FMyLife: The Book

FMyLife.com--I am sure you, or least one of your friends, siblings or stalker ex-boyfriends have heard or even posted on it before. FMyLife is a UGC blog where users submit 300-word stories about unfortunate happenings in their daily lives. FMyLife.com has gained popularity because of its funny and outlandish but ultimately relatable stories.

Here are some excerpts:
Today, I had drunk sex with a girl that I barely know. I didn't have a condom and was nervous about getting her pregnant, but she assured me that I could pull out. Right when I was about to pull out, she wrapped her legs around me and yelled, "Be my baby's daddy!" I couldn't get out in time. FML

Today, my girlfriend dumped me proclaiming she wanted someone more like her "Edward". I asked her who Edward was. She held up a copy her "Twilight" book. She was talking about a fictional vampire. FML

Given the website's success, it made sense that the creators decided to publish a book. My opinion? Let's start with why I initially thought it was a stupid idea (note initially--bare with me as I explain my change of heart). First, none of the book's content is new, so why sell something that people can get online for free? Second...wait. I couldn't think of a second reason! That's when I realized the FMyLife book can actually provide benefits that the online version can't!

You might think that only site-visitors would buy the book, but I find that the reverse may also be true. For instance, I first saw the book about a 3 months ago in a local bookstore, skimmed through it and actually almost bought it. That is, until my friend knocked some sense into me and said, "Don't be stupid, you can read that online for free!" The funny thing is I had never visited the site at that point despite having heard good reviews on it. Thus, a regular site-visitor was born.

The book contains a selection of the best stories by a certain date, so users don't have to sort through un-funny and obviously-fake ones online to get to good ones. I think one of the best reasons for having a book though, is that it's portable: you can read it in the bathroom, bring it to work or show it to friends. Also, if the creators can profit from it, then why not? The costs are minimal--the content is already written--so they barely have anything to lose.

I thought I'd share my insights on the book because I think it's a great example of what I'd call reverse social media-ism I guess. It's also a reminder of how traditional marketing still works. Many online firms seem to forget this, but just as traditional businesses have started incorporating online techniques, then maybe e-businesses should also start incorporating offline techniques.

That said, wouldn't an FMyLife calender be awesome?

Mae

Related Links:
FMyLife Facebook page
FMyLife: The Book