With last week’s most recent climatic episode of “The End of the State of Connecticut As We Know It”, it became so much of a challenge to get actual work done that at one point I packed it in and dove deep into my collection of bookmarked cool blog sites that I’ve been meaning to get to one of these days and pulled out one of the best sites out there: 12Most.com . Check it out and you’ll see- I think I’m addicted. Once in, it’s hard to come up for air, the writing is so good, often so much fun, occasionally hilarious, and other times just damn clever. Writers submitting here all take their best shots at filling in the blank with something so interesting and creative that the one upmanship really raises the blogger bar. Topics range from light lifestyle, pieces ‘12 Most Common Misconceptions About Raising Twins’ by Jerry Mahoney, to arts and entertainment ’12 Most Nostalgic Reasons We Miss the Grateful Dead’ by Joyn Boyle, to business leadership :’12 Most Inspiring Rules For Career Success…From Steve Jobs’ , by Dave Ellis, to marketing :’12 Most Self Serving reasons to Post Blog Comments’ by Bruce Sallan, to one near and dear to my heart, in the tech and online media section…now , pay attention: ’12 Most Annoying Things Driving Traffic Away from Your Website’ by Tonya R.Taylor, to sales : ’12 Most Awesomely Spectacular Ways to Lose Customers’ by Sean McGinnis.

Started on a whim in May of 2011, 12 Most is still in its infancy but as you’ll see when you go to the site, is just exploding with so much traffic I couldn’t get on it all morning because- I think- they are still playing server catch up trying to accommodate the swift rise in readership, contributions, categories and organization. What’s the point here, you might be asking. Well there are a few:

Why is this website, which is just beginning to be monetized after the fact, so dang popular and attracting such a huge throng of writers and readers? My theory? A) It hits a nerve. Who amongst us doesn’t have that bucket list of complaints….for proof of that check out all of the number of ‘12 Most Annoying…’ category, (oow wait, there is none. Yet. I’m sure there will be soon), or of places they want to visit, or of things they wish they’d known when they started their business, or had their children, or buried their dog. and on and on. B) It’s so much fun!! Who doesn’t want to play? It’s participatory. Key marketing strategy. Ding! Ding ! Ding-a-ling! and C) It’s simple. Nothing complicated here, just a really great idea, executed well and inviting participation.
All you small business folks out there. Read B and C again. Go ahead, I’ll wait. The innovative, savvy folks at 12 Most have figured out, perhaps accidentally although I highly doubt it, that a successful online business is a participatory , permission based one, not an interruptive one. Seth Godin explains it perfectly in his Permission Marketing when he say’s “…because the messages were anticipated, personal and relevant, people paid attention”. This line is repeated all throughout this (great) book which was my other reading assignment this past down week, and anyone looking to really expand their market and gain new customers/patients/clients in the upcoming years needs to pay attention to this concept and heed it when developing their business and marketing plan. We’ll talk more about this in another blog.

For now though, I’m so fired up about this ‘12 Most ‘ that I’m challenging myself to get me a 12 Most List, write it up, submit it and hope for acceptance. And if they don’t accept my first one I’ll keep writing them until they’re so sick of me that they’ll just post it out of pity. A pity post. I’ll take it!

Here’s the thing….I need help !…what should my list be?? Suggestions wanted!! Would love it if you could throw your suggestions in the comments box and help Suzen get her outstanding ’12 Most’ blog accepted by the esteemed editors at 12 Most.com. The winner with the best topic…(that gets me accepted !!) will win a free multi page, in-depth, website analysis to see how searchable your current website is. And if you don’t have a website yet, and could care less about having one in the future, how about a free 30 minute marketing consultation on the subject of your choice.

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8 Comments

Jennifer C on November 9, 2011 at 7:14 am

Keeping it relevant and timely – how about a Top Ten List on How to Prepare for Freaky October Snow Storms (and other outlandish weather!)

Good luck!
Tina Rosser on November 9, 2011 at 9:47 am

Well, there’s the 12 Most Annoying Things About Internet Dating; and the 12 Things You Must Know to Raise a Daughter; the 12 Easiest Meals To Make; the 12 Things You Can Do To Make Your Guests Think You Just Had Your House Cleaned When You Didn’t; 12 Qualities in a Really Good Friend; 12 Books You Must Own; 12 Things To Know About Your Car; 12 Tricks For Dealing With Airlines; 12 Gifts You Can Give To Anyone Anywhere (not including liquor); 12 Ab Moves That Really Work; 12 Tricks To Teach Your Dog; and twelth and last – but not least by any means – the ONE thing you can say to your cell phone carrier to get them to listen to you.
Suzen on November 9, 2011 at 11:27 am

Love it Tina. I should have known you’d be right in there!! such a fertile mind….I do believe that the title has to begin with The 12 MOST….however, which makes it a bit more of a challenge…I’ll confirm that. I’m sure we can convert most of these to “most” if we try hard enough…
you’re the best!!
Suzen on November 9, 2011 at 11:29 am

Great idea Jenn!! needs to be “12 most”. Maybe “12 Most Sensible Ways to Prepare for Freaky Unsensible October Snow Storms’
vin verrillo on November 9, 2011 at 1:07 pm

Might try; 12 Most Influential things to happen in the next
year, (ten years); 12 Most Powerful works of art (ie The David, Beethoven’s ninth; 12 Most Destructive things to have happened in the past century, (JFK assination, Vietnam War, Stalin) Gool luck- Vin
Jane Pollak on November 9, 2011 at 1:43 pm

How about the 12 most popular things to do when you can’t do anything else–like what happened to you? #1 – go through your bookmarked websites.

You can take it from there.
Suzen on November 9, 2011 at 4:21 pm

Love it, and talk about relevant…unless of course you can’t get online because you have no INTERNET.
Now that would be a bizarre twist: Jane Pollak winning a 30 minute consultation with me. And I thought I was in the twilight zone last week!
Suzen on November 14, 2011 at 8:28 am

great idea’s Ken…i think the strategy of the site was to inspire exactly what is happening here, and not much more…have it spur interaction and interesting collaborative thoughts! like the Thanksgiving one…how timely..:)