TABLE OF CONTENTS
Your First 100 Subscribers (No Frustration, Overwhelm or Begging!)
The Courage & Clarity Summer Series wouldn’t be complete without a Bizdom episode, featuring Megan Hale!
With all of the platforms and tactics available for you to use, business building can get over complicated and overwhelming, real quick! It’s easy to get caught up in trying ALL the things.
There’s no question that gaining momentum in the early days of your business is tough. So, for your own blueprint to building an audience with less frustration, keep reading below…
Know Your Ultimate Goal
Whether the number is 100 or 100,000 – it’s vital that you know why you’re aiming for a certain number of subscribers. If you just choose a number out of thin air or because you see others achieving the same, you’re simply chasing vanity metrics.
Ask yourself “what is my ultimate goal”?
Are you trying to fill a group program or land your first three clients? Once you know the answer to this question, you can work backwards to attract the numbers you’ll need. New entrepreneurs often think that more audience = more success. This type of thinking will keep you chasing the next milestone and may not even give you the business results you want!
Give yourself permission to be small but mighty. A tight, connected and valued audience of 50 may give better client results than an Instagram following of 2000. You can create a viable business from a smaller following, just always keep your ultimate goal in mind.
The Challenge Of Too Many Directions
Now that you know exactly why you’re building your audience, you can move into the how.
It’s common to spread yourself too thin, especially in the beginning. It’s good to test different tactics in your biz as you discover what works best for you and your audience. Just make sure that before you get traction, you’re focused and really going all in before you try another.
You’ll have more success if you give 100% in one area, than if you give 20% in multiple areas. You can’t be everywhere all at once, especially if you’re a solopreneur.
Plus, it takes time to learn and master the different platforms and techniques. Give yourself the knowledge and time in one key area before you move onto the next idea.
“When you spread your energy all over the place, you create overwhelm.”
– Megan Hale
How To Choose Where To Show Up
Popular business coaching advice makes it seem like there’s always a new trend you must follow in order to be successful. Megan and I do things differently than that. We teach entrepreneurs like you how to lean into your intuition and get clear on what will work best.
To choose a platform, simply ask yourself these four questions:
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Where can I have the most impact?
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Where am I most comfortable, so I can zero in and focus.
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Where do I want to show up?
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What feels exciting to me?
Feel Good Marketing
When you market from the heart without gimmicky tricks, it will feel like an authentic invitation. The best way to achieve this is to anchor your marketing around the transformation.
What story are you telling? Think of it like a bridge. Your audience must see themselves on the other side, after they’ve used your solution. What will their life look like after working with your or consuming your content?
To connect, you must paint the picture of where your clients want to be. This shows them you understand the path they’re on. With understanding comes trust, and with trust comes connection.
To take the pressure off, understand that your marketing will never end. At every subscriber milestone you reach, you have to stay in front of people and be visible. Otherwise, your message can lost amongst the noise.
Please let go of the myth that you’ll reach a point where your people will just come to you. It will take continuous work, but it can be fun!
What If You’re Still Stuck?
If you’re reading this article and thinking to yourself “yep, I’ve tried all of that!” but are still not building your audience, here are four troubleshooting questions to ask yourself:
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Am I being specific enough? To build and audience and attract raving fans you must nail the answer to a question your potential audience has.
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Have I completed Customer Conversations? It’s tempting to skip this step, but if you efforts are falling flat, the best way to learn your potential audience’s struggles and exact words they use is by talking directly with them. I even have a whole course on this topic in Fizzle you can check out!
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Do I have any feedback from past attempts to grow my audience? If you put together a workshop or email opt-in and the results are underwhelming, ask why! To build a healthy business, you must accept and seek out constructive feedback to grow and do better.
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Am I leveraging my network? – Own your message and share it bravely. You can write personal emails with specific asks. Your connections want to help you! There’s no end to the creative ways you can get in front of potential clients.
Did I miss anything on this list? Head over to the Courage & Clarity Community and share your best tips to get your first (or next) 100 subscribers!
