[thomasfrank09]

I think the traditional funnel concept work just fine - as long as you do step three right.

Do many blogs and services spam their subscribers? Yes indeed - and I have an itchy unsubscribe button-clicking finger for those services.

If you change Step 3 to "Provide even more value", though, then you do indeed get customers that love you. And some of them refer their friends, who come in at the top of the funnel like everyone else - but with some preconceived good feelings towards you because of the recommendation they got from a friend.

Pat Flynn's newsletter is a wonderful example of how to do it right. Almost all of the emails I get from him simply give me more useful information - maybe 10% have ever been strictly promotional.