My social media posts don't have cool animated images. My blog doesn't have tons of plugins. My emails are usually pretty simple.
I don't worry about algorithms or the number of followers I have. I don't stress if someone unsubscribes from my list (so no, you won't get anything from me asking why. I don't care.).
There is absolutely nothing fancy or complicated about my marketing.
And yet, I make money. All day. Every day.
How is that possible? Because what I do works!
My Website
I am completely, authentically me...on my website, on social media, in my emails. My videos are shot in my home office with my phone. They may not be polished, but they get my message out there. My website isn't full of flashy banners and shopping carts and 29 ways to purchase. But you can find the info you want pretty quickly. And I do share info...lots of it...for free. My story is there, front and center, for everyone to read. I want people to know who I am. I want them to know what I know. If you do want to purchase one of my products, I use PayPal. It works for me.
If you want to make an impression with your website, tell your story. Add some how-to's that address your customer's problems. Include some short and sweet videos that spotlight your personality and what your company is all about. That will do more for your business then all the bells-and-whistles.
Social Media
Everything I post on social media has a purpose. I am either trying to entertain you or inform you. Sometimes I try to do both at once! I'm clever like that! So when I say to post on purpose, that is what I mean. I don't try to create posts for maximum engagement. And I certainly don't post inane questions just to get comments. I'm in marketing and health and wellness. I don't care what movie you saw last or if you prefer your toast to look like a charcoal briquette. What I care about is...will it make you laugh? Will it make you think? Will it teach you something? If I can say yes to any of those, that's all that matters. Because that's what builds an audience. If 100 people tell me they like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla, how does that help my business? Ice cream lovers probably aren't interested in weight loss products! Chances of them actually buying anything from me are slim. I would rather have 5 comments on a post from people who are genuinely interested in what I am sharing. Because they are my audience.
The same is true with followers. I do not have a large Facebook following. But I'll match my 2300 followers against your 5000 any day. Because I know and interact with mine. And if they don't engage with me, I unfriend them. I'd rather have 1000 loyal, raving fans than 5000 people who don't really know who I am or what I do. So I don't spend a lot of time looking for people to "friend." And while my Twitter following is much larger, I don't play the games there either. You know the one. I follow you. You follow back. I unfollow you so now it looks like I have a lot more followers than followees (is that a word?)! While that actually is true for me, it's because I also only follow people I am genuinely interested in. It is a huge disservice to follow someone, or like their page, just because they asked, if you are not at all interested. Algorithms notice these things!
Stop trying all the fancy, complicated tactics to game the algorithm. Just be yourself and focus on informing and entertaining your audience. The rest will come!
Keep It Simple
Here's what you need to build a business:
An online presence. It could be a website or a blog. You might also have a YouTube channel, social media profiles, or a combination of any of those. Which ones you choose will depend on your business, your skill set, and your experience.
A mailing list. You can use an autoresponder (which I do recommend) or maintain it yourself...although an autoresponder will definitely make it much easier.
A way to reach your audience. Social media is by far the easiest and cheapest. Don't try to build a huge presence on all of them at once. Pick the one or two that you truly enjoy using and master it. I like Twitter and Pinterest. Coincidentally, that is where I also have my largest following. I am also on Facebook and Instagram, but not to as large a degree. Twitter is my home!
A way to capture your audience's contact info so you can get them on your mailing list.
Don't worry about bots or apps or automation. You don't need funnels and tripwires. Just share your story, your knowledge, your value. Make your audience laugh, Make them think. Make them ask questions. Teach them something. Get them to know, like, and trust you. Be authentically you. The rest will follow!
2 comments:
I love how practical you are!
Thanks Sharon. I don't see any reason to make things more complicated than they need to be. That actually scares many people away from starting a business.
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