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There are a lot of moving parts in the online marketing world. If you find yourself overwhelmed with the options, maybe you’re trying to build something that’s not going to be a good fit for you in the long run? For example, if you’re happy being a Solopreneur and occasionally outsourcing certain aspects of your business, you can follow a very simple business model.
- Connect with your audience (weekly blog, podcast or video)
- Send them problem-solving, “you’re not in this alone” type content
- Once they’re comfortable with you, create products and services to help them get from Point A to Point B easier.
That’s a fairly easy blueprint for a one-person show to follow.
On the tech side, keep things simple. You need a basic, self-hosted WordPress site/blog. If you’re just getting started, you can use a free email system to connect with your readers and subscribers. MailChimp is a popular option. MailerLite is an excellent option. If you prefer a self-hosted option, you may want to look into Sendy or Mautic. I’ve personally used each of these services for different projects.
If you’re not comfortable setting up cron jobs for Sendy or Mautic (or have no idea what a cron job is), either pay someone to take care of the setup for you or choose one of the free options to get started.
Realize this – no matter what you’re selling, you will have to invest even more time in marketing the product as you did making it. That comes as a shock to some people, but it’s absolutely true.
You may find that marketing takes twice the time and effort as product creation. Yes, that’s a lousy fact of life and business. Especially if you dislike marketing.
So maybe it will help if we throw out the word “marketing” altogether and use the word “connecting” instead? It takes time connecting with people and interacting regularly with them. If you’re willing to invest the time in making connections, they’ll feel comfortable doing business with you. That’s where content creation comes in. You can keep it simple and use your blog, email and even social media to make those connections happen.
You’re not just building a list… you’re building a connection with people. The list is just a simple way to do it.
Think about how you connect with people in the “real world.” It’s a mistake to think it’s really any different online. We do business with people we come to know and like. If we trust they can do the job, we’ll spend money with them. There really isn’t a secret to connecting with people beyond consistency. And that takes time.
So keep things as simple as possible and don’t get caught up with building a complex business machine unless it’s necessary. At the end of the day, your success will be based upon your ability to connect with people, not the software brands you use to power your technical systems and processes.
