Building a Global Audience Part I

The major focus that changes when you head off into the sunset is that you need to build a global audience. If you have been following this blog series, you have already read The Benefits of Going Global, and Taking Your Business Online. In this post, we will be focusing on some of the online tools that will help you to build online networks, increase your site traffic, and position you to reach a global audience. The two best tools I have found for this are Blogs, and Social Networking.

Global Outreach & Networking

We have just changed the game from local to global, and with that, the rules have changed. You no longer need to focus on ‘looking big’; you need to focus on looking real. Part of the glory of committing to your niche is the ability to cut the crap of trying to look impressive, and just genuinely be who you are. People want that. Your audience knows they can’t afford the big dogs and they want to work with real people that understand them. People like you!

The absolute best advice I can give is to be exactly who you are. This is a Big Transition for most people! When I first started my consulting practice, my focus was twofold: I wanted to look big, and I wanted to look professional. But, the problem was, I wasn’t focused on a niche, and I was promoting the part of myself that I thought people wanted to see.

I was trying to draw a big thick line between my professional life, and my personal life.

I realized that my business was suffering because I was not attracting my ideal clients. I needed to let people into my personal life, and promote what I cared about most: lifestyle. Yes, I was a business consultant, but I have realized that the whole reason I am motivated to help people change is so they can have a better lifestyle. I needed to focus on business owners that wanted to go global, live like a rock star, and have the ability to travel more and work from anywhere in the world. It was time to erase the line in the sand and start putting myself out there in all new ways. Here are the best ways you can do this for your company…

Blogs

If you don’t have a blog, you are completely missing out. They are by far the most cost-efficient, time saving, positioning and advertising tool that currently exists.

Last month, I asked Social Media and Blog Consultant, Cody McKibben, where I was at with my numbers. I had 1,500 unique visitors that came to my Business Backpacker site and stayed for an average of two and a half minutes. Now, think about this for a moment. Is there any other vehicle you can think of where you can get in front of thousands of people in your Target Market and hold their attention for that long? I am not networking, I am broadcasting. I am sitting anywhere in the world and getting my message out there… and so can you!

Blogs create an incredible opportunity to:

Build an online community that is niche specific
Continue to position yourself as an authority and expert on your topic
Increase your SEO and ‘findability’ online
Develop a strong following of strategic partners that can help you increase your readership, sell products as affiliates, and refer you clients

Even if you are new to blogging technology, you can do it. I have built a great following and a fun audience in a very short time-right around six months. Learn more about if you are cut out to be a blogger.

Thanks for reading, and in Part II we will go further into Social Media and Networking to further establish trust with your readers and help you to build a Global Audience.

I’m signing off, but you shouldn’t! Leave a comment below!

Trackback URL for this post: http://www.digitalnomads.com/2009/08/building-a-global-audience-part-i/trackback

Comments (2)

by Extreme Telecommuting / October 12, 2009

Everything you mention about blogging is so true. In fact, I think that is where most people should begin when they start designing a virtual business. There is no better way to start promoting online.

You even can make designing blogs a business.