Monique Nelson is a self-taught, self-motivated solopreneur of the graphic designer sort. While she currently completes 100% of her work sitting in front of her home computer with her pup claiming chair space behind her, the ultimate goal is to explore the world, building her business with local flair from each new city, country and continent she visits!
And someone I think I’m going to get on well with in the future! Very interesting person.
Monique has written a FANTASTIC piece here today. Building an audience and growing a network is extremely important if you want your business to be successful, and Monique is going to help show you how to do this.
Be sure to follow Monique on Facebook or Twitter is you love her post here.
Take it away Monique…
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When I was a young, young girl, I had a dream of living on a boat, writing novels surrounded by ocean. I’d never been on an ocean before; the largest boat I had experience with was an approximate 12’ long metal shape used for fishing 6” trout out of calm lakes.
Laptops hadn’t been invented yet, and the internet was not even within my realm of comprehension. But I was a dreamer.
These days, being a “digital nomad” is actually an achievable career goal, though I’ve hit my 30s and have yet to experience this fairytale life. I am on my way, however, I’ve found myself surrounded by a little thing called “responsibility.”
I have a plan of action in place and am executing day-by-day. I’ve spent many years exploring the awe-inspiring internet and am pleased to report that, even though I do my work in one location at the moment, the vast majority of my connections have convinced me I could do what I do anywhere in the world.
You can too.
The one thing that is almost more important that doing what you do is this: finding someone who will pay you.
You need an audience: an audience to follow you around the world; a network of followers and clients that will be there for you night and day, location independent, anywhere you happen to wake up.
Internet Marketing has come a long way since the early days of the believably unbelievable get-rich-quick schemes. But there’s still a pretty amazing lifestyle to be had if you’re willing to put the time and work and passion into it.
I’d like to start with some motivation.
7 Fun Facts about Being a Digital Nomad
1. For the first time in history, your potential clients are eagerly awaiting your message. They are practically willing you to talk to them. With the rise of the almighty mobile telephone, few people are further than an arm’s length away from their smartphone at any moment of any day. Hearing the little “notification” buzz gives them an instantaneous high. It doesn’t matter, really, who wants to talk to them; just the fact someone is trying to get in touch with THEM is enough to set the heart racing. This is a feeling that doesn’t get old. Using the Internet as your tool, you can capitalize on that feeling each and every day.A little learning goes a long, long way. If you spend one single day researching any single topic, you are decades ahead of someone who will never research that topic because they have no interest in it. It’s easy to present yourself as an expert in a field because there will ALWAYS be people with no interest in learning what you are passionate about. That doesn’t mean they don’t need to know, or utilize the knowledge, somehow. They will come to you to do it for them. If you’re passionate with a true, honest desire to help, it is almost impossible to fail. Imagine how far you could succeed if you spend a month, a year or even more educating yourself on a topic you love to the core of your being, and then being paid handsomely to share that passion with your market? Just imagine…
2. A little learning goes a long, long way. If you spend one single day researching any single topic, you are decades ahead of someone who will never research that topic because they have no interest in it. It’s easy to present yourself as an expert in a field because there will ALWAYS be people with no interest in learning what you are passionate about. That doesn’t mean they don’t need to know, or utilize the knowledge, somehow. They will come to you to do it for them. If you’re passionate with a true, honest desire to help, it is almost impossible to fail. Imagine how far you could succeed if you spend a month, a year or even more educating yourself on a topic you love to the core of your being, and then being paid handsomely to share that passion with your market? Just imagine…
3. Getting “discovered” has never been easier. With the power of the internet, you can reach people in every corner of the earth, and build yourself an audience around the world. The only limitations are the ones you place on yourself. Social media has made it possible to share your message with millions of people daily. With nothing more than a cell phone, you can make a video, write a blog post or send out a tweet or snapchat. With so many options at your fingertips, becoming a recluse is the only way to avoid building an audience. When done correctly, with a few skills to be outlined within this article, the world is your oyster.
4. If you like change, the Internet expands with every second. Opportunities to learn and pass on your learning are limitless. The audiences will be different everywhere you go and, with skill and dedication, you can appeal to the masses for a varied and vibrant community. If you don’t like change, you can effectively spend your time developing a reputation on an established platform like LinkedIn or Facebook. There is little risk of a power-player like that disappearing, but your own website is even more reliable.
5. You can learn from your children or the children in your life, and ENJOY building your business. The life of a digital nomad is a far cry from the “stuffed shirts” of a corporation or even the assembly line drudgery of blue collar job. Not that there’s anything wrong with a career in either of those categories, but they’re not for everyone. Perhaps you would enjoy sharing candid photographs, video glimpses into your real life, and honest verbal diarrhoea onto the pages of a computer screen. Perhaps you would like to spend a day learning the ins and outs of snapchat from your 16-year-old niece or mastering the art of claiming Pokemon gyms from the 5-year-old boy who lives down the street. Believe it or not, both of these can be skills you apply to your business if you choose to be a digital nomad.
6. “Big Brother”…there are people in the world with access to more knowledge about you than you even know about yourself. That is a truth about living in a very, very digital world. That truth means, however, access to knowledge about your customers is also at your fingertips. You can harness this power for GOOD – the more you understand your audience, the better you can serve them. I LOVE that Facebook ads are targeted to my searching and buying habits. I don’t want to be bothered by ads promoting the latest and greatest in horse grooming. I sure do want to know when one of my business idols comes out with a new program in an area I’ve spent hours researching. As a digital nomad, you may not have access to the old techniques of classified ads in local newspapers, but can focus on the interests of your audience, regardless of their location in the world.
7. Someone out there will pay for what you create, and therefore you can make a living doing something you love. After you’re done reading this article, take a few minutes to search Amazon and eBay. Think of something totally random to plug into the search bar. I can almost guarantee you can find someone selling it! Watch an episode of Pawn Stars or Storage Wars. People selling things that would gross you out, embarrass you, and make you question the moral fibre of the world – but someone is selling it and someone else is buying it. So of course, there will be an audience for the thing you’re passionate about.
Moving forward, I’m going to assume you have an idea – maybe even a product or service – to offer as you journey around the world. The tricky part now, is this: how do you build an audience around the world that will follow you and, better yet, buy what it is you’re offering?
3 Crucial Elements to Creating a Product or Service
If someone walked up to you and, in their very first breath of conversation, asked you to buy a vacuum cleaner from them, you would probably throw up a little in your mouth. You would lose your smile and take a good few steps back, if not abruptly turn to make your rapid escape.
But that is exactly how sales used to happen! You’ve heard of door-to-door salesmen, right? That’s the old system. These days, any given salesperson is now tasked with proving three very important things:
- There Is a Problem
Every dime spent in life is spent because of a problem. We buy food because we suffer from the problem of wanting to stay alive. We buy vacuum cleaners because we detest the problem of dusty carpets. We buy video games because of the problem of boredom. Billions of problems are faced every single day. - There Is A Solution To That Problem
Whatever product or service you would like to offer, it’s a solution to a problem. Figure out what the problem is (see the previous point) and present your solution to those suffering with the problem. - You Can Be Trusted to Provide the BEST Solution To Their Particular Problem
It’s not enough to offer just any solution, but you must also be able to prove to your audience your solution is the best solution for them. It may not be the best solution for everyone, but if you build up a relationship of trust, it will become the best solution for them because it will include you in some way, shape or form. YOU are always part of your solution.
If you know what product or service you would like to offer, use those 3 crucial elements to create a frame of reference for your audience to connect with. If you were to write 1 very concrete and concise sentence for each of those points, you would be left with a very powerful mission statement. Some call this a USP – unique selling point – and others call it an elevator pitch. It doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you can effectively communicate it with your audience.
Grow Your Network, Build Your Audience, Capture Your Market
I can almost hear you breathe a sigh of relief as we finally get to the point. Let me assure you, however, if you don’t master the previous steps of 1 – ensuring the life of a digital nomad is for you and 2 – understanding what it is you offer the world, nothing else I can teach you will matter in the least. Assuming both feet are on board, let’s delve into some not-so-commonsense realities about growing your network.
These days it is imperative you present your business to the online world. While search engines like Google release new algorithms and upgrades on the daily, social networks pop up overnight, and trends come and go faster than your breakfast does, there’s one thing that will always and forever be a constant factor in your success (or lack thereof): authenticity.
If you stay true to yourself, your message, what you believe in, and what you’re passionate about you will always have a leg up on any competitor that may come your way. Authenticity breeds trust. Trust is what will lead to your success.
The following 3 methods have been consistently proven to build an audience and when paired with constant authenticity and devotion, will ensure your audience sticks with you regardless of where your lifestyle make take you.
- Develop High-Quality Content
This is without a doubt the most effective long-term strategy for building a loyal audience and growing a network that will follow you regardless of location. Developing quality content – whether that content is written, spoken, or full video – is key to your online success. Learning the basics of keyword research will help you create and rank for content people are actually searching for, but the quality is what really matters. The content you create is meant to appeal to your target market and not the search engines. If you engage your market on a consistent basis, they will follow you anywhere.
- Party With Your Peers
It’s safe to assume you are not the only person in your niche. In fact, it’s not necessarily a good sign for your business if you are the only person around. As such, it’s also safe to assume other businesses are already having success with the market you want to speak to. If you go out and find your industry peers, you will also find your market. I do NOT condone poaching customers, but it is often a great strategy to connect with like minds. The world is a big place with room to grow and share and learn from others. By connecting with your peers online, you can grow your network exponentially, very quickly. One example of utilizing this tactic would be to write a high-quality guest post for someone in your niche. If you offer a great resource they are happy to share, you will all of a sudden be introducing yourself to their entire market. Everyone wins when the quality is high and the intentions are sincere. Create great content for your market, but don’t forget to network with your peers on social media, their home sites, and anywhere else that presents the opportunity to connect.
- Market Your Business To New, Unknown Potential Clients
High-quality content will build your foundation, engaging with your peers will help you become a recognized source or authority, but to really grow your audience you’ll need to commit to some cold, hard marketing. If you have no budget at all, your time will be your investment – spend your time and energy pushing out hashtags to all the social networks you can. If there is a budget for marketing, you can try small scale split testing with options such as Facebook Ads, Solo Ads, sponsored posts to social networks or your industry peers, or Google or YouTube Ads. Split testing is key here because you need to spend your hard earned dollars carefully to find out what appeals best to your audience. Every niche is different and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, I’m sorry to say.
It isn’t enough to provide content, engage with your peers, and throw up some ads to attract fresh attention to your product or service. You must convert each one! Conversion rates are the subject of many a fireside chat, but you can apply a few strategies that are both simple to enact and impressive in their results.
5 Ways To Boost Your Conversion Rates
If you are starting from the ground floor, or already impressed with your conversion skills, it’s important you are always striving for improvement in this crucial area. Every “guru” has a strategy that is “guaranteed” to work, but sometimes going back to the basics is the way to ensure continued success.
Here are 5 easy conversion methods you should always be focused on:
1. Be Very, Very Clear
Specifically in regards to your call to action and your contact information. If a visitor lands on your site and can’t figure out what action you want them to take, they are not likely to take it. If they don’t understand what product you’re selling or service you’re offering, they won’t be converted into a customer. It’s that simple, but you’d be surprised how often business owners are afraid to scare away their “sales” by actually selling to them. But, as Wayne Gretzky has been quoted saying, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Similarly, if you don’t give your visitors clear contact information, it is impossible for them to contact you but, more dangerously, your business may appear suspect. It’s important your visitors expect a real, live person behind the screen to answer any questions they come up with.
2. Show Off Confidently, But Not Arrogantly
Very few people in the world like to be guinea pigs – and those who do tend to want exciting perks for the task. As such, establishing credibility – showing your visitors you have experience in doing what you do – can impact on your conversion rates in a big way. Having “trust” seals from credible sources such as the Better Business Bureau, highlighting “As Seen On” locations and sharing testimonials and case studies is a way of proving to new visitors you know what you’re talking about. It’s a good idea to share a variety of sources or examples – straight from the source works much more effectively than a collection of self-promotional name-dropping posts will do.
3. Lead Your Traffic Through Great Headlines
Headlines that pack a punch will not only catch readers attention but will also organize your content and guide the attention of your visitors to the call to action you want them to take. Aside from having a strong impact on your SEO and search engine traffic, headlines are the first thing visitors pay attention to when they visit a new website. Intrigue them with a great headline, and they will stick around to read what else you say.
4. Offer A Guarantee
Whatever you’re selling, you should be confident enough in your product to believe that, when you have the right audience, the product or service will be the right solution. If you are confident in your offering, you should never be worried your audience is going to ever want to or need to return it or request a refund. By offering a guarantee, you are showing your own confidence in your product or service, relieving any sense of risk your visitors may have. If you’re offering something of high quality, a guarantee can significantly increase your conversion rates and shouldn’t impact your return rate to any great degree. People don’t generally return something that works for them!
5. Have Integrity
This last point is probably the most important, yet the least adhered to. With the rise of online marketing has come a rise in individuals who just want to make their fortune online, selling anything and everything they can. Some people are completely without scruples. Don’t be one of those people. Have integrity. Stand behind the products and services you offer. Whether you create them yourself or promote the work of others, the surest way to success is to promote products and services you believe in, and sell them to people and businesses that you are confident will benefit from them. This isn’t as hard as it may sound, but it is the difference between a quality, respectable, sustainable business model, and a “scheme.”
This has been a long and in-depth read, but if you’ve taken it all to heart you are well on your way to becoming a digital nomad or, if you are already enjoying that lifestyle full-swing, you are now armed with everything you need to create an epic to-do list!
Here’s a quick recap of what we discussed:
- 7 Fun Facts about Being a Digital Nomad
- 3 Crucial Elements to Creating a Product or Service
- 3 Ways To Grow Your Network, Build Your Audience, Capture Your Market and
- 5 Ways To Boost Your Conversion Rates
I would love to hear your feedback, and welcome any and all discussion. I sincerely look forward to hearing from you…wherever you may be in the world!
