Build an audience without burnout Three strategies to build an audience without burning out coach Becky Mollenkamp |
Learn mindset coach and long-time Becky Mollenkamp's tried and true methods for growing your audience and not burning out.
Becky Mollenkamp is a coach for mindsets that assists people make the shift from 'small business owner' to CEO and develop sustainable businesses without burning out. Through her Gutsy Boss brand, she has helped thousands of clients to let go of the "shoulds and redefine success on their own terms.
More than 20 years of working as an entrepreneurand even running a content marketing agency that earned six figures before starting her coaching business in 2015 Becky learned what works in her favor when it comes to building an audience.
Today, three fundamentals drive Becky's marketing
You don't have to follow the latest social media trends
Choose long-term strategies over instant pleasure
Maintain your peace of mind at work and build a business that lasts
1. There's no need to be following the latest social media trends
Every day, a brand fresh marketing trend is popping everywhere. It is a quick way to feeling overwhelmed and distracted away from your goals. Becky is making her conscious choice to concentrate rather on strategies and channels that work for her.
At the moment, this means getting rid of social media platforms that can cause more stress than results.
"I am really reaching the bottom of my barrel in social media," she explains. "I've quit Facebook and it feels great. And Instagram, I'm not spending too much time there either."
Becky's main guiding rule, letting go of the 'shoulds is also applicable to social media. This is especially in the case of doing too much at once.
"It begins to feel like a lot. Now I've got to create a TikTok first, then I'll need to make a separate Reel... with a picture as well as video. Additionally, I must have some really creative ideas to use for Twitter. Then I have to have something on Medium. This is too much." Becky describes.
"I believe we're reaching the point of exhaustion in our society and people are starting to say, 'I have to make a change in things around.'"
Instead of making something completely new from scratch for each platform, look for innovative ways to make use of your previous work. For example, you can turn the YouTube video into smaller clips to use on TikTok as well as Instagram Reels. The video transcript could be the foundation of your newsletter or blog post.
What does it look like what happens when you doown your followers? Your communication with them is through a platform or channel that you control, like your email list, an online community, or even your site.
Here's the way Becky discusses the importance of email in establishing your audience.
2. Choose long-term strategies over instant gratification
In the nearly two decades she has spent as an entrepreneur, Becky has a good idea of what strategies for marketing work best for her. Now, she finds herself using the same tried-and-true methods even though they may take longer to reap the benefits.
If you're building your business, it can be tempting to seek out methods to market that yield results quickly. There's a tendency to be disappointed when you don't see instant results, but the strategies that take more time and effort upfront often lead to more genuine and lasting relationships with your audience.
The type of work Becky performs demands honesty and vulnerability for her clients. As such, they need to feel safe when they work with her prior to coaching. A consistent communication with her via email newsletter helps establish that confidence.
"Before the individuals work one-on one together with me, they generally are on my email list for 6 months or a one year period," the woman explains. "I'm sending them emails every week as well as allowing them to meet my personality. There is a small portion of them who purchase something of a small amount in the beginning, but after some time, clients who will be my one-on-one clients will ultimately invest in coaching."
The Gutsy Boss Podcast is a different key element of Becky's game plan for the long term. "That's taken a long time to earn a profit," says Becky. "I've had my podcast for four years, and I'm just getting to the point where each month, I'm seeing growth in that audience."
SEO is the process of making your site contents, products, and content easy to locate by using search engines. Optimized content shows up higher in the search results of appropriate terms and keywords. If you can optimize your content, easier it will be for your intended users to find it via search.
Becky worked for a Content Marketing agency prior to becoming a coach as well as an SEO coach. SEO has been able to stand over time throughout her careers.
"SEO is a tried and true strategy that is effective," she says. "SEO is a lengthy sport, but one that can pay dividends. Instead of creating an item that's got a shelf life of two minutes, SEO is an item that can go on for years."
Because she optimizes the blog's and web-based content keeping her audience's specific needs in mind, potential clients are able to find her content via search. Once they do, the value she offers and her unique insight will keep them engaged, reading as well as subscribing to her newsletter and frequently becoming customers.
"I become the no-brainer since there was no one who was able to answer the question the same way. If that was the only solution they came up with, then it was the answer that resonated and that means I responded in the way that they required to hear, and then they're going to be drawn to working with me."
Then, Becky finds herself networking (what she describes as"an "old school way for marketing") and using the network to reach more potential customers.
"Getting out and speaking to my current network, and using old-fashioned in-person networking to make new connections... having the ability to get in front of the audiences of other people has been highly beneficial, whether it's summits or just partnering with others," she says.
What do these strategies for building audiences have in common? They can help Becky keep a healthy time-to-work balance, which has become more important as ever for artists over the past few years.
3. Make sure you are in harmony with your family and work to grow a business that lasts
"It felt like, all of a sudden each business became an online company during the pandemic. And I think that caused a general burnout" Becky recalls. "I'm experiencing it with a lot of individuals: We're all exhausted from the demands of running an online company."
Becky focuses on finding ways to increase her reach and her business, without jeopardizing her lifestyle that she's created and wants to continue to live a life she enjoys. "I have a family, and I'd like to live an existence. I do not want my life being a constant creation of content all the time."
"How do I make the best choices that allow me to live my dream while also growing my audience?"
Productivity and growth can be wonderful things However, not when they can be detrimental to your mental well-being.
"I need to contemplate the ways I can use my time most effectively, not because I want to do more work, but because I actually desire to lead a fulfilling existence."
Let go of the 'shoulds in order to create the business which is right for you
Becky helps her clients create businesses that don't burn out, and it's clear it's a result of years spent finding that balance herself.
The business she runs has grown far from her initial course that she launched in the year 2018. But the heart and soul of her coaching and helping people to let go of the'shoulds that's'shoulds' -- has remained constant with her products, contents as well as her own method of growing.