!

If you're paying money for FF information, you're doing it wrong. About as senseless as paying for pr0n.

As you've said before, you don't think it's necessary to pay for FF info. We get it. That's fine. But please understand that our business is providing FF information to people that do think it's worth paying for. It makes everything else we do possible. Without that, these message boards wouldn't exist. Nor the podcasts. Or anything we do. So please, if you want to rail on the "people are senseless to pay for FF information" angle, find another board to do it on. This board exists because many folks think the product we offer is worth the $28 a year. If you don't , that's cool. Lots of people here don't subscribe. Just don't waste your time here calling people senseless for doing something that makes this board possible. Thanks.J

Got it.:former_subscriber:

Thank you.J

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

In no particular order this is the Footballguys we want to have in the very near future:- Draft Dominator for the Mac- Expanded IDP, Auction and Dynasty content- Iphone Apps- Facebook Apps- Text messaging services- Rate My Team enhancements (imports / IDP / etc)- More Freelance articles- Multiple Magazine Releases (So the August Magazine is relevent)- Added functionality of MyFBG (personal profiles, blogging capability, enhanced scoring options, etc)- Video / Footballguys TV- Bigger and more prizes for the Subscription Contest- More Contests (Weekly, playoff, etc)- FBG Trophies- Enhanced News Services- FBG Free Daily Email all year long- More free content- Expanded NFL Draft content/coverage- Members ability to add comments to articles- Site Redesign for ease in navigation/professional look This is the list I came up with off the top of my head. If we had more money to work with I am certain we would add significantly to this list as we grow our company to meet the demands of this sector.

DD - how do you know that this is the list of stuff your customers care about? If you aren't sure what they care about, why invest money in building out the content/capability?

Joe and I always like to state the BOTTOM LINE when we say things. The bottom line here is we are going to be doing a TON of things to try and grow this company. Namely:- Employing Street Teams to pass out a minimum 150,000 CDs at sports bars, events, radio stations across the country- Marketing campaign consisting of 40-50 Million page impressions across many fantasy / sports websites- Huge push to get our staff front and center on many radio stations in the country- Direct marketing campaigns- Extensive Google Adwords campaign promoting our FREE magazine

How do you know that these are the best ways to accomplish your objective? 150,000 CDs? Why will that work? Ads on websites? Does that even work anymore? Direct marketing - through what medium? Just curious, though some of these are borderline rhetorical questions that I don't necessarily expect you to answer.

 

[jwb]

I'm an impressed, first year subscriber but I have been posting/reading the boards for years. I have many friends who aren't serious enough to have any site as their favorite. Might as well let their favorite be FBG. I would know exactly how they are ranking their players. Advantage Me!All the power to ya! I've got 2 sports bars within walking distance that are full of fantasy freaks on Sundays. I'll sport a shirt and give some stuff out if thats what your thinking. Many of these guys could do that! Server might crash!

If you're paying money for FF information, you're doing it wrong. About as senseless as paying for pr0n.

I pay more to support them. I like the Shark Pool, I like the FFA, and I met many of my FF friends - guys I play with in 9 leagues now - through this site. That's easily worth the 20-something bucks a year.

 

[candymanvandyfan]

A few thoughts. Take or leave.

1) The content here is worth more than I pay for it. Raise your prices.

2) If a one-time cash infusion is needed for useful marketing, I like the idea of a lifetime membership sale that would be available for a limited period of time. How about from June 15 through July 15 of this year? I dread the process of re-subscribing every year. I can procure a new nuclear submarine easier than I can a new subscription through your existing system. No offense meant.

3) The branding of your company hasn't been the best. Recommend slight rebranding through a new logo and brand-focused merchandise that carries no margin with the target audience being your existing customer base. Your existing customers would buy that stuff at-cost and be walking billboards for your company. The merchandise should funnel people to your site. Who wants a footballguys t-shirt? I do, but not the ones you were selling. I want a footballguys mug as well. Have a logo/brand contest, the winner of which gets a lifetime subscription. Or simply pay a marketing company to redo it. Of course, don't change the name.

4) Create opportunities for more and simpler backend sales to existing customers. Here are a few ideas: a) A 900 number that every week of the fantasy season is a 3 minute recording of late-breaking news that I need to know to set my lineup. It should be available at 12:52 and should have been recorded at 12:49. I hate sifting through all the junk to get to a distilled late-breaking report. b) Ghost drafting. How much would it cost me to have Jason Wood do my drafting for me? There is a number and somebody somewhere is willing to pay it. c) Footballguys telephone consultancy at a rate per minute. This could also be accomodated through a 900 number. Members of your staff could "cover" the phones 24 hours of the day. You could set it up as an "eat what you kill" type arrangement to provide income for your staff members. d) Open practice monitoring and reporting. If a team is having an NFL practice that is open to the public, footballguys should have somebody there and there should be a write-up of what happened. In every city where there is a pro football team, there is a college journalism/English student who loves football who would attend these practices and write stories for you. They get experience. You get content. I get the sense too often that some of your content is based on the observations of non-footballguys people. There is no substitute for your own eyes. If that means more eyes and you have to quality control those observations to protect the integrity of the information, I am fine with that. e) I don't see any links on your site for fantasy football merchandise that I don't need. I should. Somebody - heaven help them - needs to buy a bronze bobblehead fantasy football trophy for their league and there are no ads on this site to direct me to the footballguys preferred provider.

5) Sometimes I think you are paying your team more attention than mine on Sunday morning. Perhaps that is a misperception, but I would quit all leagues that aren't for footballguys publicity purposes and focus on your business. It's either a hobby or a business. It's not both.

6) Your current customer is too hard-core. You should focus on keeping these customers and not disappointing them as you attempt to grow your business. Your future customer should be the more casual player. The guy at work who got roped into playing in the company league. The guy who doesn't know anything, but is too proud to lose. The guy with more money than sense. The guy who wants to spend from 12-12:10 on the telephone for $2 a minute to ask Colin Dowling who he should start this week, Robbie Gould or Phil Dawson. Reach and accomodate those kinds of customers in addition to your more serious players.

7) Be more consistent in your service delivery. If a set document is scheduled to be posted by a set time, post it at that time. This consistency will make your in-season content worth more to your existing subscribers.

I appreciate what you do here and enjoy this site very much.