The long tail is the concept that there are huge markets that lie on the periphery of the so called big ticket items. When it comes to sales we see that Ebay has capitalised on this almost perfectly. The attraction is that anyone can make money on Ebay. All that you have to do is clean out your cupboards and garage and someone else is bound to pay money for it. The long tail makes success more accessible for us all. It allows anyone to use technological resources to reach a huge audience.
 TV stations have limited time slots, so the opportunity cost of each time slot is high; stations therefore choose programs that have the broadest appeal. But as the number of TV stations grows or TV programming is distributed through other digital channels, the choice of TV programs grows and the cultural diversity rises.
Some of the most successful Internet businesses have leveraged the Long Tail as part of their businesses. Examples include eBay (auctions), Yahoo! and Google (web search), and Amazon (retail) amongst the majors along with smaller Internet companies like Audible (audio books) and Netflix (video rental).
Often presented as a phenomenon of interest primarily to mass market retailers and web-based businesses, the Long Tail also has implications for the producers of content, especially those whose products could not – for economic reasons – find a place in pre-Internet information distribution channels controlled by book publishers, record companies, movie studios, and television networks. Looked at from the producers’ side, the Long Tail has made possible a flowering of creativity across all fields of human endeavour. (Wikipedia)
In our own personal success the long tail is also very true. The long tail of success allows everyone possibilites to reach their potential. To discover their authentic existence that allows for their unique spirit to flourish. The highest human endeavour is to discover our God given creativity and to express that creativity in meaningful ways. The long tail of succes recognises that the resources to achieve greatness are available to not just a chosen few but to all who take hold of possibility and allow that to be expressed in their own life.
The long tail says to us that we don’t need to be overshadowed by a few bright shining stars. That that as we shine together we create a thing of far greater brightness and beauty. Success is no longer something to be controlled but it is a thing to be shared and given freely.
One question we should ask about our success is, what gifts can I give today? And, I am not just talking about that little donate safely by PayPal button on the top right hand side of this blog. I know that in my marriage when I stop giving I fail. My conversation expresses negativity, I am difficult, arrogant, rude and self consumed. The same is true of our personal devlopment it only starts when we are able to begin to give. It is not an option. We must never be fooled into thinking that just because we are the recipients of gifts that we have found a safe place. Actually the oposite is true such a privilege must shock us into an increased awareness that it is time to give.