If you’re someone who’s built their entire business using social media I’m guessing you just got a very scary taste of what could happen if our social media platforms ever disappeared or your account got deleted.
1. If your business (ie: your customer base or your list) lives primarily on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok you’ve just learned a SUPER VALUABLE lesson … you don’t OWN your own customer base or list. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok do
2. If you think your account is safe from being deleted at random and you could lose your entire following in a split second there are several folks in our Community who will regale you with nightmare stories of being banned, blocked or deleted and taking months (if ever) to get their accounts back.
3. You can’t put all of your business development eggs in one basket! You need to diversify where and how you get customers and make money in your business … social media is only one piece of your overall business development strategy!
I don’t say all this to scare you or make you abandon using social media as a tool.
I’m saying this to help you level up your business and take ownership of your audience … your customer base!
So, how the heck does an entrepreneur build their list and their customer base in 2021 without social media?
Lucky for you, I’ve been building customer centres around the world for 20 years … yup, before social media existed.
Heck, before YouTube existed!
(Yes, there was a time when all these social media platforms didn’t exist and we all built huge businesses and made oodles of moola)
And I'm going to share some ways you can get customers without social media right now.
The great news is you still have the power of the internet and the global reach that it provides.
And believe me, when I say...
You do NOT need social media to build your business or your list.
If you’ve been hanging around my world for a while now you’ve probably learned my 4 Fast & Free Revenue Generating Activities.
These are the business-building activities you need to do to get customers and make money … and you guessed it, they are fast and free for anyone to do.
If you haven’t learned them yet, please go do my free 5-day business course, 4 Business Building Basics Every New Entrepreneur Needs to Know
💡 Hint: I even include an action plan that you can use to attract customers and make money in your business.
Keep reading to discover how those 4 Fast & Free RGAs play a HUGE role in growing your business without social media …
Here are 4 ways you can build your business without using social media!
1. Networking, Baby!
Networking is simply turning strangers into professional (or personal) friends. It’s a relationship you’ll nurture over time as you both continue to explore what magic will come from your connection with each other.
Networking is the fastest way to:
Build your customer base and make money
Add your PPC (your Perfect Potential Customer) to your list and build the know, like, trust factor
Make connections with fabulous people who can open some seriously cool doors for you
Build your referral market (yes, people sending customers directly to you year after year)
Land some sweet public speaking gigs
Access other people’s audiences (so you don’t have to do all the work to build your own)
You’ll typically network with intention in 3 ways:
To connect with potential customers
To connect with like-minded folks you’d like to build professional relationships with
To reconnect with existing customers or folks in your network to continue to build your know, like, trust relationships with
“But Lindsay, how do I network without social media?!”
Ooh baby, the world has been networking without social media for thousands of years!
Yes, we have to look at it differently during a pandemic when it’s not as simple as going to networking events or other social gatherings where the people you want to network with are hanging out.
And yes, obviously, networking on social media is easy because the social media platforms are literally at your fingertips and you can pop on any time of day and meet someone new.
Here are some simple ways you can network without social media:
Listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, read blogs or books and email the creators directly and ask if they’d like to connect.
Attend virtual networking events, or IRL if they are happening around you in a safe way
Attend virtual events and gatherings that interest you AND will have your PPC or others you want to connect with attending (they don’t have to be as official as a networking event)
Host your own networking event (online or IRL) and invite your existing list, connections, or new people you’d like to meet to attend
Go do fun things! Seriously, the same like-minded people who attend networking events are also out in the world doing fun activities in a casual setting. Go do fun things and see who you’ll meet
💡 Side note: since social media STILL exists and (assuming) your account is in good standing you’ll still want to network your buns off on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Just remember to take that new connection off the platform and into real-life asap! A phone call, a Zoom hang, a coffee or walk in real life … and get them on your LIST
2. Public Speaking
Public speaking is such a freaking awesome way to:
Grow your email list
Turn strangers into customers
Network with other leaders
Build your community
Establish your expert status
Build your reputation as a badass leader and fabulous person to know
Public speaking can seem scary at first but the great thing is, you get to talk about subject matter that’s in your zone of genius.
AKA, you’ve got this!
As nerve-wracking as it can be, the more you do it, the more comfortable and confident you’ll become.
💡 Hint: Your comfort and confidence level will jump exponentially with each public speaking gig you do!
The key with public speaking is that you do it OUTSIDE your own bubble and get into other people’s bubbles.
You want to access other people’s audiences which is why Networking is the most important business-building activity you’ll do!
Fun ways you can build your business by public speaking in other people’s audiences:
Podcasts interviews
YouTube interviews
Online summits
Workshops and lunch & learns
TED Talks, TEDx, and other large stages
And of course, because social media still exists, why not do some Facebook and Instagram Lives!
💡 Tip: You need to have a strategy and a system to use public speaking to build your list and convert new customers!
Be strategic with where you’re talking and what you’re talking about.
Have a system for pulling the audiences into your world, getting them on your list, and introducing them to your brilliant work.
3. Community Building
If building your email list is how you take ownership of your audience, community building is how you nurture the relationships with your audience.
Community building helps you:
Build the know, like, trust factor with your audience
Get up close and personal with your list so you can build rapport and relationships
Get some kickass market research especially around your PPCs pain points, wants, needs, and buying behaviour
Test content or product & service ideas before you go all in
Build your reputation as an expert and fabulous person to know
Build your referral market (happy community members will invite others in)
Flex your leadership skills (and gain more as you grow)
Have a ton of fun with your audience and customers … y’all become a family and it’s so dang rewarding as a business owner and leader
Obviously, one of the easiest ways to build community in today’s world is to have a Facebook group. It’s built specifically for building community and it’s what I teach my students and clients to do.
However, your Facebook group is a tool for, you guessed it, getting people onto your list and then nurturing those relationships with:
Networking
Public speaking
Content creation (up next!)
And online or IRL hangs
No Facebook group … or Facebook period?
Fear not!
You can use your email list to achieve all of these objectives.
Connect with your audience through your list and:
Host online or in real life hangs and invite your list
Create engaging content with calls to action such as replying to your emails with their own stories or questions, or booking a call with you for more support
Use polls, surveys, and simple questions to get your list involved and co-creating the community experience
Send video messages to your list, especially those who’ve reached out and you’ve gotten to know
Host holiday or seasonal events
Invite guest experts to hang with your community on Zoom
Invite members in your community or on your list to be interviewed and share their own stories or experiences
The goal is to get back-and-forth interaction happening with your community members, your email list so that it’s not just you sending newsletter after newsletter and wondering if anybody’s home!
4. Content Marketing
The first 3 Fast & Free RGAs, Networking, Public Speaking, Community Building all point to building your list and nurturing your new audience with stellar content that helps them solve a problem or achieve a desire while getting to know YOU!
One of the best tools you can use to build your list is a lead magnet; a freebie your audience gets when they join your email list.
I have a few that I use often:
These lead magnets help my audience ditch a pain point (working hard and not making money; afraid of feeling sleazy when they sell) and achieve a desire (work less, earn more, and fall in love with the scary parts of building a business … marketing & sales!)
👉 The social-media-free way to build your email list is to use Networking, Public Speaking and Community Building to drive folks to join your email list.
👉 The social-media-free way to convert strangers into happy, paying customers is to nurture your email list with kickass content that demonstrates the value of buying from or working with you!
💡 Note: Content Marketing includes SEO content like blogs and YouTube, Social Media like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and Email marketing to your email subscribers
Utilize SEO to drive organic traffic from Google to your content and website
Showcase your work and YOU (hello know, like, trust factor)
Establish your expert status (you know what you’re talking about and are dayum good at what you do)
Build your reputation as a leader, influencer, and fabulous person to know
Include Calls to Action and links to your lead magnets, products & services, more content and website
Builds your email list
Attracts partnerships, affiliates, and collaborators
Are shareable and help build your referral market and customer base
All of this adds up to organic website traffic and a quicker, easier journey for your PPC from stranger to happy, paying customer.
The moral of the story here is that while social media isn’t going anywhere, you DON’T want to put all of your customer eggs in one basket.
You want to diversify the way you attract customers into your business including Networking, Public Speaking, Community Building and Content Marketing
TL;DR
Social media is only one tool in your business strategy toolbox!
There are many others that are more effective at connecting you with your Perfect Potential Customers where you play an active role in building your email list and customer base and not dependent on Mark Zuckerberg’s technical difficulties, ever-changing algorithms, and fickle policies that can delete your account anytime, for any reason leaving you scrambling to reach your audience.
Networking: Build your customer base, referral partnerships, strategic professional networks, and magically open doors to cool opportunities you didn’t even know where there
Public Speaking: Utilize other people’s audiences to build your reputation while you build your email list and convert strangers into happy, paying customers
Community Building: Flex your leadership muscles while you nurture your relationship with your email list, social media audience, networks and customer base by building a supportive community
Content Marketing: Use the first three strategies to drive people to your email list then nurture the heck out of them with SEO, Social Media and Email to convert your biggest fans into satisfied customers
Let’s stay connected:
Listen to my latest Podcast
Watch my latest YouTube video
Follow me on Instagram
Happy connecting, I’ll see you online!
