We all get caught up in what we feel like we "should" be doing as business owners and this is especially the case when it comes to marketing.
We "should" be posting more on social media
We "should" be emailing on a consistent basis
We "should" offer ____ in our business
We can all get trapped in the "should" game and eventually burn out because if we follow the shoulds, we will try and do too much. In this episode Samantha Harrison and I talk about how this plays into our business and how to navigating the feelings of "should".
*If you're a yoga teacher looking to branch into Corporate Yoga, Samantha is the founder of Online Corporate Yoga Teacher Training and applications are open now (March 2023). I'm a guest expert in her training and this audio is from one of the conversations we had inside her training. I highly recommend applying and learning from her so you can grow your business through offering Corporate Yoga. https://www.teachcorporateyoga.com/
My #1 Piece Of Advice About Marketing
"Stop shoulding yourself." - Amanda McKinney
It's easy to get caught up with the new, shiny ways we can market our business but this can quickly lead to burnout and frustration with trying to do it all. It doesn't matter what so-and-so is doing on Instagram. It doesn't matter what so-and-so is doing in their business. It only matters what your goal is and what methods are best for you to achieve your goal.
"When we are grounded in what success means for you, you can stay focused on your goal and actually achieve that success." - Amanda McKinney
*If you aren't sure how you define success, I'd recommend ordering a copy of my book as this question is at the core of the book. Once you define success it helps you unlock more of your Y.O.U. Promise so you can create your dream business.
**This was also a podcast episode (episode #181. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message.
How To Choose What Marketing Channels To Use
Just like you want to know your definition of success, it's important to know two more pieces of information when it comes to choosing marketing channels:
What channels you're comfortable with
What channels your audience is already using
Once you know these things, you can make more informed decisions rather than deciding based on what others are doing. Choose the channels that you actually want to spend time on and where your audience is already spending time.
The channel I highly recommend using is email marketing. Most people go straight to social media as the go-to place for marketing but I like to think of social media as the reminders of things happening but email is where the real connection is.
"When you're deciding on what marketing channels to use and what gets you the most bang for your buck, email is the answer." - Samantha Harrison
"Emails are sent to everyone on your list versus a social media post is only shown to a fraction of the people who are following you." - Amanda McKinney
It's also important to remember that as you and your business evolve, you can change what marketing channels you're using as well. Just because you're using a specific marketing channel today doesn't mean you have to use it forever.
"I'm also not afraid to stop doing something when it doesn't feel fun for me anymore." - Samantha Harrison
How To Expand Your Audience Through Collaborations
One of my favorite ways to expand my audience as well as to teach on is through collaborations. This is because when you find another business owner that you connect with and they are willing to share you with their audience, you have a built in trust factor that's working for you.
"Think of your existing clients and who they already know, like and trust, and then try and collaborate with them." - Samantha Harrison
However, it's easy to feel overwhelmed when it comes to reaching out to other businesses. When we think about collaborations it can feel like a sale at the beginning but I'd encourage you to think about it in a different way to help you enter into the conversation as well as to have a better experience overall.
"Ask yourself, how can we both benefit from this collaboration?" - Amanda McKinney
When you approach the conversation as how you can be helpful, this allows you to provide value so that you can gain their trust and this leads to a stronger partnership overall. One way to do this is by offering value for their clients/customers for free but of course in a way that doesn't take over your time or energy.
Examples:
Yoga teacher who writes email copy for a local chiropractor on a monthly basis and that has led to more students in her yoga classes.
Coach provides a space to answer questions for a group program and that leads to more clients booking coaching sessions.
"We can get in our own silos but we need to remember that we can collaborate and coexist with other businesses and we don't have to work so hard." - Samantha Harrison
Now that you've seen some examples, it's time to think about who you can collaborate with to help expand your audience. The go-to suggestion is to connect with someone who already has that connection.
Samantha helps yoga teachers offer Corporate Yoga as part of their business and she suggests taking the mutual connection approach too:
Recognize who you know that works at the corporation you want to work with and ask them for the connection
Find massage therapists that are offering chair massages in corporate offices and collaborate with them on an offering
Identify catering companies that work with corporations and ask for the connection or possibly offer a lunch and learn
Find the local runs (5Ks) that are sponsored by corporations and contact the companies as opposed to the run and offer to do a post-run stretch for their runners
*If you're a yoga teacher and are interested in learning more about Corporate Yoga, check out Samantha's training that's open (March 2023). https://www.teachcorporateyoga.com/
By starting with connections you may already have you're more likely to have a positive experience with collaborations.
"Just because you're looking for the opportunity, doesn't make you opportunistic." - Amanda McKinney
Take Away Message / Action
Commit to doing things based on what you want to do in your business versus what you feel you should be doing. Stop shoulding yourself. As you consume information and find yourself adding things to your to-do list, make sure you ask yourself "do I want to do this or do I think I should do this". If you find yourself shoulding, make sure to pause before taking action to make sure it's the best decision for you.
And if you really struggle with this like I have, I'd encourage you to pre-order a copy of my book because it's focused on how you can be 100% you in your business. Go to amandamckinney.com/book to pre-order your copy if you're hearing this before June 2023 or if it's after June, you can order your copy!
And if you're a yoga teacher looking to incorporate Corporate Yoga into your offerings be sure to apply for Samantha's training if you're listening in March 2023. Applications are open and waiting on you! Go to https://www.teachcorporateyoga.com/
Until next time give yourself permission to stop shoulding yourself and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon.
Resources Shared:
About Samantha:
Samantha has spent the last eight years bringing yoga into the workplace environment in Greenville, North Carolina. She specializes in helping busy professionals de-stress and stretch to reduce daily aches and pains. She also leads a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and an online Corporate Yoga Teacher Training. She loves helping teachers branch out beyond the studio and help more people along the way.
Samantha's Links:
Website: https://www.yogawithsamantha.com/
"I'm also not afraid to stop doing something when it doesn't feel fun for me anymore."
- Samantha Harrison
Your Guide To Accidental Entrepreneurship
If you're feeling stuck in all the "shoulds" of entrepreneurship, I highly recommend ordering a copy of my book as it's the guide to defining success on your terms and then unapologetically chasing your definition of success.