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Nobody Knows You Exist. Promote More.
Marketing For The Tribe #021
Every time I look at the numbers, I get reminded of this brutal reality.
We tend to underestimate the numbers we need to make stuff happen.
I realized this when I started tracking my own content and its impact.
I used to think that getting a few hundred views was enough to make a difference.
If 200 people saw something…it must mean something…right?
Not exactly.
The truth is that when I dug deeper, I saw that those numbers were just a drop in the ocean.
Here are a few examples.
Music artists need millions (MILLIONS) of streams just to get barely noticed.
Businesses needs tens of thousands of traffic visits to make serious amounts of money. [Well, that's actually not entirely true, but as a principle, you need massive reach to create something massive.]
Writers need to sell millions of copies to be considered ‘successful’.
And on and on and on.
In other words…
You need a massive volume of eyeballs to achieve significant results.
The difference between getting a few views and making an impact is staggering.
And it’s so easy to overlook just how much reach you really need to move the needle.
Hopefully, this issue will help you fix that.
Let's begin.
My name is Nick Tribe and I’m a DJ, marketer, and entrepreneur.
I’ve spent the last few years studying from the most successful marketers & entrepreneurs worldwide.
I’ve read countless books, attended countless courses, and devoured countless pieces of information on marketing, business, and entrepreneurship.
I’m now building a marketing company that starts, grows, and monetize brands leveraging AI, direct response marketing, and sales funnels.
I test tactics, learn from the results, and share everything I discover.
Join me in this journey and get the results inside this newsletter.
The point of this newsletter is to remind you (and myself) to promote more.
The main reason why you must do that is because without this ‘encouragement’, no one actually knows you exist.
And if no one knows you exist, they can’t buy from you, book a call, or whatever thing you want people to do.
Ok. Ok.
Maybe some people do know you exist.
BUT...
If you’re reading this right now, chances are that’s simply not enough if you want to achieve the goals you set for yourself.
In order to drive this point home, I’m going to bust some myths that - consciously or subconsciously - we often believe when trying to grow a project from scratch.
So let’s start with myth number 1.
The 1000 True Fans Myth
This method is often discussed as the magic number for creators.
The idea is simple.
If you have 1,000 people who are deeply committed to your work—who will buy anything you produce, attend your events, and support you consistently—you can build a sustainable career.
The idea is so popular you can easily google this and see it for yourself.
This gets people excited.
“You’re telling me I only need 1000 people to make a career out of my thing?”
Technically, yes. It is true. The principle is solid, and definitely possible.
However, while 1,000 seems like a manageable target, getting there is much more complex than it first appears.
Let’s break it down.
A “true fan” isn’t just someone who likes your work - they’re someone who’s invested in it.
They’re willing to spend money, time, and energy on what you create.
Which means that not every fan is a ‘true fan’.
The number of ‘true fans’ is likely a fraction of the number of fans you have.
So, let’s assume that only 10% of your general fans become true fans.
To get 1,000 true fans, you would need 10,000 “regular” fans.
10K people that are familiar with your work, appreciate it, but aren’t exactly ready to pull out their credit card to buy whatever you throw at them.
Now, here’s the thing.
Even though we now have 10K as a number, it doesn’t mean that this is the final one.
Because not everyone who encounters your work becomes a fan.
In fact, it’s likely only a small percentage do.
Let’s keep using the 1/10 ratio.
This means that only 10% of the people who see your content actually become fans.
Now, you’re looking at needing to reach 100,000 people (!) just to get those 10,000 fans who might turn into your 1,000 true fans.
But the numbers don’t stop there.
Think about it.
You think that reaching people once is enough to turn them into fans?
You know that’s not true.
Reaching people once isn’t enough to turn them into true fans.
Not even reaching them twice.
Especially in today’s crowded digital landscape, people need to encounter your content multiple times to really start knowing, liking, and trusting you.
The competition is heavy. The barrier to entry is low.
This means you need repeated exposure to build that connection.
So, if we apply the 10% rule again—assuming only 10% of those you reach multiple times will become fans—you’re now looking at needing to reach 1 million people to cultivate your 1,000 true fans.
This might sound overwhelming, and of course, these numbers are a simplification.
The 10% ratio is arbitrary, and the real conversion rates can vary based on your niche, content quality, and engagement strategies.
But the underlying principle is clear.
The road to “1,000 true fans” is much longer and more complex than it might initially seem.
It’s not just about reaching people.
It’s about reaching them repeatedly, engaging them meaningfully, and gradually converting them into devoted supporters.
The point is, building a sustainable fanbase requires a far larger pool of potential fans than most people realize.
It’s easy to underestimate the volume of engagement needed to make a real impact.
But understanding this can be empowering.
It forces you to think bigger, to promote more aggressively, and, most important, to commit to the long game.
Success in marketing isn’t just about creating something great and wait for the best. It’s about making sure enough people see it, connect with it, and come back for more.
In the end, reaching 1,000 true fans is a worthy goal, but it’s one that demands a much larger effort than simply winning over a few people.
Now onto another marketing myth.
The Myth of "Build It and They Will Come"
There’s a common misconception that if you just build something good enough, people will naturally find it.
“Build it, and they will come,” they say.
Rookie marketer thinks this is true.
Expert marketer knows this is BS most of the time.
The truth is, in today’s saturated market, just building something isn’t enough.
You could have the most innovative product, the most insightful blog, or the most entertaining video, but if no one sees it, it’s worthless.
So I’d like to propose a different variation of the saying.
“Build it, scream about it for a long period of time, then MAYBE, someone will notice”.
I know it sounds worse, but it’s actually the truth.
I understood this lesson the hard way.
When I first started creating content, I fell into this trap.
I believed that as long as I focused on quality, the audience would find me.
But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
I’d spend hours, even days, crafting what I thought was the perfect piece of content, only to see it get a handful of views.
It was disheartening, to say the least.
But then I realized something crucial.
The problem wasn’t the content—it was the promotion.
It doesn’t matter how ‘good’ your content is if no one sees it.
This is especially true when you’re just starting out.
You have few pieces of content. Few followers. Few views.
Few…everything. So even if the content could have been good…the ‘algo’ might still struggle to figure out what it is.
Now, of course, different platforms have different algos and things might change.
In the age of Tik Tok (and the TikTokification of social media - as Gary Vee puts it) - a piece of content might reach millions of people if it’s actually something that pleases the algo.
But those things are the exception, not the average reality.
For the vast majority of people, promotion matters just as much as the content.
Read that sentence again.
The Myth of "Being Too Repetitive"
The myth of "being repetitive" is one that holds many back from promoting their message effectively.
The truth is, in today’s noisy, distraction-filled world, people need to hear your message over and over again just to notice it.
We often overestimate how much others are paying attention to us.
In reality, no one is thinking about you as much as you think.
Alex Hormozi famously said:
“People need to be reminded more than they need to be taught.”
This is crucial to understand.
Repetition is not just necessary. It’s essential.
People forget quickly, and in the sea of content, your message can easily get lost unless you consistently bring it back to the forefront.
Donald Miller, author of Business Made Simple, emphasizes this when advising coaches on how to get clients:
“How do you launch a coaching business? You tell people you are a coach. Over and over.”
This isn’t just for coaches—it’s true for any business, brand, or personal message. Repetition builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust.
If you’re still skeptical about this, don’t take my word for it.
Think about all the jingles and slogans from the most famous brands in the world.
They didn’t become ingrained in your mind because you heard them once.
Right?
They became iconic because they were repeated relentlessly.
“I’m Loving It.”
“Just Do It.”
“Think Different.”
How many times have you heard them?
Repetition ensures that your message sticks, that it becomes part of the conversation, and that it finally breaks through the noise.
So, the next time you worry about being repetitive, remember that you’re not being annoying—you’re being effective.
Repetition is how you ensure that your message is not just seen but remembered and acted upon.
It’s one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal, and it’s what separates those who are forgotten from those who make a lasting impact.
Repeat your message. Over, and over again.
The Reality of Attention in the Digital Age
We live in an age where attention is the most valuable currency.
Every day, people are bombarded with thousands of messages, ads, and pieces of content.
The competition for attention is fierce, and unless you’re actively promoting yourself, you’ll get lost in the noise.
Think about how many times you’ve scrolled through social media without really paying attention to most of what you see.
Now, think about how much effort it takes for something to actually grab your attention.
That’s the challenge we’re all facing.
The reality is, to break through, you need to be relentless in promoting yourself.
You need to show up again and again, in as many places as possible, until people can’t ignore you anymore.
The Volume of Promotion Needed
So, how much promotion is enough?
Chances are, much much more than you probably think.
If you’re serious about building something, you need to be prepared to put in the work to get it in front of people.
This doesn’t mean spamming your audience or being obnoxious, but it does mean being persistent, strategic, and unafraid to promote your work across multiple channels.
For instance, I’ve found that posting 3-5 times a day on platforms like TikTok or Twitter is essential just to get noticed.
The rookie marketer might find that excessive, but consider how fast content moves on these platforms.
If you’re not consistently putting out new content, you’re missing out on opportunities to connect with your audience.
And it’s not just about social media.
You need to be promoting through email, collaborations, paid ads, SEO, and every other avenue available to you.
Each piece of content, each promotion, is another chance to be seen, another opportunity to build your brand.
So promote. Promote. And promote some more.
Maybe, you’ll barely get noticed.
Look at any successful brand or individual, and you’ll see a common theme: relentless promotion.
They didn’t wait for people to find them—they went out and made sure people knew who they were.
They were everywhere, all the time, making sure that their message was heard.
Take, for example, the biggest influencers or entrepreneurs.
They didn’t just build something great and wait.
They promoted it tirelessly, using every platform, every tool at their disposal.
They understood that visibility was key, and they made it a priority to be seen.
This is the mindset you need to adopt if you want to build something meaningful.
Promote. Assume that no one knows you exist.
Because chances are, that’s the reality.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can never promote too much.
If you’re not actively putting your work out there, no one else will.
Don’t be afraid to promote yourself—be afraid of what happens if you don’t.
Because in the end, it doesn’t matter how great your content is if nobody knows it exists.
Promote more, and watch your efforts finally start to pay off.