janet murray’s build your online audience · product/service like yours, you’re the first...

JANET MURR AY’S

audienceBuild youronline

platform(s)CHOOSE YOURWO R K B O O K

JANET MURRAY’S

CHO OSING YOUR PL ATFORM(S)

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choosing your platform(s)

WHY PUBLISH CONTENT AT ALL?

Before we get stuck into choosing the platforms you’re going to focus on to build your online audience, let’s get clear on the reasons you’re online in the first place.

If you’re taking this class, I’m working on the assumption that you have a key objective in mind. This is almost certainly about making sales. But you may also have other objectives e.g. building the authority to publish a book/get booked to speak.

ACTIVIT Y 1

Let’s start by making a list of your objectives for building your online audience i.e. why you want to build an online audience. This is important, as it will help you make sure you’re choosing the right platforms for your needs.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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So back to the question of why bother publishing content in the first place... well this is about helping you get ‘found’ by your ideal customers/clients. So instead of having to rely on proactive outreach i.e. reaching out to your ideal customers/clients... people find YOU via search engines like Google and on social media.

How do you achieve this? By creating the kind of content they are already searching for and being a valuable source of information and advice.

It’s worth bearing in mind that most people won’t buy from you the first time they hear about your products/services. Most people need at least seven or eight touchpoints with you before they buy. And they need to get to know, like and trust you. So when they DO have a need for a product/service like yours, you’re the first person they think of (or business).

This means building authority in your space.

We’ll go deep into the kind of content you need to create to build authority, attract your ideal customers/clients - and keep them coming back for more - in the class on Creating Bingeworthy Content. This is what is generally referred to as content marketing.

But for now, it’s important to understand that you are starting a journey. And that journey is about building authority and trust with your audience. Which means you can’t rush it. You have to let things unfold over time.

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CHO OSING THE BEST PL ATFORM(S) FOR BUILDING YOUR ONLINE AUDIENCE

If you’re looking to build your online audience, choosing which platform - or platforms - to focus on can feel like one of the biggest decisions you have to make.

But, in my experience, people vastly overthink this decision. In fact, I’ve seen business owners stay paralysed for YEARS because they can’t decide which platform/platforms to focus on.

They spend so much time researching the pros and cons of different platforms - and asking experts for their advice on where they should focus their efforts - they end up producing no content at all.

And believe me when I say that publishing NO content on NO platforms is far worse than choosing a platform, then switching to another later if you realise you’ve made the wrong decision.

If you are publishing some content somewhere, you are gaining valuable experience in content creation and planning. And that counts for a LOT.

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DISPELLING SOME MY THS ABOUT CHO OSING YOUR PL ATFORM(S)

You can read all the research you like about which is the best platform to build your audience on (i.e. Youtube versus Podcast, Instagram versus LinkedIn yada yada). But that won’t give you the answer you need.

The best platform for you to build an audience on is:

1. One where your audience is actually hanging out

2. One where you feel comfortable/motivated enough to publish consistent content

So the moral of the story is….just pick a platform you enjoy - and feel you can publish content consistently on - and go for it. As long as your audience is actually hanging out there, and you publish high-quality content, your audience will grow.

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HOW MANY PL ATFORMS SHOULD YOU CHO OSE?

As an audience building expert, it’s my job to be everywhere. But it’s not yours. Which is why I recommend focusing on just two platforms. One ‘core’ platform - ideally one where you can publish the content on your website (more on why later) e.g. blog, podcast, video (Youtube/Facebook Live) and one social media platform.

I’m not saying you can’t be active on more than one social media platform. Or that you can’t repurpose your Youtube video into a podcast and blog (that’s actually really good practice). But it really is best to focus your efforts on one platform at a time. And once you nail it on one platform, you can replicate what you’ve learned elsewhere.

That said, it’s worth looking at the different platforms and comparing the different features/benefits of each. And reviewing this on a regular basis. Just don’t get hung up on which is the ‘best’ platform. The best platform is the one that’s right for you (for the reasons I’ve explained above).

So let’s get started by taking a look at what content you’re publishing right now.

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ACTIVIT Y 2

Put a tick/mark in the box to indicate where you’re publishing content and how regularly. Don’t worry if you’re not doing any of these things right now...or are inconsistent. There’s no judgment here. This is just about establishing where you are right now, so you can create a plan to help you move forward. Use the space below to add any additional notes e.g. what kind of content you’re publishing, how regularly and what you enjoy/find challenging.

CORE CONTENT

REGUL ARLY O CCASIONALLY NEVER

BLO G

POD CAST

VIDEO (YOUTUBE/

FACEBOOKLIVE /IGTV)

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SO CIAL MEDIA CONTENT

Put a tick/mark in the box to indicate where you’re publishing content and how regularly. Don’t worry if you’re not doing any of these things right now...or are inconsistent. There’s no judgment here. This is just about establishing where you are right now, so you can create a plan to help you move forward. Use the space below to add any additional notes e.g. what kind of content you’re publishing and how regularly.

REGUL ARLY O CCASIONALLY NEVER

FACEBO OK PAGE

FACEBO OK GROUP

LINKEDIN

T WIT TER

INSTAGR AM

TIKTOK

OTHER

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CHO OSING YOUR CORE CONTENT PL ATFORM

This table compares the different types of ‘core’ content platforms you can choose - and the potential advantages/disadvantages. You can check out the research on which age groups/gender prefer which type of content, but the bottom line is people of all ages/genders consume all three types of content. Which is why it’s crucial to pick the medium you feel most comfortable with.

BLO G VIDEO POD CA STLess intimidating if you’re

nervous about being ‘visible’Youtube is second biggest search engine after Google

Growing platform (listening up 26%)

If you’re a visual person, can combine with images/

infographics etc (but you can also do this on video)

Video can be quicker to create than written content

(but not always)

People can listen while they’re on the go e.g driving, walking the dog, at the gym

Can allow you to go into greater depth

Video content accounts for around 80% of internet traffic

You can create great intimacy and connection when you’re

in someone’s earbuds

Less technical knowledge required than podcast/

Youtube

Easier to build authority and trust when people can see

and hear you

Super easy to create the content. You can get started with equipment for around

£100

If you enjoy writing, can be a great way to connect with

your audience

Minimal costs involved. Some technical knowledge is required for Youtube set

up. IGTV and Facebook Lives are easier (you can create

high quality content on your phone). But you must post them on your website to improve your chances of

being found in Google.

People are actively searching for podcasts to listen to on

subjects they’re interested in (iTunes and podcast apps act

as a search engine)

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ACTIVIT Y 3

What are your initial thoughts about what the best core content platform might be for you?

Jot down your thoughts in the comments below.

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RECOMMENDED SOURCES FOR HELPING WITH CORE CONTENT CRE ATION

Podcasting COLIN GR AY JOHN LEE DUMAS (AK A THE POD CAST HOST)

Youtube SUNNY LENARDUZZI JUSTIN BROWN

Blogging COPYBLO GGER

N.B. There is a podcasting course inside the Build Your Online Audience Programme. Basic Youtube and Blogging courses to follow (May 2020).

https://www.thepodcasthost.com/

https://www.thepodcasthost.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/SunnyLenarduzzi

https://www.youtube.com/user/EditMyClips0

https://copyblogger.com/

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CHO OSING YOUR SO CIAL MEDIA PL ATFORM

This table compares the key social media platforms you can use to grow your audience - and the key data comparisons (age/gender). I’m focusing on the main four here, but check out SPROUTSO CIAL for comparisons of other platforms. Ultimately though, it does come down to where your audience are and where you feel most comfortable. And one of the best ways to find out where your ideal customers/clients hang out online….is simply to ask them.

If you already have an audience, you could do a poll to find out which are the most popular platforms with your ideal clients/customers. If not, ask 5-10 of your ideal clients/customers to hop on a quick call with you and ask them.

Ultimately though, you won’t know if you’ve picked the right platform until you’ve posted consistently for some time (I recommended 90 days) to see what kind of traction you get. And do bear in mind you may need to test out different types of content until you find what resonates with your audience.

FACEBO OK INSTAGR AM T WIT TER LINKEDIN

AGE18-49

Biggest User Group

18-29 Biggest User

Group

30-49Biggest User

Group

25-30 Biggest User

Group

GENDERMore Women

Using The Platform

More Women Using The Platform

Similar Numbers Of Men And

Women Using The Platform

Similar Numbers Of Men And

Women Using The Platform.

https://sproutsocial.com/

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ACTIVIT Y 4

What are your initial thoughts on what might be the best social media platform for you?

Jot down your thoughts in the comments below.

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FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Congratulations on completing the Choose Your Platform(s) class. Before you move onto the next class, please ensure you have done the following.

Chosen one ‘core’ platform to focus on

Chosen one social media platform to focus on

Carried out any research you need to do to help with these decisions (e.g. carrying out a poll/interviews with some of your ideal customers/clients)

janet murray’s build your online audience · product/service like yours, you’re the first...

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