Drowning in a sea of many many platforms and strategies but feel like you’re getting nowhere?
Check out the first episode of the Content Coffee Break podcast for a fresh, no-nonsense strategy. (Spoiler: Less is actually more!)
Here’s a preview of what I’m covering…
- Picking Your Platform Playground: Go big on a few platforms instead of dabbling everywhere. Focus over frenzy!
- Get More Out of Less Time: Make the most of the little marketing time you've got. Delegate, systemize, and don't sweat the small stuff. (It's like meal prepping but for content.)
- Active vs. Amplification Platforms: Know where you're spending lots of time (active) and where you're just posting and ghosting (amplification).
An Invite For You
If you are craving more simplicity (without sacrificing results, of course), this strategy is going to be revolutionary for you. I know it’s been a game changer for my clients who’ve implemented it to start doing more with less time spent grinding out new content and way less feeling guilty if they’re not showing every minute of every day. So I’m peeling back the curtain and sharing it with you, for free on September 7th. So get your booty signed up over at www.yourcontentempire.com/EASE
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Content Coffee Break podcast. I'm thrilled to have you here, particularly to discuss this topic: you don't have to be everywhere to be seen. In fact, there's a more effective way to ensure your strategy is balanced, nurturing your existing audience while also reaching new individuals, thus growing your email list, community, and overall audience, instead of feeling overwhelmed and directionless.
I recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Italy and Switzerland, a journey I've been planning with my husband for three years. Since watching “Under the Tuscan Sun” with Diane Lane and Sandra Oh, showcasing Tuscany's beauty, I've been enamored with the idea of visiting Tuscany. It lived up to every expectation. I share this because the trip reminded me of my business's origins and my love for the flexibility of online business, allowing me to work from anywhere.
During the vacation, I'd wake up early and work for a few hours, taking advantage of the time difference, and then spend the rest of the day exploring. This reinforced the primary reason I started my business: freedom. I didn't start traveling until my thirties, having been occupied with education and other responsibilities earlier in life. Traditional nine-to-five jobs, with their limited vacation days, didn't align with my wanderlust. This passion drove me to start my business, aiming for a life where work accommodates life, not the other way around.
However, many entrepreneurs, including myself and those I coach, drift away from the freedom we sought when launching our businesses. We must ask if our tasks genuinely propel our business forward or are we just mimicking others? Some frustrations entrepreneurs face mirror those experienced in traditional jobs. These self-imposed pressures need to be re-evaluated. My recent trip helped me refocus on the freedom I initially sought.
Addressing our main topic, there's a prevalent myth in various circles: you must be everywhere to be noticed. Many business owners overcomplicate content creation by believing they must be omnipresent. This mindset is detrimental. While it's natural to be drawn to new platforms seeing others succeed, it's essential to stay grounded. Overemphasis on competitors can distract from focusing on our current and potential customers.
To delve deeper, I'm hosting a workshop titled “The EASE Content Strategy Method” soon. This methodology, which I've taught in my courses and incorporated in our agency's plans, prioritizes the primary content platforms that yield 80% of your results. Instead of juggling multiple channels, this approach simplifies to four core types of content platforms, ensuring efficiency without necessarily sticking to a specific platform like Instagram or Pinterest.
So, the EASE letters stand for an expertise platform. This is where you establish your expertise. Usually, this is in the form of blogging. The essential rule is that it has a home on your website. Then we have the attraction platform. What are you doing to get in front of new people?
There's also the selling strategy platform, whether that's quarterly launches, an evergreen sales model, or a combination of both. One of the discussions we have is how to layer these platforms and stack them. While the idea is to focus on one at any given time, you can still stack different ones. Lastly, there's the engagement platform. What measures are you taking to engage with your existing community?
Today, we're focusing on the attraction and engagement platforms. We will discuss these further in the coming weeks on the content coffee break. The attraction platform is where you get in front of people. You don't need multiple attraction platforms at once. My approach is to focus on one for 30 to 90 days, systemize it, delegate it, or decide if it's not suitable and move onto something else. You can add layers, but not to the point where you're juggling multiple platforms simultaneously. The engagement platform fosters two-way conversations. We prioritize platforms where your existing audience resides, allowing you to publish content and engage in discussions.
Less is often more. It's easy to believe you need to be everywhere, but spreading yourself too thin can hinder your efforts. It takes time to succeed on any platform. If you have only an hour a day for marketing, focusing on too many platforms dilutes your impact. For instance, if you decide to engage with five platforms, you'd spend roughly 12 minutes on each. Your time is a limited resource, so be intentional with it.
Dan Henry, the entrepreneur who wrote “Digital Millionaire Secrets”, discusses the concept of the circle of focus. If you think of your attention or time as a pie and focus on one thing, 100% of your pie goes to that. But as you spread your focus, you invest less in each platform. Consider how you want to divide your attention, especially as it affects the results you'll see.
One distinction that has been pivotal for me is between active platforms and amplification platforms. For instance, I'm currently focused on Instagram for engagement and Pinterest for attraction. However, we still post on our Facebook page and group to amplify our content without spending much time.
Another helpful reminder is that once you've built a platform and established a presence, it takes less time to maintain, especially if you've focused on creating systems. Newton's first law states an object in motion tends to stay in motion. You can concentrate on two platforms for 90 days, systemize everything, and then move your focus elsewhere.
For this week, reflect on these questions:
- How many platforms are you actively using?
- How much time do you have for content marketing daily or weekly?
- How do you want to distribute that time?
Please share your answers on Instagram at @yourcontentempire or message me. And don't forget to sign up for our EASE content strategy method at yourcontentempire.com/ease. We'll delve deeper into strategies and how to refine your content and marketing approach. Thank you for joining, and I'll connect with you next week.
