Ep 216: Theres No Right Way To Grow Your Audience
b'All this month, we\\u2019ve been talking about building an audience here on the podcast\\u2014and we\\u2019ve been asking members of The What Works Network, well, what\\u2019s working for them when it comes to audience-building and marketing their businesses.\\n\\n\\n\\nSome people have told us that keeping it simple and focusing on just one technique has paid a lot more dividends than trying to be everywhere and do everything.\\n\\n\\n\\nOthers have told us that video, like showing up on Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, or YouTube, has helped them reach new people.\\n\\n\\n\\nPlenty of folks told us that the most important thing they do to build their audiences is reaching out to new contacts one at a time.\\n\\n\\n\\nStill others told us Facebook groups, guest teaching, virtual coffee dates, in-person events, or asking for referrals and recommendations are their sweet spot.\\n\\n\\n\\nClearly, there is no right way to build an audience today.\\n\\n\\n\\nThat can be comforting for sure.\\n\\n\\n\\nThose of us who are naturally questioners, rebels, and skeptics don\\u2019t have to mold ourselves into something we\\u2019re not or fit our businesses into someone else\\u2019s formula to get ahead.\\n\\n\\n\\nAnd\\u2026 at the same time, all of that open-ended possibility can be daunting.\\n\\n\\n\\nAs much as we want to do things our own way, it would be nice if there was a clear, well-maintained trail for our hike to the top of the audience-building mountain.\\n\\n\\n\\nMake no mistake: I\\u2019m not suggesting that we all need to blaze our own trails when it comes to marketing our businesses.\\n\\n\\n\\nFar from it.\\n\\n\\n\\nBut we do need to decide on a plan and stick to it.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\u201cHow?\\u201d you ask.\\n\\n\\n\\nEarlier this month, friend of the pod Bonnie Gillespie shared 5 things that have worked for her over the last 20 years of building her Self-Management For Actors audience with What Works Network members. I want to focus on the first three for the sake of brevity:\\n\\n\\n\\nTime. Trust in the long-haul.\\n\\n\\n\\nConsistency. Never stop showing up.\\n\\n\\n\\nTreating everything I do as if it\\u2019s the only thing they\\u2019ll ever see. And being sure my links roll deep for those who\\u2019d like to follow \\u2019em to other things I\\u2019ve created from there.\\n\\n\\n\\nI can\\u2019t agree more with these points.\\n\\n\\n\\nPlus, I think they\\u2019re useful constraints for finding the audience-building plan that\\u2019s going to work for you.\\n\\n\\n\\nConsider each of these points as questions:\\n\\n\\n\\n* What can you stick with for the long haul? What could you do week in and week out for the next 10, 15, or 20 years?* What can you deliver on consistently so that your traction grows and grows?* What can you work towards mastery of? What are you willing to get better at every single day?\\n\\n\\n\\nThe answers to these questions might not be as sexy as a technique promising to be the secret to finding 10,000 true fans in 10 days. But, in my experience, these answers will serve you much better.\\n\\n\\n\\nLike the small business owners you\\u2019ll hear from today, my own audience-building strategy has evolved over time. And like Bonnie, it\\u2019s required trust in the long haul, leaning towards mastery, and\\u2014as Dr. Michelle Mazur calls it\\u2014radical consistency.'