I've bought A LOT of courses, workshops, templates, coaching packages, etc while being in the online business space.
And some were amazing, some were decently helpful, some were meh, some were decidedly NOT what I needed, and some I never used or opened. Can you relate??
ESPECIALLY if you're in the first few years of figuring out your business and your offers and your messaging and your strategies...
I am here to share with you my insight that most likely, most of the business growth and marketing resources out there are probably not helpful for you right now (or ever).
We often get presented with a magical strategy or checklist or workshop – and yes maybe it is the magical thing for some people – but for others it’s not a good fit at all…often simply because of where you might be with developing your business and/or what your actual goals for posting are.
I recently read an e-book about marketing that I found wildly helpful for me. BUT, I know if I had found it years ago when I was still super early on, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as impactful and transformative, simply because of where I was at in the process of figuring my shit out as a creative entrepreneur.
If you are a creator that is still exploring, still brainstorming, still shaping your core vision for your work, your offers, your ideas - That is GREAT. That is NORMAL. That process can take A LONG TIME. And it never truly ends, especially if you make big pivots in your content and offers – BUT, I do think there are major moments of clarity or confirmation that happen that are kind of like checkpoints in your process of figuring out WTF you want to do.
If making the process of content creation more accessible and functional and authentic is a priority for you right now, I would guess that there are still some major checkpoints ahead of you in terms of clarity – a GREAT way to get to and through those checkpoints can be by continuing to create content, share stuff online, experience the process, and reflect as you go.
The more you post, the more you will learn about what you like to post, how you like to post, how posting connects to everything else in your business and ideas. And the more you post, the more likely you’ll have people saying yes to your offers or just being more involved in your world. That will also help immensely with figuring out what it is you actually want to be creating, selling, etc.
That’s what we’re here to do in my space – to make that “the more you post” part as smooth and comfy and accessible as possible so you can have your process and learn even more about what it is you want to do.
I KNOW how often it’s happening in the online business space where you buy something, feeling like this would be The Thing™ that gives you all the answers and clarity and exact steps forward to have your business and platforms take off perfectly, and then you get into the resource (if even) and it isn’t helpful, it doesn’t apply to you (yet or ever), it’s redundant, or helps with some things but not everything you thought it would.
I also have learned that it takes A LOT LONGER than is usually acknowledged to figure out the major components of your business and platforms. How many 6 minutes to 6 figures or 10 seconds to 10k followers styles of offers have you seen? It’s just not realistic or accurate.
I think ESPECIALLY if you are neurodivergent, multi-passionate, going through major life shifts or healing or changes, if you’re in the first 5 years of posting online or starting a business, or making a major pivot in what you post about or sell…you and your brain and your creative mind are still processing and brainstorming and actively workshopping so much. And so much of the stuff that’s out there for entrepreneurs and content creators expects you to plow forward with templates and checklists and calendars and schedules and plans that require a lot of decisions to have been made and for things to be created and finalized and solidified.
That’s just not where a lot of us are at in our process (yet or ever!)
I think if you ever want to get to a place where a fancy marketing strategy might really really make a difference for you in your business and with your content, getting as comfy as you can with the process of making content and posting and sharing your offers is an excellent and necessary foundation to first build.
From being comfy with posting, you can go forth sharing and brainstorming and experimenting and reflecting to continue refining what it is you want to do with your platform and your business. The more you post, the more you’ll learn about…everything!! The more you’ll know about what you like and don’t like, what you want to focus on, what fits within your business and what doesn’t, what you want your platform to be for and what you don’t.
This clarity also is majorly helpful for becoming more discerning and accurate with figuring out if someone’s workshop / masterclass / group program / marketing strategy is actually a good fit for you in your current season of life, creativity, and business.
Truly truly – after the confidence I’ve gained in my creativity and expression from posting as much as I have – the next most amazing thing I’ve cultivated within myself is a trust that I don’t need every single resource out there. That not everyone has magical answers I need to go pay them for. That I can trust my process and where I’m at currently in my process. That just because some marketing expert is talking about something they strongly believe is important doesn't mean that it’s important for me right now.
I have saved so much money from not buying so many courses and webinars and ebooks! LOL.
Why did I write all this out for you to read?
1 - I hope maybe it was validating if you also have felt behind or inadequate in the online business space.
2 - it’s an invitation for you to check in with truly WHY you post content and WHAT your goals are.
Do you have a business yet? Do you ever want one, or do you focus on creating content to connect with people online who resonate with your ideas, your story, your art? Monetizing a platform and growing an online community are two different things and you do not have to do both.
If you do have a business or want to run a business, do you have an offer or products? For how long have you been offering them to people? (If not for a super long time, I just want to validate that it’s totally normal if your offers change and evolve a lot!!)
What specifically are you working towards right now and why? More followers, more subscribers, more purchases from your store, more clients, more idea development, more connecting with like-minded people? Not sure? Any of these answers are totally valid – AND, not all stuff out there in the online business space is a good match for your current goals and where you’re at on your way to those goals.
Sogive yourself a break, this shit takes a long time to figure out, you’re never truly “done” figuring it out, and just because one person out there has what looks like a successful platform and/or business to you does not mean that it’s relevant at all to how you are meant to get to where YOU want to go.*DEEP BREATH*