There are hundreds of millions of websites around the world, with thousands more sprouting up every day. With such a crowded field, it’s vital to have a value proposition for your visitors to explain why your site is unique. If you want your readership to grow, you must continue to provide fresh content, good customer experience, and something differentiated from your competitors.
With the whimsical ways of the web, I’ve thought long and hard about what makes Yakezie.com and the Yakezie Network special. As far as I can tell, there is no other free blogging network as dynamic or as large as ours. But being free and large is not all that matters. Please have a look and share what else I might be missing.
THE YAKEZIE VALUE PROPOSITION
* Diversity. What I love most about the Yakezie Network is the diversity of Members and Challengers. We have doctors, bankers, programmers, lawyers, librarians, MBAs, environmentalists, professors, and entrepreneurs among us. There is literally no problem we can’t at least guide someone towards the right answer with our professional diversity. We have an age range from our early 20’s to our late 60’s and also have a healthy split of both men and women. We represent many races and nationalities, which all help provide fantastic viewpoints on politics, humanity, religion, and economics. We are like the United Nations of Bloggers!
* A culture of helping others. Since the soft launch of the Yakezie Network in December, 2009, and the official Yakezie.com launch in August, 2010, we have always had the mantra of selflessly helping others. We realize that it can’t always be the case to be selfless, but at the very least, we know that if we can create a culture of giving, good things will happen over the long-term. To be part of an environment where you know someone is ready and able to help you if you fall is a wonderful feeling. It just makes you want to help others back that much more in return. The virtuous cycle of giving back is vital to the culture of the Yakezie.
* Keeping judgement to a minimum. People are judgemental. It’s in our nature, and it’s hard to stop. That said, we really try and minimize the amount of judgement we have for other people here at the Yakezie. Members and Challengers are free to do whatever they want on their own sites. If a Member seeks help, be it personal, financial, or online, we are ready to assist, and that seeker of help will keep an open mind to the feedback he or she will receive. As a United Nations of Bloggers, we learn about acceptance, and absorbing the special attributes of each other to improve ourselves.
* Yakezie is free. The Yakezie Network is like a social club, but without the mandatory dues. Members and Challengers can contribute if they wish. We are certainly not a link building Network that requires a monthly fee as we don’t own any sites. Everybody is free to join the Yakezie Network provided they go through the 6-month Yakezie Challenge. It’s up to each individual to reach out to as many Members and Challengers as possible, and write consistently great content for at least that duration of time. The idea is that if you have the dedication to complete 6 months, you have the perseverance to stick things out for the very long term.
* One of best online forums on the web. The Yakezie Forums is one of the best online forums on the web. We primarily talk about blogging, personal finance and lifestyle. That said, there is no topic of conversation that cannot be discussed. I’ve gone to the forums time and time again and have gotten all my questions answered in a matter of hours. It’s truly incredible how tight a forum community we’ve built. Doing a simple search in the forums, and it’s likely you will find the answers you are looking for.
* Consistently fresh content that isn’t driven by money. Although making money online is nice, you will find that 95%+ of the content on Yakezie.com does not have any affiliate content or ads embedded within the content. We leave the advertising on a separate right-hand side bar to make the content as uncluttered as possible. When content is purely written for the sake of having something to say, it makes that content that much more compelling. I don’t know exactly what the right balance is between advertising and content, but suffice it to say that we will never have more than 20% of our content driven by money. The only affiliate related content that will be written will be things we really care about. There isn’t even a fee we take for the Yakezie Blogger Services.
* Consistently fresh content that is written by a diverse group of bloggers. It’s one thing to have diverse content written by one or two bloggers for one site. It’s another thing to have 50+ diverse bloggers writing diverse content on a site. I’m learning something new on Yakezie.com every single day thanks to all the different type of contributors. The Yakezie Network has hands down the best personal finance and lifestyle content on the web.
* We love having fun! If you aren’t having fun blogging, you aren’t doing it right! There’s a reason why some of us work 10+ hour days, come home and spend another 3 hours online writing and interacting with the Yakezie Community. It’s so fun and addicting! If I didn’t have fun blogging, I would drop running this site and Financial Samurai in a heartbeat because goodness knows, I would be losing some major money every month if my day job hourly salary was attributed to my online hours spent! By one estimate, I think I lose about $20,000 a month! Good thing it’s about the community and fun first, and money second.
* You have a higher chance of succeeding. If you become a part of the Yakezie Community, your chances for blogging survival goes up drastically. Most bloggers don’t last more than 6 months before they burn out, throw their computer out their window, and curse at their hosting company in a fit of rage! With a network of like-minded people, there’s little chance you will quit without giving your online endeavors everything you got. Community Members have left before, only to come back stronger and better than ever. It’s the same idea with Team In Training or working out with a buddy. We challenge each other to keep getting better.
* No asshole policy. Life is too short for drama and assholes. As a result, we have a no asshole policy for Members and for the Yakezie Forums. We are self-governed, so if a prickly person does emerge and starts going overboard by calling people names and blowing things up, they will be removed. Folks are free to be assholes elsewhere, but not here. If you want to be a part of our community, then you must abide by the simple rule of not being an asshole. Leave your personal issues at the door and keep an open mind. Seek to help first.
* You build natural relationships with more established bloggers. I remember having a difficult time getting anybody to respond to my comments and e-mails when I first started out. My one and only carnival submission failed, and I never even got a response for a staff writing tryout. I felt left out from the hustle and bustle of blogging and it didn’t feel good. As a result, I’ve made it a goal for the community to be supportive of new bloggers who are serious about building their online presence. I will do my best to respond to all questions and at least guide folks in the right direction. If you don’t hear from me, feel free to ping me again. It’s the same for all Yakezie Members. You are free to contact anybody, and I’m sure they will respond and help out.
* You build optionality. By building a web presence, you build the optionality to do many things. First, you show your audience or future employer that you have the wherewithal to create a presence online. Second, you develop a site that can be a channel to help you do other things e.g. sell a product, highlight a mission, promote a charity. Third, you showcase not only your online savviness and entrepreneurial spirit, you also showcase your communication abilities which is key in doing anything spectacular. Finally, if you get really good online, you can actually make a real living working from your computer, anywhere in the world. Having the optionality to do whatever you want is invaluable.
* A recognition of achievement. Because it takes at minimum 6-months to complete the Challenge, and 8 months on average more likely, not everybody will be able to succeed. It’s hard work connecting with others, writing good quality content 2-4X a week and dedicating a consistent amount of time on your website. By being an official Yakezie Member, other publishers, advertisers and people who work in the online world will instantly recognize the dedication you’ve put into your website and the quality of your site due to your Yakezie Member badge. The badge is 100% earned, not given.
* Creating pro bloggers. If you want to make money online and become a professional blogger, Yakezie.com is the number one website that will help you get there!
WHAT IS YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION?
I believe in Yakezie.com and the Yakezie Network with all my heart. It actually pains me that I can’t spend more time on the Network due to other obligations such as a day job. I wish I was a master programmer/coder who could update this site to be the most kick-ass site on the web. Alas, I know my limitations, but I won’t give up.
With the community that we’ve created so far, I know we will continue to flourish, no matter what the web Gods decide. We’ve got the diversity, commitment, and skills to keep getting better every single day. The e-mails I get and the posts I read about how the Yakezie has helped folks get through unemployment, tough times with loved ones, and uncertainty with their sites is what makes everything worthwhile!
Members and Challengers, please consider writing your own value proposition on your respective sites. It’s a great exercise for you to help create even more value for your readers and reflect on what’s important to you.
Regards,
Sam
If only I could enact the “no assholes” policy to motorists out on the road, where I spend most of my time at my day job! Simply remove all assholes. What a great policy.
Your value proposition is dead on! Without the generosity and willingness to help from everybody within this community, I would probably still be just a hobby blogger with a crappy blog. I’ve learned so much by simply asking questions within the forums. Yakezie is incredible!
Thanks Matt. It’s too painful to deal with drama in your hobby. If someone violates my joy in my hobby, then they are gone. No time for bullcrap!
We’re self governing, and Members use their own judgement. It’s the best system imo.
I definitely fell for yakezie from the first day I joined as a challenger. We didn’t have much assholes compared to average number of assholes in human population. Totally agree with your value proposition line of thinking. How many of us are really convinced that they are offering contents which others haven’t already provided somewhere else?
Assholes are hard to avoid. It’s in our nature to judge, put down, project our insecurities etc. That said, we try hard to eradicate such attitude here at the Yakezie.
If we can write more about our personal stories, then we are really offering original content, b/c we are all unique.
Yakezie has definitely had this value for me. The forums are always helpful and friendly and I have “met” many nice people who are happy to help a new guy. That is rare these days.
I need to thank you for creating this value proposition and for sticking to it. Thanks a lot.
Your welcome and thanks for participating. We’ve all been new once, so it is only right to help out those who want to commit to this fun thing we’ve got going here.
I don’t think there is a person on Yakezie that doesn’t know how much I love the network. It has changed my life and thinking in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Jai, can’t wait for you to finish up the Challenge. You’ve definitely been one of the most active Challengers around!
Great post Sam! I think you nailed a lot of the reasons why I was so enticed to join Yakezie when I first found out about it. If I had to add something, I would add to ‘You have a higher chance of succeeding’. Not only does the Yakezie network give new bloggers a community to support them, but it gives new bloggers solid models to follow. Want to learn how to build a successful blog as a newcomer? Go check out the blog of every Yakezie member for a start! For new bloggers, the Yakezie Network is like a Big Brother to guide you along the way.
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve added that into the post!
“* You build natural relationships with more established bloggers. I remember having a difficult time getting anybody to respond to my comments and e-mails when I first started out. My one and only carnival submission failed, and I never even got a response for a staff writing tryout. I felt left out from the hustle and bustle of blogging and it didn’t feel good. As a result, I’ve made it a goal for the community to be supportive of new bloggers who are serious about building their online presence. I will do my best to respond to all questions and at least guide folks in the right direction. If you don’t hear from me, feel free to ping me again. It’s the same for all Yakezie Members. You are free to contact anybody, and I’m sure they will respond and help out.”
I’m still one of the newbies here, Sam, but I really love Yakezie and there is little question the amount of value it brings to bloggers and their followers. Only 4.5 more months to go and I’ll be through the challenge – that seems like a long time. :)
Now that you spell it out… 4.5 months does seem like a long time! That said, I think it will go by quickly as your blog continues to grow. Happy blogging!
I have always felt the friendship and support from members and challengers. Everyone is very supportive and helpful. I love it!
Great to hear Lisa! The diversity here really is amazing.
Unfortunately it only takes one dedicated asshole to do a lot of damage! However, I think as a group we are strong enough to survive and get past the haters and assholes out there. This post sums up nicely what the Yakezie is about, and why I think we have endurance presence and potential: When people work with each other and help each other like we do here, it’s a win-win. :)
If you don’t have assholes and haters, you aren’t doing it right either! :) I like our no asshole policy. It feels great to go into an atmosphere that’s harmonious.
The Yakezie truly is amazing and I think you have outlined why very well in this post. I feel privledged to be part of this network and I think longevity is on our side. We set the example of the ideal and more and more people will be looking to us.
Welcome back Miss T! Where did you say you went on vacay again? It’s an honor to have you as part of the community!
It is true that if blogging is not fun, you are not doing it right. It is also true that after a long day at work I come home and I am looking forward to do some more work – blogging is work but it is a fun one. :)
I wake up every morning by 7am so excited to check my e-mails related to blogging. I don’t know what it is, but it sure feels like Christmas every morning!
I don’t know where we would be without Yakezie. There are so many great sites and great people who are regulars here, and it has been a great motivator to see the success of others and to interact with everyone.
We just started in January and so are only a few months into the challenge, but we hope to be a part of the Yakezie community for a long time to come.
Jefferson, I’ll hold you to your word and see you here still in August!
Sam you knocked it out of the park in this post. Yakezie means so many things to me and to everyone here and I can’t count the amount of things I’ve learned from you and the other Members. And it’s exciting to see committed and talented challengers continue to come out of the woodwork. I love that we all come from different places, backgrounds, decades, cultures, etc Even though I haven’t had a chance to meet people face to face I feel connected with the regulars here because everyone is so supportive! I’m all about keeping it positive and love learning and teaching each other new things. Go Yakezie!!! :)
Thanks Sydney! Consider writing a Value Proposition on Untemplater. It’s my favorite lifestyle blog outside of PF and I love contributing there. Thanks for all your help too!
I owe so much to Yakezie and our members & challengers. Many bloggers couldn’t last, but because of the support and help from our community, I was able to push through that crucial 1st year. I’m sure many of us feel the same way. Yakezie is a great community and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m really looking forward to meeting many of you in Denver later this year.
I just can’t wait for your retirement post Joe!! Seriously, it’s one of the most highly anticipated posts I’m looking forward to!
You can stil come to Hawaii in May btw. Just ask the wife again!
Great post, I think you highlight so many points on why there is value here. I’d also add, many people have built real relationships with others in the network, beyond just being bloggers. I think that is so important as well!
Indeed. Thanks to meetups and Fincon, it’s great to put faces with names. These are lifelong relationships which are priceless!
This value statement reminds me of a rather lengthy mission statement. It is strategic how it touches almost every area. Sam, your value is that you are not a techie, but more of builder/ pioneer of this network. It takes much more to create this type of organization. BTW, I am glad that I am not the oldest member!
Ah, but I wish I was a techie! I would power on through and do so much more for the Network! You might be the oldest man, so don’t worry! :)
Being part of Yakezie amps up the learning speed. Without the collective knowledge of the forum, I know I would have struggled on, and possibly even given up.
The “no asshole” policy is a virtuous one. Would that more companies in the business world follow this simple rule.
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I think you summed it up perfectly Sam. I really like the Metaphor “A United Nations” of personal finance bloggers is a pretty cool creation indeed. Thanks to everyone for all the help I’ve received from being a member of this UN.
I have enjoyed being a part of Yakezie from day one. We all bring our own talents and unique style to this community and we are the better for it. Yakezie is a perfect example of how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts!
I love this network with all my heart. I love the no assholes policy the most.
Sam, this is excellent. What I make between my businesses and my IT job is way more than I will ever make in the blogging world. It’s really fun to share my story, and to connect with so many great folks on Yakezie that motivates me.
BTW, this is a timely post for me as I just achieved my first goal of breaking Alexa 200K barrier. It is fascinating because I’ve been blogging barely for three months. And, I accepted the challenge just seven weeks ago.
I attribute my success to this amazing network and everyone who helps fellow Yakezie blogger to achieve his/her goals.
Years ago, I wrote an article for Lifehack.org to express my reasons for blogging. Yakezie transcends my ideals so well.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/4-reasons-why-blogging-is-a-noble-passion.html
Congrats on breaking 200K! With 4+ months to go, try and smash through 100K, and I think you’ll notice a lot of great positives correlated with that benchark.
Let me go check out that guest post you wrote. Thx!
Sam, thanks for taking the time to write this post. This is an amazing community, one of the best (in every way) of all the online communities I have been a part of since the mid 90s. It is genuinely helpful, there is little drama, and the diversity is amazing.
I must confess that when I started I was a bit unsure of what my reception would be. My blog is not a PF dedicated blog (though I am now including more PF posts than before), and I was worried I would ignored. That hasn’t happened. I feel like the mechanics of blogging (and there are some), but also the ethos of blogging is what I have developed during my time here.
I know this: I am better at blogging now than I was back in early January when I joined the Challenge. Thanks for creating an amazing site.
Howdy mate, thanks for sharing your thoughts. There are definitely basic mechanics to blogging, and after that, it gets so much fun. It’s exhilarating to me actually! Blogging just keeps on giving, it’s the darndest thing.
Thanks for the reminder of what we stand for and why we do what we do. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in everything else and forget what a great community we have – I’m so thankful for my fellow bloggers, who have saved me more times than I can count! Hopefully I’ll be able to keep going and continue participating in the Network.
Thank you, Sam, for writing this – it is a timely reminder of the values of a great and powerful network. I identify particualrly with the diversity, helping others and building relationshops values. Yakezie supported me to reach my goal and break through 200k on New Year’s Day. I am still hovering around 100k but there will be onother push. What I find best though is that I could’t wait to give back to the community and have been doing since – it feels so good. You are right, that the support of others can’t always be selfless. But I would argue that the support we give each other has little to do with ‘the self’ – it is a group action that raises the standard. So, by helping others to improve we improve ourselves.
This makes it so worth it for me and I just hope that I’ll meet the conditions for membership at the next round.
I love Yakezie. It’s such a great community of great bloggers. You all have helped me so much.
Super summary Sam. You probably should run that post every quarter to remind us all who we are and why we are here!
Hi everybody– I joined a long time ago, and have to admit to having fallen off the Yakezie wagon. I am back and hope that you will all accept this backslider into the fold again:)
I was going to suggest a forum because I didn’t know a forum existed until today. Doh.
Oh, I love this place! I have noticed that even disagreements are respectful, which makes the forums less fun to observe, but way more fun to participate in!
I’m glad I stepped up to be part of the group, and I am trying to better manage my time to navigate the site more often to connect with others and be part of the carinvals.
I love this value proposition which is why I always come back! I know that I get side tracked sometimes with my blog but with my renewed vigor and commitment to the Epsilon Class I am always trying to exemplify this post :)
I’d say that the community and selflessly helping others is the big key to Yakezie.
I see the value proposition for my own site being a resource of financial information for families to help them make smart money decisions.
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Oh, I love this place! I have noticed that even disagreements are respectful, which makes the forums less fun to observe.
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Edward
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