When It Comes to Building an Audience, Engagement Matters
As a content marketer, I can get so wrapped up in the process of creating fun and exciting content that I leave very little time left over for engaging with my current or future audience. But when you are building an organic, sustainable community, engagement is ESSENTIAL!
Think of engaging like dating. You probably wouldn’t like it if all your date did was talk about themselves. What if your date never asked you how you were doing, what makes you tick, or how you felt or thought about a particular topic? What if they never commented on the things that fired you up? You’d likely never go on a second date again - or you might even ghost/block them.
Building a community follows the same logic. Yes, spend time creating relevant, unique content, but also make sure you allot enough time for engagement. It’s important!!
Here are some tips on how to engage well with others…
Follow folks who produce relevant content, either direct competitors or folks with similar values.
Like other people’s posts (including dream clients, past clients, brands who hold similar values, brands you’d like to collab with, and brands who are direct competitors)
Reshare others’ content and make sure to add your own thoughts, opinions, or spin on their content.
Comment on other people’s posts.
Post content you didn’t create but that resonates with your marketing pillars directly on your feed but make sure to tag the original creator/brand.
Partner with a relevant brand/influencer and run a simultaneous promotion, that way you can tap into THEIR audience.
Don’t have time to engage with your followers? Don’t fret. While I always encourage clients to engage with their audience when they have time, consistent engagement just isn’t feasible (or enjoyable) for busy entrepreneurs. If that’s the case with you, feel free to outsource your engagement to someone else (like, uh, ME! )
Stop Being So Elusive, Already
As a lot of you know, I am currently in the process of creating my own Desert Animal Oracle Deck.
When I submitted my proposal to the publisher, I included my own digital concept of what I wanted the cards to look like. Needless to say, the publisher had another vision. Instead, they wanted to bring in an outside illustrator to help with the design.
I wasn’t upset, in fact, my original intent was to do the same but the reason I didn’t was because of budget constraints. Instead, I relied on my minimal Canva skills to whip up some sample cards.
Flash forward to now and we have both been on the hunt for an illustrator — someone who preferably has a connection to the Southwest, a love of animals, and a knack for Scientific skill-level detail when sketching said animals.
How do you suppose we have been conducting the search?
Well, first we asked people we already knew. I asked friends who had Tucson connections if they could recommend someone.
Next, I searched around my community. I went to a local bookshop and looked for any animal stickers, notebooks, or notecards on display near the checkout counter, and noted down the names of their illustrators.
Lastly, I looked at Instagram.
Why am I sharing this with you?
Because I want you to stop being so elusive and private about the gifts you are here to share with the world. How else are people going to find you, if you don’t put yourself out there? I used to think social media was vapid and a big waste of time, but what I am learning is that it is what you make of it. When you have a purpose — to share your gifts with the world — it becomes much easier to open up and let others into your creative process.
Sure, I still get shy before I am about to post something on Instagram. Last night I hesitated a few minutes before pushing that button, but then I did. Why? Because I want others to see what I am creating, so that it inspires them to put love and energy into their own creations. I also want to keep people in the loop because I believe that my oracle cards can help inspire others to protect the beautiful creatures of the Southwest as well deepen their connection to their own inner knowing.
“Happiness is only real when shared.”
As Christopher McCandless, the author of Into the Wild wrote, “Happiness is Only Real When Shared” and I just love it so much. For so long I felt like I had to hide who I was. I was afraid that people would think I was a fraud or that I was taking up too much space. I didn’t think my writing or creative endeavors deserved to see the light of day. But in the end, these are all limiting beliefs that keep me from reaching my highest potential. And I am just over it!
So there you have it, don’t be shy. Or try to play cool and mysterious. Share what you are working on and let others be dazzled by all that you are. Sure, there might be haters. But there might also be a whole lot of people who you help in the process!
Need someone to help hold you accountable when it comes to putting yourself out there? I am now offering a Content Marketing Accountability Coaching program. Head here for more info.
Proof That Content Marketing Accountability Coaching Works (And Is Worth It)
Three months ago I reached out to Sophia on Earth, an intuition coach for female entrepreneurs, to see if she wanted to go on a journey with me — a Content Marketing Accountability Coaching journey if you will.
I had previously attended one of Sophia’s free workshops on Zoom about masculine and feminine energies and really liked the way she delivered information and held space. I stalked her online and thought she had a lot of potential. Her website was crisp and professional and she seemed to understand the importance of branding and cohesiveness.
Why exactly did I reach out? To be honest, I wanted someone to be a guinea pig for my Content Marketing Accountability Coaching offering, to help me iron out the kinks and deliver feedback on my methods. Offering free services or discounted offerings in exchange for feedback and testimonials is a GREAT way to build your credibility when you are first starting out. It’s also a great way for you to test out new offerings with your target market and get a feel if they are actually helpful or not.
Luckily, Sophia obliged. In our first session, I gave her an outline of how I thought the next months would go. By the end of our journey together, my goal was for her to have a solid content strategy in place as well as tools that would help her continue to show up consistently. A bonus would be if she was able to generate any leads through the work we did together. Guess what? She achieved ALL of that and more. What’s the “more” I am referring to? Well, you see, I have found that a lot of Conscious Business Owners struggle with imposter syndrome, and “being seen”. They think putting themselves out there is an egoic action, that wanting to “be seen” is somehow shameful. But here’s the deal, if you DON’T put yourself out there, you are doing a disservice to all the folks you could potentially be helping because they won’t know where to find you.
With my Marketing Accountability Coaching Program, I hope to not only set you up with the technical content marketing skills needed to grow your business organically but also to help you overcome your own limiting beliefs about “being seen”.
After our final meeting, I asked Sophia the following questions about the program:
What is the biggest takeaway you received from having me as your Accountability Coach over the last 3 months?
What are some things that you accomplished in the past 3 months that you might not have accomplished otherwise?
Who do you think this coaching program would suit best?
How much do you think this 3-month coaching program is worth?
Is there something else you wish this program offered?
What was your initial goal with this program? Did you achieve that goal? Or did that goal shift?
Any other comments or feedback you'd like to add?
In addition to providing helpful feedback, Sophia also gave me some great advice: create a Digital Marketing Vault that contains templates for KPIs, content calendars, and branding in addition to recommendations of tools I recommend, and then give your clients access to the vault. I LOVED this idea and implemented it right away.
All in all - I think the Marketing Accountability Coaching journey with Sophia on Earth was a mutually beneficial experiment. Sophia received a content marketing strategy, confidence to embark on her journey, and tools to help her succeed/ hold herself accountable moving forward. And I received valuable feedback, helpful suggestions, and the validation that my services are helpful and needed. WIN-WIN!