Marketing Lessons Older Than AI, eight lessons from marketers who figured this out long before AI, and how I use each one in my business now.
Most creators start with the product. They build the course or the membership, and then they go looking for people to buy it. Gary Halbert would've told you to do it the other way around.
This is the last lesson in the series, and it's the one that makes all the others easier.
How old is this lesson?
It's about 42 years old. Halbert shared it in The Boron Letters, a series of letters he wrote to his son Bond in 1984 about copywriting and life. The letters were later published as a book, and copywriters still recommend it.
Halbert was one of the best known direct mail copywriters of his time. His most famous letter sold personalized family coat of arms reports by mail, and it's often called one of the most mailed sales letters ever written.
The starving crowd idea comes from a question he liked to ask his students. If you and I both opened a hamburger stand and wanted to sell more burgers, what advantage would you want? People would say better meat, a better location or lower prices. His answer was that the only advantage he'd want was a starving crowd.
Give me a starving crowd and I'll outsell any better burger.
The idea behind Gary Halbert's hamburger stand question, 1984The lesson, in plain words
Pick an audience that already wants what you sell, and wants it badly. A good offer to a hungry audience will beat a great offer to people who aren't hungry.
For creators, a starving crowd is a group of people who are already looking for help. They're searching for answers, buying books, joining communities and showing up to free events. You don't have to convince them they have a problem, because they already know.
How I use it in my business
Both of my businesses are built around hungry audiences. Newsletter creators who want their newsletter to make money are a starving crowd, and that's who the AI Newsletter Summit and Newsletter Profit Club are for. They're already writing every week, and they want that work to pay off.
The summit even had a whole session called Get Paid, where I showed the format I use and built a newsletter issue live with AI. I didn't have to convince anyone that getting paid from their newsletter mattered. They showed up because they wanted it.
HobbyScool works the same way. Makers who love to try new crafts are always looking for the next thing to learn, so a summit full of new techniques gives them exactly what they're already hungry for.
The starving crowd lesson belongs in the Attract stage of the Creator Growth Flywheel. Attracting the right people is a lot easier when you pick an audience that's already looking for what you offer.
How to use it this week
Look for signs of hunger
Hungry audiences leave clues. They ask the same questions in groups, they buy books and courses on the topic, and they show up to free events. Make a list of where your audience is already spending time and money.
Listen to what they ask
Read the replies to your emails, the questions in your community and the comments on your posts. The questions people ask over and over tell you what they're hungry for.
Make your offer fit the hunger
Once you know what people are asking for, shape your next freebie or offer around that exact problem. Use their words when you describe it.
Mistakes I see creators make with this
- Building for an audience you hope exists. If you can't point to places where your audience is already spending time and money, you're guessing. Find the evidence first, then build.
- Going too broad. "Anyone who wants to grow their business" describes almost everyone. A smaller group that really wants your help is a much better place to start.
- Ignoring the hungry people you already have. The people who reply, show up live and buy your small offers are telling you what they want. Ask them before you go looking for a whole new audience.
Why this feels harder than it is
It's hard because most of us start with what we love to teach. That's not a bad place to start, but it helps to check whether the people you want to teach are actually looking for it.
The good news is you probably already have a hungry group inside your audience. It might be a smaller slice than your whole list, like the people who always reply or always show up live. Start by serving them really well, and they'll tell you what they want next.
How this lesson ties the series together
Every other lesson in this series works better with a starving crowd. Ogilvy's headlines get opened when they promise something your readers already want. Cialdini's reciprocity works best when your free gift solves a problem people are hungry to fix. And Hopkins's tests give you clearer answers when the people reading actually care.
What Halbert would tell you about AI
AI can help you build a product in an afternoon, so it's tempting to build first and look for buyers later. Halbert would tell you that's the hamburger stand with great burgers and no customers.
Use AI to help you find the crowd first. Have it read through your email replies, survey answers and community questions and pull out what people ask for the most. Then build for that.
Keep reading the series.
This post is one of eight. Start with the full series overview, or jump to another lesson:
- Claude Hopkins: test everything and let the numbers decide
- Eugene Schwartz: sell to people based on how aware they already are
- David Ogilvy: the headline does most of the work
- Theodore Levitt: people buy the result, the product is how they get it
- Robert Cialdini: give first and people want to give back
- Ries and Trout: own one clear spot in your buyer's head
- John Caples: story headlines that make people want to read on
Find out if your audience is ready to buy
The free Creator Growth Flywheel scorecard shows you how well your business attracts people who want what you sell, and where to focus next.
Take the free scorecard →Frequently asked.
What is the starving crowd idea?
It's Gary Halbert's idea that the best advantage you can have in business is an audience that already badly wants what you sell. He explained it with a question about who would sell the most hamburgers.
Where does the starving crowd come from?
It comes from The Boron Letters, a series of letters Gary Halbert wrote to his son Bond in 1984 about copywriting and marketing. They were later published as a book.
How do I find a starving crowd for my digital product?
Look for people who are already spending time and money on the problem you solve, like buying books, joining communities and attending free events. Their repeat questions tell you what they're hungry for.
Should I pick my audience or my product first?
Halbert would say audience first. When you start with people who already want help, it's much easier to shape an offer they'll buy.
Dr. Destini Copp helps digital product creators build sustainable, systems-based businesses through the Creator Growth Flywheel framework. She's the founder of Creator's MBA and HobbyScool, and has been teaching online business strategy for over a decade. Learn more →