Allow me to take a brief departure from driver testing, and putter testing, and fairway wood testing (we’re doing a lot of testing), and all of the other really cool stuff we’re working on to share some exciting news with you.
Since we don’t do this sort of thing very often, let’s call this a state of the MyGolfSpy Union address.
Last month, thanks to each and every one of you, we eclipsed a significant milestone in the 5 year history of MyGolfSpy. More than 400,000 unique visitors spent time on MyGolfSpy reading our reviews, our stories and our opinions. You contributed to passionate discussion both on the main site and in our forum.
As Daniel Tosh would say:
MyGolfSpy started with the goal of changing the golf equipment industry for the better. At times we have been controversial, sometimes even offensive, and while our way of doing things hasn’t always been well-received by the industry as a whole, we have consistently remained true to our mission of putting you, the reader, before the golf companies.
Did I mention we just eclipsed 400,000 (that’s FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND) unique readers?
We’ve also seen explosive growth in our Social Media following.
I should probably mention that we really are just barely getting started.
The reason for our growth and success in an industry where we haven’t always been welcomed is two-fold:
It’s Because We Leave Money on the Table
While others claim to be above the influence of the biggest names in golf, six figure ad deals would certainly suggest otherwise. No other media outlet (we still don’t really consider ourselves media) with a readership anything close to MyGolfSpy’s can honestly claim to have never accepted so much as a dime in advertising from the TaylorMades, Callaways, Nikes, and Titleists of the industry.
While that certainly impacts our bottom line, and diminishes our ability to grow at the accelerated rate we’d like, big OEM advertising would require a significant compromise on how we cover those same golf companies, and that’s not something we’re willing to entertain right now.
Many have called that stupidity. We call it integrity.
We remain beholden to no one but you, and that gives us the freedom to cover only what we want to cover, how ever we want to cover it. It is what allows us to level the playing field for smaller equipment companies like PowerBilt, Tommy Armour, and others.
There’s no pay to play at MyGolfSpy, which means our coverage is driven by the equipment stories we think are interesting, not by the desires of whoever happens to be advertising with us during any given month. It means we can review clubs using actual performance data, not press release quotes, and nebulous concepts like innovation, as the basis for our conclusions.
It’s Because of You
The second reason for our growth, we believe, is that it’s not just our voices that are heard on MyGolfSpy. Whether it’s on the main site, or in our forum, we’ve always given you a platform to speak your mind.
Whether it’s to praise our work, ask questions and contribute to the discussion, offer criticism and suggestions for improvement, or to simply (and directly) tell us what a bunch of sell-out hacks we are; we always have, and will continue to encourage you to have your say.
If you’ve got something to say about a golf company (good, bad, or downright horrible), that’s cool too.
We have a zero censorship policy (even towards those who don’t agree with a word of what we say), and we believe that policy – which allows everyone’s voice to be heard – is a huge part of the reason why you continue to support us.
It is because of your participation and your voice that we have, and will continue to succeeded by swimming against the tide.
Big Things Are Right Around the Corner
We’ve heard from you (we love hearing from you) about a slowdown in the number of reviews, but let me assure your right now, that’s going to change. For over a year we have been working behind the scenes, planning the next phase of MyGolfSpy.
It’s about to get real.
Our goal is to fundamentally change the way people buy golf equipment. To do that, we think it’s going to take 1 million of you. Even with our aggressive plans, that may a take a little while, but 500,000 of you; that’s just around the corner.
As we march towards 1 Million, here’s what you can expect from us in the coming months.
As I said, 400K is really just the beginning. Thanks to you, we have momentum, we have influence, and most importantly, we have the drive and the motivation to continue our mission of always putting you ahead of the golf companies, and ultimately changing the industry for the better.
Once again, Thank You.
ComeOnSense
10 years ago
Congratz Guys !!
Great job and keep up the good work, always fun to navigate your website.
Thank you for keeping it fun !