Case Study: Darren Rowse
Book | Pro Blogger
Primary tribes | ProBlogger.net | Digital Photography School | @problogger
Darren runs ProBlogger.net, the best known blog for those looking to become pro-bloggers. It’s filled with articles on how to launch, grow and market your blog. Darren has also immersed himself in a handful other social media communities, especially twitter, and is involved in a number of related ventures and blogs.
Translation, Darren knows how to build online communities.
With his online tribe growing in 2008, Darren landed a book deal with Wiley. Together with well-known blogger and tech-consultant, Chris Garrett, he wrote Pro Blogger. Shortly before the book’s release, both Darren and Chris leveraged their online tribes with special offers to drive pre-orders, then stoked sales once the book was released by sharing ideas from the book, setting up a special daily email blog-building program and rallying others in their extended etribes to help support the book.
They also placed ads on each of their blogs, capitalizing on a strong flow of new daily visitors and building on the “social proof” created by their reputations.
More than a year after it’s release, Pro Blogger still sells very well on amazon (ranked in the low thousands). And, along with his online accomplishments, the book has helped build Darren’s online tribe and position him well to speak.