Why I Choose The Path of Authentic Connection
It’s the same reason I don’t worry about follower numbers
You’ve probably seen posts/social media updates with these titles:
How I grew my subscriber list to 100,000 people
How to grow your Instagram account to 10K followers
How you can get 200k page views in just 6 months
It’s called social proof — proof that what you’re doing has worked and that you’re now among the cream of the crop. I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that I used to focus on similar metrics. Those included the number of subscribers on my email list, the fans on my Facebook page, the number of people I was connected to on LinkedIn, the followers on my Instagram page, or even the follower count here on Medium.
- Spoiler alert: You don’t have to check any of these on my accounts; they aren’t impressive by any standard.
In just the last 7 weeks, I’ve been focusing on creating content away from social media. I’ve also not shared any of my blog posts, YouTube videos, or podcast episodes on social media. That means people are finding my content primarily through search terms or my email newsletter.
That’s when I discovered the true power of a loyal audience. They find my content, irrespective of whether they’re actually following me on social media.
Since August 2020, I have stopped focusing on the marketing metrics that most creators in mainstream culture obsess over. Instead, I focus on something far more valuable — the audience that I already have and the audience that finds me through referrals or word-of-mouth recommendations.
In just the last 8 weeks, I’ve managed to connect with more clients, readers, and business owners than I have in the first six months of 2021.
- I’ve had the pleasure of being hosted on 2 different podcasts- the first is here on Krista Bauer, Online Presence Strategist ✨’s beautiful podcast and the episode is titled — Can your business survive without social media?
- I’ve done my first-ever client case study and already have two more lined up for the near future
- I’ve hosted 3 different guests on my own podcast
- I’ve responded to more emails from genuine subscribers these last few weeks than I have ever since I launched my newsletter back in 2017
The best part? This is after I have reduced the number of people on my email list to less than 700 people and removed over 400 fans from my Facebook Business Page. The former used to have 1500 people till April, 2021 while the latter had close to 1000 fans.
And these current connections have run deeper than a casual comment or message on social media.
Because, in my experience, these are way more precious than you realize. It’s how you build solid relationships and bond with your ideal clients as well as fellow business owners. It’s how you can create a working system for your business that is both viable and a source of joy.
Who wants to wake up every morning, worried about how many followers they gained or lost overnight? That’s no way to live; nor is it any way to run a business that you pour your heart and soul into, each day.
My recommendation? Stop worrying about chasing numbers and start focusing on building your network, one brick at a time.
You’d sleep better and your audience will connect with you in ways that last.
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