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[CP ridgerunner]

<applauds Friday>

From Jean Alexander, FSP Signup Analyst:

Ian and Free Talk Live have brought a steady and consistent stream of
new participants to the Free State Project.  The regular results FTL
brings to our recruiting efforts is greatly appreciated!

The FSP while it certainly deserves Friday's critique, is doing one thing right.  They are sponsoring Free Talk Live to the tune of $500 a month.  If you look in the signup statistics thread, you'll see that we recruited at least 10% of the FSP's signups in July, and increased that to 13% in August.

Free Talk Live is currently the number one recruiter for the Free State Project.

Let's put these excellent statistics in perspective:  Free Talk Live currently is coming up on its first year of syndication.  We've only got 8 affiliates.  But really, that's our Saturday show that has all those 8, our weekday show only has 2.  While one of those two is in Kansas City, it's also a 6 Watt signal during our show, and therefore, not a "player" in the metro.  Realistically, we only have a few thousand listeners, and maybe several thousand on our Saturday show.

Even with a relatively small footprint, we are recruiting 13% of the new FSP signups!!

I only wish the FSP leadership was as excited about this possiblity as we are.  Before I continue, I give major kudos to Bob Hull, Brian Sullivan, and Jean Alexander who have been active supporters of my show amongst the FSP brass.

Unfortunately, I have been told that there are certain members of the FSP leadership that either do not like me or my show.  No one will tell me who my detractors are, nor what exactly their problem is.  So that leads me to speculation:

-Did the detractors think that the money being allocated to Free Talk Live would be wasted?  If so, they surely have been proven wrong by now, and as we grow will continue to be proven wrong.

I have publicly invited the detractors to come talk to me about their issues or objections, and to date, no one has.  The invitation remains open.

The FSP's $500 a month has been a major help in promoting our show.  It accounts for nearly 50% of the measly amount of income we have.  (Our listeners are directly contributing about $675 a month via our AMP program.)  All of this money is going right back out to market our show to more stations and more internet listeners.  No one is collecting a paycheck from Free Talk Live.

The more money we have coming in, the more we can promote our show, the more stations we'll get on board, the more listeners we'll convert into FSP participants.  It's a simple, powerful process.

I promised to not raise rates on the FSP, and I won't.  But I must say, we could do so much more with a little extra.  If the board is too skeptical to increase funding voluntarily, I would like the FSP to consider allowing me to reach out directly to the membership and ask them to contribute to FTL via our AMP program.  I'll only ask them for $3 a month.

We will not sit on the money.  We will spend it to promote our show, because we want to grow.  We want to spread the Liberty message and promote the FSP as far and as wide as possible, as fast as possible.

With our meager budget, we're already:
-Buying ad space in the Talk Radio industry's top publication, "TALKERS" (Radio Program Directors are seeing us in talkers, and hearing our name when I call them personally, and our listeners call them personally.)
-We just signed up with "Talk Shows USA" a promotion group run by an old industry pro, to whom radio program directors turn for advice on what to add to their stations.  He'll be telling them "Free Talk Live".  (This will begin next month.)
-We're running a Google Adwords campaign resulting in hundreds of hits per month.

Months ago I said we were the most potentially powerful and affordable recruiting tool the FSP has ever had.  The numbers have vindicated that claim already, and we have only scratched the surface of the potential that we hold for the FSP.

To the leadership reading this:  Please let me send an email to the FSP Participants and Friends, and ask them to help AMP my show.  A 2% response rate will push our listener contributions over the $1,000 mark.  Also consider acknowledging the value of Free Talk Live, and increasing the FSP's contribution amount towards our show.

To those of you reading this who understand the power of this opportunity for growth, please go now to http://amp.freetalklive.com and read all about our AMP program, then sign up to be an AMPlifier for as little as $3 a month.

We will not disappoint you.

                                                                                                                                                                     
  Could you possibly do some sort of sydication of the show. I think your show would do good on Talk Radio WGOW-FM, Chattanooga, TN. and probally the Talk station out of Nashville?

[JonM]

Can and does.  see http://pd.freetalklive.com

[CP ridgerunner]

Months ago I said we were the most potentially powerful and affordable recruiting tool the FSP has ever had. 

I concur.

While your operation is certainly commercial in nature, and your ultimate aim is a nice paycheck for yourself, I wish the FSP would throw some of that $30k collecting dust in their accounts at you.

                                                                                                                                                             
 Â Commerical can be a good idea for people who think the free market is a good idea, could the show run commericals maybe highlighting NH., maybe FSP member businesses and FSP friendly businesses with possibly libertarian friendly local businesses if the show airs out of state.

[lloydbob1]

 One early issue was the highway cleanup signs.   These issues are not trivial.  

What should be done or not done invoking the name of the FSP will seem trivial after the organization falls apart.

Oh...and yes if people started curbing their discussions because people would know what they were thinking, that would be a bad thing.

[lloydbob1]

Months ago I said we were the most potentially powerful and affordable recruiting tool the FSP has ever had. 

I concur.

While your operation is certainly commercial in nature, and your ultimate aim is a nice paycheck for yourself, I wish the FSP would throw some of that $30k collecting dust in their accounts at you.

Yes, doing well by doing good.  That's one of the American ways!

[eukreign]

Months ago I said we were the most potentially powerful and affordable recruiting tool the FSP has ever had.

I concur.

While your operation is certainly commercial in nature, and your ultimate aim is a nice paycheck for yourself, I wish the FSP would throw some of that $30k collecting dust in their accounts at you.

                                                                                                                                                             
  Commerical can be a good idea for people who think the free market is a good idea, could the show run commericals maybe highlighting NH., maybe FSP member businesses and FSP friendly businesses with possibly libertarian friendly local businesses if the show airs out of state.

Can and does. The Free State Project is advertised at least a dozen times during the show. They also advertise businesses on their website and have a monthly auction where you can win a spot on their website to advertise your business.

[CP ridgerunner]

Can and does.  see http://pd.freetalklive.com

                                                                                                                                                     
 Â Ok I need to view that on another screen. Hell is dark suppose to be cool now or is my new flat acreen need adjusting? Hell it is probally me I haven't even looked at the owners instructions.                                                    
 Â               Oh well, I will look it over, if I like it, I will pass the idea to the TNLP to sponser a slot on WGOW. It goes down into GA, AL. and I'm pretty sure NC. around Murphy. It fads out before you get to Knoxville in TN. but covers most of southeast TN. and the southern part of the Cumberland.

[CP ridgerunner]

Months ago I said we were the most potentially powerful and affordable recruiting tool the FSP has ever had.

I concur.

While your operation is certainly commercial in nature, and your ultimate aim is a nice paycheck for yourself, I wish the FSP would throw some of that $30k collecting dust in their accounts at you.

                                                                                                                                                             
  Commerical can be a good idea for people who think the free market is a good idea, could the show run commericals maybe highlighting NH., maybe FSP member businesses and FSP friendly businesses with possibly libertarian friendly local businesses if the show airs out of state.

Can and does. The Free State Project is advertised at least a dozen times during the show. They also advertise businesses on their website and have a monthly auction where you can win a spot on their website to advertise your business.

                                                                                                                                                                       
    Cool!

[Morey]

Friday, great post!  Thank you.

Ian, the reason I personally find your behaviour annoying is because you constantly hijack threads to promote yourself.  Yes, your recruitment cost of  $40-60 per member (not counting member donations) is pretty good.  Maybe we should try some other libertarian talk shows.  But there are also a lot of people who never listen to talk radio.  Diverse outreach efforts are a good thing.

CP Ridgerunner, could you please just quote the relevant bit of text?  There is no reason to use 20k of bandwidth to say "yes, I agree".

Re: The Underground forum, it has lots of communication, but it is, at its core, a clique; an insiders club, consisting more of inside jokes and back patting than actual signal.  Digging through all the muck to find out what is going on is like reading slashdot at -1 threshhold.  Over here in the FSP forum, we get a little bit of news and a whole lot of philosophical debate.  Neither is especially rewarding.

Finally, the conversations are most unhindered if they are private.  If people worry about curbing their discussion due to it being public that could be a bad thing.

 
I strongly disagree.  FSP leadership should operate with complete transparency, like any decent non-profit.

Elections didn't work out very well.  Very few people voted overall which showed an overall lack of interest.  Drawing in people who have shown dedication and good judgment seemed to work best.

Again, I disagree.  I don't think its worked out well at all.  Evan is VP, and a swell guy.  But what has he done since the AH article?  Had some knives made?  He's not participated in lists or forums, and usually doesn't even make the board meetings.  I expect more from the VP.  And Evan isn't the only seemingly dormant leader.  What have you done, Jean?  I truly hope you don't count making a new category in the forums as one of your key accomplishments.

The money *is* being put to use.  As Jason pointed out we're talking to a couple of PR firms and expect to spend the funds that way.  Being slow to spend it is a bit of a problem but we are actively working on that.

Decisiveness is key to being a good manager.  "We're working on it" for months on end just doesn't cut it with me.

[jeanius]

It should be noted Lloyd that my comment wasn't meant to be a reason for FSP board meetings to be private but rather a reason commonly given for such meetings to be private.  The FSP corporation isn't doing anything with respect to meetings that isn't commonplace.  

Jean

[Russell Kanning]

Time to dismantle the fsp as a corporation .... spend the money ...... fold the tent and start over.

The leadership looks down on us common members and is getting in the way of our goal. So step aside, we have a police state to dismantle.

[jeanius]

Transparency ... ask a question Morey.  Because the board meetings are private doesn't mean we're not willing to talk about it.  The mission change issue was discussed heavily in the forum and via email.  We don't operate in a vacuum.  

With respect to what I do, well, I can name a few things.  I've been a generalist for the FSP, stepping in when a need arises.  I did the massive and extremely detailed sign up analyis in early 2004.  I've updated that since and look for changes and trends in where our new participants hear about us.  I developed and paid for ads in the LP News and California Freedom early this year.  I recreated our most recent trifold in my desktop publishing software when our advertising gal had to step out.  I've written a few pieces and have tried to reach out to women in particular.  The one area in the forum was actually created due to a couple of women's reaction to our forum.  I put together the program for Porc Fest and ran the silent auction there.  I am a board member and that eats up a fair number of cycles.  I keep our corporate records and pay for filings out of my pocket.  I have been homeschooling liaison but have dropped that recently to head up the New Hampshire Information effort.  Having just moved to the state and having just researched the state re: finding a place that's right for our family I am passionate about making that easier for folks.  A *lot* of what I do is not visible, is behind the scenes stuff that has to be done.  

Jean

[Russell Kanning]

"I am a board member and that eats up a fair amount of cycles.  I keep our corporate records and pay for filings out of my pocket."

End board meetings and say stuff it to the feds ....... see saving time and money already.


Soon they will be circling the wagons ..... the savages are on the warpath.
The O-list must be abuzz ..... the barbarians are at the gates.

[Russell Kanning]

Re: The Underground forum, it has lots of communication, but it is, at its core, a clique; an insiders club, consisting more of inside jokes and back patting than actual signal.  Digging through all the muck to find out what is going on is like reading slashdot at -1 threshhold.  Over here in the FSP forum, we get a little bit of news and a whole lot of philosophical debate.  Neither is especially rewarding.

Some of us consider it a community of friends. We never promised signal. Just a place for some of us to hang out.

[Russell Kanning]

Elections didn't work out very well.  Very few people voted overall which showed an overall lack of interest.  Drawing in people who have shown dedication and good judgment seemed to work best.  

With respect to neutrality ... that's a difficult stance  I know.  The problem is, as much as we all care about liberty, we all care about it differently.  One early issue was the highway cleanup signs.  The fact is , not everyone wants to support the state by cleaning their highways.  Yes, it's a nice piece of roadway advertising and it is generally considered a nice community volunteer effort.  But not everyone feels that way.  Are we helping our enemy?  These issues are not trivial.  Every "position" we could take could be vilified by folks on the other side.  Every time someone does something remotely controversial we hear from people who didn't like it.  

I thought they did. The current way has not worked out at all.

The FSP pickup has worked wonderfully. Anyone that wants to help ..... does and the rest of you are not forced to do anything. People think the FSP is a helpful organization and we all win. These issues are trivial. The fsp leadership takes itself too seriously.