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Passive income is a myth and we need to accept it as such
Passive income is the holy grail of business. Or so we're told by business and marketing experts alike. Except – it's not realistic and likely won't happen for you. If it worked, those sunny beaches would be full of passive income earners living it up.
Here’s the bottom line: it takes a lot of work to make money off of courses, books, or guides of any kind, even if you have a large and engaged audience.
Let’s review the bare minimum requirements for creating “passive income,” and what I’d suggest you prioritize instead.
How-to guide: learn to brand yourself with words
What you do, what you say (and the tone you say it in), who you are, how you help your clients or audience – each of these elements create an imprint on the world. You don't get to have control over your brand, but you can heavily influence it by thinking about how you want others to perceive you.
Honing in on your brand voice, tone, style, and values can help you decide what marketing actions you will take (and which you’ll avoid) to reinforce the traits, values, and perspectives you want to emphasize about your company.
Your marketing isn't annoying to your people
One of the more common issues clients raise about creating and sharing content (especially repurposing content or repeating ideas) is the fear that their audience will be annoyed.
Let me put your fears to rest: if people in your audience are annoyed, they aren't your people.
If anyone shares that they are unhappy or annoyed with your content, they aren't the right fit for you!
Small But Mighty Episode 15: Lori Pearlstein on the value of in-person connection and authenticity in marketing
I was excited to talk to Lori Pearlstein of PlayWorks, who uses improv and humour to help people and businesses get more comfortable and spontaneous when speaking in front of others. There is value in connecting with people in-person and over the phone and Lori encourages us to do more of that and rely less on social media. In this episode, Lori and I chat about how COVID-19 means we rely a lot more on online communication, but how we can also use this time to improve our comfort and confidence to have better, more authentic conversations in our businesses.
Small But Mighty Episode 10: Alex Keenan on pushing through fear to make an impact
Alex Keenan of Stage Light Communications is helping people step out of their comfort zone and take their place on stages of all kinds—in team meetings, boardrooms, and beyond. There’s a vulnerability to putting yourself out there, and some people never get over the nerves. But it is possible to get over the fright. In this episode, Alex and I chat about her work and the life-changing impact it’s had on some of her clients.
The shoes and handbags theory of building an audience
If a business focuses solely on quantity in building an audience - Twitter followers, Facebook likes, blog subscribers, and others - you end up always wanting more. The ten new followers you just got may not be quite right for your product/services, but seeing that jump in numbers feels so good!
Growing a large audience shouldn't be the primary goal, though growth is certainly important. Growing an audience that fits your target market and is engaging with you is a worthy goal.
Guest blogging? Bring your "A" game!
I really enjoy guest posting on other blogs. It's like being invited to come to a dinner party at a friend's house where you may know some people, but probably not everyone. The dinner party is your chance to meet new, interesting people with fresh perspectives and you might even walk away with newly formed friendships.
Don't be selfish with your communication
We've all communicated selfishly at some point. It happens most often when you know a topic so well that you forget that others aren't as up-to-speed as you are.
Talking to someone who neglects to take that giant step back can feel a lot like opening a long book in the middle - you've missed so much of the story that you're completely lost.
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