Review of Butterfly Marketing 2.0 Get it Free

3/26/2009: Special Update Below The bottom line on this offer is that Butterfly Marketing 2.0 becomes a free membership software for just a few hours March 24, 2009 at 1pm EST.  In this post, I’ll share a bit of history of this product (how it is much more than a membership tracking software), talk about what’s new in this version, my take on Mike and his strategies, and tell you why I think you should be at the front of the line, as there will only be 5000 copies available.  Register for your free copy here.

Review of Butterfly Marketing 2.0 Get it Free

SPECIAL UPDATE: March 26, 2009 2:45pm EST Quite a few subscribers messaged me, saying they got their copy, that’s great.  It seems their (and others) urgency helped out a lot more people.

As it happens from time to time, the Butterfly Marketing 2.0 launch seemed to be a failure when their shopping cart overloaded and crashed the server after 2000 units were ordered.  Mike did the right thing (in my view) by calling his fulfillment company and making another 5,000 units available.  These additional units were claimed (server crashed again…), and he ordered an additional 5,000, for a total of 15,000 units.

As I look at the order page they currently have 4,347 available, then it is over.  My guess is the 10,000 additional units would not have been ordered if the server didn’t crash (2x).  These remaining units will likely be gone by the end of the week. If you were on the fence (as many were) let me urge you, go get this now.  You only pay shipping and newsletter subscription (cancel any time).

If you want to learn more about the product and promotion, see the review below. -Travis

What Made Butterfly Marketing Web Based Membership Software So Successful to Begin With?

If you are fairly new to the the idea of the membership site business model, and it’s value, then you should consider what Mike Filsaime has done with the membership site as a marketing strategy.  In 2006 he launched Butterfly Marketing 1.0 for $997.  It was a landmark membership tracking software that automated key marketing tactics such as:

• The One Time Offer (OTO)
• Thank you (landing) page technique
• Integrated affiliate program for customers
• Helpdesk
• …and many other little things which in sum creates the “Butterfly Effect”

As a mentor of mine said, “The money isn’t in the products, campaigns, or software, but in the strategy.”  What I found most compelling were the strategies presented in the Butterfly Marketing Manuscript (included with software, and sold separately for $97), the software provided an easy way to implement the strategy.  You’ll get instant access to the updated manuscript at no cost by registering for it.

For me, I couldn’t justify purchasing such an expensive membership tracking software, but I put it on my wish list, and continued to evaluate other membership tracking software packages.  What I found was few were put together with a marketers perspective in mind.  I ended up purchasing Butterfly Marketing for over $1000, an later, it sold for $1497…and more recently, $1997.  Some of his greatest fans are also success stories with his software.  You’ll get access to some of those stories via video interview on his blog after getting in line for your free copy.

To be fair, his 1.0 version, like any software, had it’s strengths and weaknesses. No software is bug free, and his was no different.  That said, he had a very active forum, and his programmers have hopefully ironed out the top bugs in this latest version without introducing too many new ones :-)

What’s New and Why is it going to be Free Membership  Software?

OK, I haven’t personally seen the new version, but what I can tell you is that since launching the original product, Mike has discovered new marketing strategies along the way which he documented in the updated manuscript (which I have seen), and implemented into the software.  Here’s a partial list of the new features in Butterfly Marketing 2.0:

• New model for Risk Free Trial
• New strategies for using “Free” to make you more money
• New ways to implement One Time Offers (making the old obsolete)
• New One-Click upsell technology
• Dynamic Affiliate offers
• Twitter Integration (sounds interesting)
• Viral Inviter integration (use these type of tools carefully)

Register for your free copy here

Let’s Talk about this ‘Free Membership Software’: As stated earlier, he has updated the software and is making it available for free at the targeted launch time of March 24, at 1pm EST (targeted, I say as launches don’t always go perfectly).  To get the software you do need to pay for a couple things…
1.) Shipping, about $30 for US/Canada, and $40 for International orders.  You get the membership software CDs in nice packaging, and a hard copy of the updated Butterfly Marketing Manuscript.
2.) Newsletter.  He’s producing a hard copy newsletter, roughly 16-20 pages for each monthly edition for a reasonable monthly price.

That’s it, and you get a $1997 membership database software at your door for free.  The newsletter you can cancel anytime, and keep the software, but I would encourage you to stick with it for about 3 months before determining if it is for you or not. Register for your free copy here

Some Questions about This Offer

When will I get access to the software?

March 24, at 1 p.m., you need to place your order then (if there are no delays), and be one of the first 5000.  What you are doing today is registering so that you get the order link with everyone else when it is ready.  Based on other recent launches, it is reasonable to expect 5000 copies to be available for at least an hour or two (maybe longer).

When will I get access to the updated Butterfly Marketing manuscript?

As soon as you complete the registration process (you can do that here).  There is a download link on the pre-launch blog which you get access to after verifying your email.

What if I’m reading this post after the March 24, 2009 launch date?

Good question.  I’m not sure, you can go to the registration page and see what is being offered.  You may be paying for the software, or it may not be for sale, I’m not privy to that information yet.  While the free membership software won’t be free any longer, I hope that at least the manuscript will be available, if so, I  encourage you to get it (strategies are excellent).

What do you think of Mike Filsaime, the man behind the product?

Keeping it real, I sometimes bite my bottom lip when observe Mike’s strategies.  He’s pretty aggressive, and can be a little edgy.  Don’t get me wrong, he is extremely effective, it’s just that it isn’t a style I would employ.  What’s clear is that his strategies work for many regardless of style.  Every time I have met him in person, he was always approachable, and took time to answer my questions and freely share his knowledge.

What to Expect on Launch Day

As I mentioned, if you are part of the first 5000, you only need to pay for shipping and monthly newsletter to get this web based membership software.  There is also an upsell, and a down-sell as you go through the order process, so be aware of that.  You can skip them if they don’t apply to you, and move along to complete your order.  I think one of them is for a training event Mike is running to help customers make the most of the software and strategies outlined in the report.  Get the report and register for your free copy of the software here.

My Event Experience: I have been to events he’s hosted, and spoken with him personally at them, and he and his team do a great job, I would go to another.  If you have never been to an event, it is a great opportunity to learn and network with like-minded people.  Some of the best joint ventures can come from offline events (I may be attending this one, not sure yet, if I do I’ll be looking to connect with subscribers there).

MarketingProfessor.com will get a $10 commission on monthly newsletter sign-ups, however, the main reason I’m sharing this with you is because it is an incredible freebie, I wish I had access to when I paid full price for the product a couple years ago.  Register here.

Your thoughts: Considering a membership tracking software?  Are you interested in this free membership software product?  Familiar with Mike Filsaime?  Have a take on this offer?  Feel free to chime in below.