Stop Casting a Broad Net
And Slow The Fuck Down
In today’s fast-paced world of countless emails and endless notifications, it's easy to distract and become distracted by others.
Among all of this chaos, we tend to forget there are only so many hours in a day and most people have trouble getting things done within the time they have.
For those of you building products and services for these people, it is far too easy to create more distraction instead of making their lives easier.
When marketing your product, there is no silver bullet that will magically put it in front of everyone who wants it. Each potential customer has a different set of wants, needs, and motivations that will play a part in their decision to use your product or not.
When it comes to marketing, it’s easy to forget this and implement a shotgun approach by casting a broad net.
After all, why wouldn’t everyone be able to benefit from your product?
I’ll tell you why.
No one product is right for everyone.
Even Facebook isn’t used by every single person on Earth (I actually know a few of these rebels).
I understand how exciting it is to build something and put it out into the world. However, if you don’t take time before you launch to grow an actual community, you will only add to the vast sea of noise that’s already out there.
What is the most important part of building an audience?
Like anything else worth doing right, it takes time.
Time to seek out the people who will benefit from your product the most. Time to invest in their day-to-day problems and learn what actually motivates them. Time to strike a balance between giving them what they need and showing them a better way.
I know what you’re thinking. You are too “busy” to slow down and be more intentional with your marketing. You are focused on any number of the following things:
- Creating the actual product
- Finding others to help you build this product
- Convincing investors to share resources that will allow you to continue building your product
- Balancing where the product is at now with where you want it to be in the future
- Paying your rent or mortgage
All of these are important parts of building a successful business, but I’ll let you in on a little secret:
Without people who want your product, you won’t have a business.
This isn’t a revolutionary concept; it’s just easy to forget once shit hits the fan. It’s natural to focus on other, more immediate tasks when everything piles up. Despite this truth, slowing down can help you realize what is most important.
Whether at the beginning of your business or later on down the road, intentionally growing an engaged audience will never be a waste of your time.
Creating a community of active supporters will help inform whether or not you are heading in the right direction with your product.
Just don’t forget to listen.
Are you starting a business? How are you growing an active community around your product? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter at @williamfrazr.
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