Community is the next phase of small business marketing. This is going to be music to your ears. No more free communities! Start a paid community for your business.
The content that we post online to attract and serve our target audience shouldn't all be freebies in my opinion. You can agree or disagree. There are many ways to skin a cat (sorry for that graphic), but anyone who says there's only one way to do something hasn't taken the time to evaluate other paths to success. I highly recommend creating a paid community for your small business if you're a coach/consultant offering services and I'll tell you why.
Ensure That Your Time Is Generating Revenue
If you're like most small business owners and solo entrepreneurs, you don't need another activity to add to your marketing. The thought alone is exhausting because there is already such a steep learning curve to doing online marketing correctly. But here's the thing creating a paid community is not going to take more time if it becomes part of your 'trip wire' offering. A low-cost, 1-to-many offer that allows the coach/consultant to provide value and help clients achieve their goals while maintaining a relationship with the coach and peers.
The reality is that a lot of people follow you online, like your content, and would like more, but aren't ready to pay for that big-ticket offer. Something low-cost reduces their risk, and a 1-to-many setup makes it worth your time as a coach/consultant. It's a WIN-WIN.
Get Off The Social Media Hamster Wheel
Without a community, we rely on the 'social media hamster wheel' which is 24/7 every-day in order to get attention on our offers. Then what happens in most cases is, that there becomes a mismatch between the time and energy we're putting towards content making/ distribution and revenue generated, so we drop the ball more often than we should. Now we have inconsistent marketing, which is as good as no marketing and we're throwing mud to the wall to reach our revenue goals from cold leads. It's too much work!
The bottom line is we need to make money to be in business, and anything that doesn't immediately make money for a small business typically gets put in the back seat. Marketing doesn't belong in the back seat. Peter Drucker said it best: "the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous."
But, how do we market and make money?
Content creation is shifting from going for volume/quantity to quality.
Do less! I suggest having a consistent schedule for creating high-value, quality content with a clear call-to-action that drives the target audience to the next low-risk offer where they can get more results and become part of your community.
Reduce Your Marketing Costs
Without a community, the fastest way to get results is through paid ads. The only problem is that the cost of ads is on the rise and the effectiveness is likely to continue declining due to privacy law changes and increased competition. Needless to say, a small business doesn't have millions of dollars to spend on ads of full departments working on their marketing and sales like big corporations. But, we must still compete, and we shall do this well by being laser-focused on winning a niche community. Create a superior client experience at a low cost with a Skool Community.
Create a space where the audience can become raving fans.
Create More Opportunities For Upsells
Leveraging a personal brand to create a community of people who opt-in to your offers is a no-brainer. How can you serve the people who want more in a scalable way? Perhaps you already have a Facebook group. Does it provide all the tools you need to serve at a higher level? Is it reflecting your brand identity and providing a customer experience that helps your business get more business? Paid communities are becoming more and more the norm. The market now understands that when you want more you pay.
A person who has bought from you is more likely to buy again than a person who has never bought from you. It's an easier sale.
Create A Network For Your Clients
A paid community instantly allows those who are serious about getting results to separate themselves from mindless scrollers. It's beneficial for them to meet other people who are also after the same goals. The premium 1:1 model is limited because it depends on you the coach/consultant, and it's difficult to scale. Fresh ideas, connecting, sharing of advice, support, and long-lasting relationships develop in communities.
Whether you're starting in business or are established creating a niche community to serve and over-deliver in value to your clients creates many more business opportunities.
Resources mentioned in article:
Create your own Skool Community
