How to Start an Online Business (Part 2)
There is an audio version below. NONE of the links in this series are affiliate links. I just want to give you value!
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We live in the Information Age. Today, 2.5 billion people log onto the Internet every day. We have access to knowledge and people in an unprecedented way. This idea of making money and creating a sustainable business from the Internet is no longer just a myth.
I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Panama City, Panama. I’m here to speak at a company. The company bought me First Class tickets from Maui to Panama and back. The booked me in an executive room at the Veneto Hotel and Casino. And, they are paying me $10,000 as a speaker fee. If you had told me I could get booked to speak through simply writing articles online, I would have said that’s crazy. This company found me through my Entrepreneur Magazine articles.
I’m living proof that the opportunity exists and that you can build a successful online business that gives you freedom. In the last post, we talked about your foundation. Build a strong social media presence. Have a simple and clean website. We also talked about how all of this starts with picking your topic/message. Figure out who you want to help and what you want to help them do. Let’s continue the series.
3. Build your email list.
Social media is not enough. There are many social media marketers that will try to tell you it is, but we’ve seen how the organic reach continues to decrease. Today, you have to pay if you want to significantly reach people on social media. Your email list is the best way to convert actual sales.
One way to build an email list is by offering a freebie to get people to sign up. Your freebie should be more than a simple eBook or manifesto. The type—as in whether it’s a PDF, some videos, or audio—is not as important as what your freebie helps people do. Even if it’s just one thing, people should be able to take away a tip from your freebie that they can take action on as soon as they’re done consuming it.
Think about your core message. Think about the average person’s biggest struggle related to that message. Create a freebie that helps them get started in solving part of what’s holding them back. For example, if you were in the relationships topic, one struggle in relationships is communication. Your freebie could be something that helps couples communicate better. It could be tips, exercises, or identifiers of bad communication. You then package that in a medium you feel comfortable with.
Use Fiverr to have a cover for the freebie—no matter how you decide to deliver it. People are visual and need to see what it is. You will need an email service like MailChimp or Aweber to build your list and send out communications. There are others, but these two are the most common. Send your email list things you don’t post anywhere else. Here are some tips to grow your email list.
4. Build an audience.
At this point, you should have your foundation established, your email list set up and clarity on who you’re trying to help. It’s now time to build your following. One major reason someone doesn’t make money from an online business is because they have no audience. They have all of the other things they need, but no one to see them. Building your audience should be most of your focusing when you’re starting out. You can build your audience in a number of ways.
You can form a Facebook group. Despite the reach of social media being limited, Facebook groups are still the one area you can organically reach people. Abbie Unger (an all-star coaching client of mine) is a good example of this. She had a passion to help people become flight attendants, so she started a Facebook for it. That group now has over 19,000 members. Abbie has done so well that Facebook itself featured her. The point is that a Facebook group could work well to help you build your audience.
Be a guest on a podcast. In 2012, when I was building my business, I was a guest on 80 podcasts. Being a guest on a podcast exposes you to people who don’t know you or your message. Some will appreciate it and come back to your foundation to see what you’re up to. You can use services such as Radio Guest List, HARO, or Blogtalk Radio to find shows. Get booked and shared your story and message.
Guest post on blogs. In 2012, when I was building, I guested posted on 60 blogs. I was even on Michael Hyatt’s blog. You can write for another blog, and they will give you links back to your foundation. There are some great lists to find blogs to guest post on. Here’s one example.
For the sake of length, I’m going to stop right here. We’ll pick this up in the next post with talking about using large publications to build your audience. I want to get in-depth because I know many of you see value in using exposure as a strategy.
What I hope you take away is that it’s possible for you to build a freedom-based online business. Use all the links and info. Build a dream that allows you to travel the world while still generating income (if that’s one of your goals). We’ll get into more in the next post.
Audio version:
How are you building your audience?
