The biggest mistake we can make as online business owners is to be so focused on what we’re doing that we forget about our audience. And just to narrow it down further, we forget the one person in our audience.
It can be daunting to focus on this major audience. I mean even if you have, 250 people following you on Twitter and 500 on Facebook, if you imagined them all sitting in the room now the pressure is on.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10 (NIV)
Let’s put this in perspective of social media, better yet digital marketing, including: social media, your blog, ebooks, audios, videos, pdfs
When’s the last time you looked at your numbers. If you’re comparing yourself to the ‘big boys and girls’ these numbers may look small. When people refer to having a small email list and they use a number in the thousands, when you’ve got a list that’s still in the hundreds, you think small? I’d love to have that many.
Well, let’s imagine everyone on your email list, social media, and anywhere else where you can quantify who’s there, is in one large banquet room at a local hotel.
First, go to google.com/analytics and look at how many people visited your website yesterday. Write that number down.
Head to your Twitter account. Write down how many times you were mentioned in the last week. If you’re using Hootsuite or SproutSocial, take a look at the analytics or just go to your notifications and manually count them.
Now, go to Facebook. Your Facebook business page. Head to your insights and write down how many people engaged with you in the last week. Engagments include- likes, clicks, shares, and comments.
If you’re currently collecting names and email addresses on your website and also sending out newsletters, go to AWeber, MailChimp, iContact, whichever system you’re currently using for email marketing. Write down either how many people opened your last three email newsletters OR how many people are currently subscribed to your list, if you haven’t sent an email out in the last few weeks.
Total all of your numbers________
Going back to the initial thought, imagine every single one of them in a large banquet hall ready and waiting to hear from you.
Does this make you see the realness of each person behind the number? It should make you realize whether you’re working with smaller numbers or not, you have an audience that’s waiting to hear from you.
When you honor them by providing useful information, tips, or entertainment, whatever they’re coming to you for, then you are serving your audience. Each time you post on social media, send out an email, or create an online event, think of them. Ask yourself: Is this something that’s helpful for them or a feel good moment for you?
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you which is best, however the former is better than the latter. Your feel good moment comes in the giving.
Make it FABULOUS!