Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition [Book Review]

44 Comments

launchMichael Stelzner owned a creative servies agency in the mid-1900s. Remember the bubble that burst the internet companies at the end of that decade? As you can imagine, it affected Michael’s business in a big way.

Michael shifted his focus to writing white papers for big companies like FedEx, Microsoft, Dow Jones and HP. A few years laters Michael launched Social Media Examiner with $4,000. Within two weeks of its launch, Social Media Examiner joined the ranks of Technorati’s Top 100 Small Business Blogs and remains in the Top 10. Michael has since turned that $4,000 investment into $3 million.

Michael Stelzner knows a thing or two about building businesses obviously, so when he offered to send me a copy of his newest book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition, I jumped at the chance to read it.

“For the person who’s been told, ‘It can’t be done,’ this is for you”. – Michael Stelzner

How does a person go from zero to more than 40,000 e-mail subscribers, 450,000 monthly page views and 20,000 Facebook fans in 12 months? It’s all laid out in Launch with what Michael calls the Elevation Principle.

GC + OP – MM = G

“Great Content” plus “Other People” minus “Marketing Messages” equals “Growth”. I found myself highlighting and taking notes like crazy in this book. Thanks to Michael, I have some work ahead of me to update my content strategy and get the most out of this formula.

No Marketing

While the Elevation Principle leaves out marketing messages, you better believe there’s a lot of marketing going on. When you create valuable content and give it away, your community grows closer. Launch encourages you to create content that doesn’t stress spending money with you, at least not in the beginning.

The best marketing happens when you don’t realize you’re even being marketed to. Before you know it you’re in love with the company and you’ll buy everything they sell, which all stems from creating remarkable content that people share with their friends.

Types of Content

Launch offers incredible tips on two different types of content:

  1. Primary Fuel such as how-to articles, expert interviews, reviews, case studies and news stories, and
  2. Nuclear Fuel such as reports, white papers, top 10 contests and micro events.

You’ll benefit from this book regardless of whether your business is just launching, or if you haven’t gotten the traction you need to make it work. Heck, I’ve been in business for over five years and some pages of this book seem like they have more ink from my pen than from the printer.

I gave away a copy of Launch with this post. You can see from the comments below many people want to get their hands on it.

Posted on June 30, 2011

  • http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com Michael A. Stelzner

    Justin – Thanks for your awesome review and video!

  • http://www.MyNewMarketingCoach.com David Robertson

    Ideation is a HUGE strength of mine. Often a small thought of “I could do _____” or “Something should be done about ______” turns into a very large vision. This vision, often, goes beyond what makes logical sense coming from someone like me. Of course building a blog with numbers, connections, readers and influence that Social Media Examiner has in 12 months doesn’t make much logical sense either. 

    Justin, that is why I want the book. I have a feeling that these dreams & ideas I hold have wings to them. I just need to connect with the right information & people to guide me through the process of learning to fly…
    This book sounds like a start.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    My pleasure @smexaminer:twitter. I was blown away by how great a read it was. Now, getting back to my notes in the book. :)

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I’m positive it will be, David! Check back on 7/7 to see if you’ve won a copy. #freebook

  • Neal

    After building several business from scratch selling B2B and door to door…and doing more than 60,000 cold and warm calls live in the process (and teaching others how to do it)   I’m blessed with some insight on how people make decisions…but more importantly why they don’t. However, my expertise is little good if I can’t spread it socially…when I’m not in front of folks! I now have an awesome coach named Justin who is going to ensure that my vision of creating significance and profitability in the marketplace by defining, branding and selling people’s passion becomes a reality! It will be successful only if I capitalize by getting my message out using technology.

    Disclaimer: Justin did not pay me to write this! 

  • Anonymous

    Can use all the recorded experiences and brain dumps to push my idea to reality. Failing after two online business ideas that never took shape and robbed off by an acquaintance who promised me a great photo sharing site, am planning to fly alone this time. Let me try to make atleast some 100proble lives better.

  • Joe Lalonde

    Great post Justin. Thanks for introducing me to this book. It looks great. As for why I would want a copy. I’m currently helping a friend LAUNCH her website to promote her and her writing. I think this could be a very valuable resource in getting her going. Also, my wife’s birthday is the 7th and I think it would be awesome to win a book on her birthday. I think she would think it’s awesome too as she is an avid reader.

  • Pingback: Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition … | Cute Sister Poems

  • Dr. David Powers

    I would like to win the book Launch because it is the complete opposite of my business strategy thus far and the title speaks to that. If I were to sum up my business efforts into one word, instead of Launch, I would call it Fizzle. I need the book so I can take my business from the stage where there’s pop rocks in your mouth to the point where I’m a Mento launching diet coke in the air in a soft-drinkey fountain of pure business goodness raining down on me as the owner, my team, my customer, and the community as a whole.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Great disclaimer, Neal. :)

    You’re right, you have an amazing talent that folks need to hear about. We’ll get you there with social media.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I’m sad to hear you had a bad experience when working with others. I’m not a huge fan of partnerships, but be sure you’re not going it alone. I haven’t met any successful entrepreneur who’s made it work without a team in their corner.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Going for the double decker, huh, Joe? Great to see you reaching out and helping others!

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Maybe you should write a book called Fizzle, David. ;) On second thought, maybe it wouldn’t sell very well. 

    I love your analogies!

  • http://www.multiplyleadership.com Mark Jones Jr.

    Justin, this is your best book review ever. More like this please!

  • http://twitter.com/FPApprentice Robinson Mertilus

    Justin,

    I want to copy of Launch, because that is exactly what I am doing right now, launching. I recently set up a blog to motivate myself and my visitors to study for and pass the Certified Financial Planner exam. The CFP will serve as a launch to a rewarding career as an expert financial coach. The more people I can help do this, the better. Launch came at just the right time for me to start this journey.

  • http://www.facebook.com/dholterhaus Daniel Holterhaus

    Hey Justin,

    I’m guessing the reason you like this book is because of your former pilot experience and “launching?!”  Just kidding.  Anyway, I would love a copy.  This title of this book captures the exact point that I am at right now, the Launch!  Now how do I move forward more quickly than my competitors?  Unsure.  I love exploring, maybe this could be my next explorative journey…

    Dan 

  • Joe Lalonde

    I am… Figured that might work well.

    And my friend has started her site. You can check it out at http://wp.me/p1FC9D-8

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Happy to obligue, Mark. Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a fantastic book.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Great to hear, Robinson. Thanks for all you do to help others!

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Good guess, Daniel. I’m confident Launch will help.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Alright, great start! That’s half the battle. Keeping it going is the other half.

  • http://www.serenityhunter.com Todd Hash

    ?evitaerc rof siht si woH

    .doog skool eciffo ehT

    .llaf siht gnidaer rof tsilhsiw nozamA ym otno hcnuaL tup yletaidemmi I  !weiver eht rof sknahT – nitsuJ

  • http://www.workyouenjoy.com Adam Rico

    Being.
    Held.
    Captive.
    By.
    Blog.
    Ninjas.
    Need.
    Book.
    ASAP.

    Ninjas.
    Say.
    Hi.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Creative, yes. Took me forever to read though. :)

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Nice work, Adam. I guess creativity comes to this group late at night.

    Christine says you can borrow her nun chucks. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/ecviets Eric Viets

    I’d love a copy of Launch.  We’ve been blogging for 9 months now (3 to 5 times per week) – others tell us we have very good content – I have very, very few marketing messages – and we still only have under 100 likes (as of this moment).  I feel stuck and need to launch.  I just bought Become a Coach last weekend and read it – good stuff.
     
    I do like the video book review.  I may have to start doing that on my blog for our readers with books I strongly recommend.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ecviets Eric Viets

    I’d love a copy of Launch.  We’ve been blogging for 9 months now (3 to 5 times per week) – others tell us we have very good content – I have very, very few marketing messages – and we still only have under 100 likes (as of this moment).  I feel stuck and need to launch.  I just bought Become a Coach last weekend and read it – good stuff.
     
    I do like the video book review.  I may have to start doing that on my blog for our readers with books I strongly recommend!  Thanks!

  • http://twitter.com/joelgrobertson Joel G. Robertson

    Thanks for the review Justin! And while I really appreciate your generosity, I gotta admit… I can’t wait for a freebie! I’m ordering LAUNCH this weekend! Congrats in advance to the winner. Thanks again!

  • http://www.MyNewMarketingCoach.com David Robertson

    HAHA…it’s like creative torture.

  • http://www.MyNewMarketingCoach.com David Robertson

    HAHA…it’s like creative torture.

  • http://www.MyNewMarketingCoach.com David Robertson

    HAHA…it’s like creative torture.

  • http://www.MyNewMarketingCoach.com David Robertson

    Hmm…I heard somewhere that all people with the last name Robertson are related. What business are you in?

  • http://www.MyNewMarketingCoach.com David Robertson

    Hmm…I heard somewhere that all people with the last name Robertson are related. What business are you in?

  • http://www.MyNewMarketingCoach.com David Robertson

    Hmm…I heard somewhere that all people with the last name Robertson are related. What business are you in?

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    It can be frustrating to grow slowly. I have a feeling that, like me, there’s a lot you could be doing.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Nothing wrong with that, Joel. Perhaps you’ll be ahead of the competition. :)

  • Anonymous

    Lots of good ideas
    Trouble knowing where to start
    “Launch” will help me ship!

    (I never knew that studying haiku in junior high English would actually be useful one day!)

  • Anonymous

    And the studio/office looks fantastic as well! 

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Same here, Dallon. Coming up with ideas isn’t difficult for me. Knowing where to start launching them is the harder part.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I do love this creativity, Todd. Unless you have a program to invert your words and sentences, this would have taken you forever. The book is on the way to you.

  • http://www.serenityhunter.com Todd Hash

    Thanks Justin!  I’m sure the book will be a great help as I LAUNCH the new website in the next couple months.

  • Pingback: 156 Coach Radio - Turn $4,000 into $3 million: Michael Stelzner [Your Story] | Coach Radio

  • http://www.serenityhunter.com Todd Hash

    Justin – Thank you so much for my prize.  I began reading Launch yesterday and I can tell it is going to be a winner.  In fact, it may go onto the list of books I occasionally give away to friends and associates.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Glad to hear you’re enjoying it, Todd. Report back with your top 3 tips when you get through it. Thanks for passing it on!