What I'm pondering today:
Part 3 (of 3) of my quarterly(ish) list of What is NOT Working In this Season.
If you're new around here, there are two reflection questions I ask myself on a regular basis: What is working in this season (which I talked about on Episode 186), and the opposite: what is NOT working.
To recap:
I've identified three things that are NOT working for me in this season of my life:
The last two weeks, I've tackled my grievances over an over-ambitious vision for student binders and my expectations for group class scheduling.
Last in this series: Online Sales Culture
This is a tough one to tackle here...
First, because I have a lot of thoughts.
(I'm sure you do, too)
Also, because I have a lot of friends in the online sales space, and the last thing I want is for anyone to feel targeted by my words.
So let's be clear: My thoughts are not directed at any particular person or product. I don't think less of anyone who engages in the practices I'm speaking of.
Entrepreneurship - at any level - is an admirable pursuit and no two journeys are the same. Each creator is tasked with wrestling their own unique beast. 😅
The reason "online sales culture" has landed on my list of What's Not Working for Me in this Season involves two conflicting things:
- Contrary to many people in the podcasting space, I did not start Beyond Measure to make money. There is a simple, (perhaps, annoyingly?🤣) genuine desire to Elevate the Profession behind everything I do.
- And yet - there are many behind-the-scenes expenses AND that whole pesky element of time that goes into this work. In short, I have to monetize it somehow, or this happy little corner of the internet I inhabit will disappear.
If you don't know, there is an entire ecosphere of coaches/experts/courses out there who tell people like me how to make money. Their work has shaped the way we are marketed to in countless ways.
I'm well-versed in these ideas. There are playbooks of strategies I see employed everywhere I look online.
When I say this online marketing culture is not working for me, it really boils down to my frustrations with authenticity (and the lack thereof) in the online environment.
We all know "you can't trust what you read online".
And yet: we are ALL influenced by things we see and hear there.
Most of us have resigned ourselves to "put up" with ads, dismissing it as part of the culture we live in.
Content creators, influencers, social media platforms.... they all have to pay the bills, right? It's true, and I don't begrudge them for doing what they need to do.
But I *do* lament the system that has brought us to where we are. I am discouraged by the amount of misleading and/or falsely persuasive information we encounter each day.
From Day One, my highest priority in all things Beyond Measure has been to lead with authenticity. I couldn't claim to be your Anytime Piano Teacher Friend if I was anyone other than my truest self, right?
After all, no one wants to be friends with a faker. 🙃
I take that role very seriously (admittedly too seriously, according to some), and it makes this online world of content creation... well, tricky.
There are several ways I can monetize my work:
I can crank out more paid products and sell, sell, sell... but that takes time away from doing this thing we all seem to love.
I can put the podcast behind a paywall (re: paid subscriptions). To be honest, I've considered it...but I hate to keep content from people who truly can't afford it.
I can run ads on my show and here in the newsletter.
But can I talk for a moment about podcast ads? I know, I know. This is how podcasters make money. We all just suffer through them (or fast-forward).
We can know a segment is "just a paid ad", but hearing the voice of someone you trust does give it a false sense of validation. IT JUST DOES.
These ads work, or people wouldn't pay for them.
Storytime:
There's a popular podcaster I listen to (let's call her Sally) who often read ads for a particular shoe company (let's call them Hedgies). Week after week, she tells little anecdotes about what she loves about these shoes.
Then, at some point, "Sally" released an episode where she talked about her many favorite shoes for various occasions.
Was there ANY mention of "Hedgies" on her personal list? Nope. Not one.
And yet - Sally has a very large Facebook group, and EVERY TIME someone asks for advice about shoes in that group, multiple people chime in, "Sally loves Hedgies!".
It drives me NUTS. It seems to me Sally does NOT, actually, love her Hedgies, yet people can't help but associate her with the brand. Hedgies knows this and has made a lot of money banking on the relationship she has with her listeners.
And, I know, Sally is just trying to pay her bills - and deserves to be able to do so. Sally is not making anyone buy Hedgies.
I'm not naming this as a moral failing.
...but it is the type of "authentic dissonance" I am not willing to participate in.
(Plus, I am obsessed with NOT wasting your time and I hate when short podcasts are consumed by multiple minutes of ad space). 👎
And, again, it's not that marketing is inherently slimy. Great products and services exist, and solid marketing gets them into the lives of those who will benefit from them.
There's just a really fine line there somewhere, and that's what I'm always debating.
I know some of you reading this just want to pat me on the head and say, "Sorry, kid. This is how the game is played."
...and maybe it is, but it's not how I want to show up at this stage of my life.
(I realize I could change my mind at some point, and reserve the right to do so) 😂
SO: what's a girl to do when she wants to contribute to her profession in an authentic way, but she also needs to generate some financial compensation?
She doubles down on what she knows is good.
I will keep making resources I believe in and I will keep showing up for the community that has rallied around my work.
I won't spam your inboxes with enticing headlines and try to "wear you down" to make purchases, because I don't like strong-arming people into buying my stuff.
I *will* let you know when I have new things available, and I *will* shamelessly beg you to continue sharing my work with your friends.
(that's the most persuasive marketing I can do, anyway)
I *will* also continue to sing the praises of the Beyond Measure Community.
If the ideals I've described in today's letter feel aligned with yours - and if you are a regular consumer of my podcast/e-letter/socials, etc. - I would love to see your name appear on my supporter list.
The Beyond Measure Community is the most authentic way for us to show up for each other. If every regular podcast listener gave $3 or $6 each month, I wouldn't need to give brain power to these online marketing needs at all.
I am wildly proud of the bonus material available to members, but even if you never take part in the community offerings, the magic of your small contribution is the way it joins with others and adds up BIG.
This is how you avoid listening to me ramble on about shoes I may or may not actually wear. It's how you avoid me putting the podcast behind a paywall. It's how I keep my attention on creating content teachers need and love, without loading up your inbox with carefully-crafted sales emails.
It's how I can keep putting my best efforts into Elevating the Profession, so the teachers who are *not* in a financial position to pay for my materials can still benefit.
Phew. This was a big one, friends!
I'm sure you didn't have "read a novel" on your to-do list today, but congratulations! You did it! 🤣
True story: I am forever questioning whether I've overshared the inner-workings of my brain here... but again, AUTHENTICITY, right? 🤷♀️
🥂 Cheers to following out own inner compass. 🥂
TELL ME, FRIEND: Do you feel like you defy "expert advice" or other "typical protocol" when it comes to managing your studio/life? I'd love to hear about it. Hit that reply button and share!
Please know: I read every response, even though I might be slow at replying.💜