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When it comes to growing our on-line market authority, we sometimes side-step what grew our business in the first place: building relationships.
My theory after working with countless soloists on this:
We convince ourselves that all we have to do is push out brilliant content and the world will gobble it up. That we don’t need to expend our precious energy connecting to the pivotal people who make the decisions about sharing our stuff.
It’s why your pitches to get on podcasts go nowhere or your offering to an influential blogger never gets a response.
And the thing is, it’s not even like you have to become friends—you just have to warm them up.
Of course whatever you’re pitching—a piece of content, an interview, an alliance—needs to provide exceptional value to your target.
But once you’ve jumped that hurdle, the one thing that will distinguish you from the hordes descending on your target audience is your humanity.
And that means building relationships.
Which means…
Doing your homework before even thinking of approaching a digital gatekeeper—would you cold call/email a potential client without doing some targeted research first?
Respecting their time (short, pointed emails that clearly demonstrate you’ve studied up on their point of view, audience and preferences).
Offering something of value first—like say introducing them to your audience. Here’s where absorbing their content pays off—you can translate their point of view directly to your audience, connecting the dots between them.
Being human. We adore hearing from an actual human—not corporate perfection. And we don’t want to be sold to every five minutes either—your job is to find the right balance between giving and asking.
Staying in touch. Keep track of who you’ve resonated with so you can keep the energy flowing between you.
Less speaking from the pulpit and more coffee table conversations. Look for those intimate moments where you can connect one-to-one (chatting with a podcast guest before hitting RECORD is a favorite).
The truth is, slowing down just a tad and being human is not only sticky—it’s way more fun.
Related: The 5 Decisions That Will Make Your Authority Content Stickier