Now more than ever it is crucial to have dedicated platforms where YOU own your audience! Whether you are a content creator or business owner, having a channel outside of social media is integral as you have no control over Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, and so on. Flashback to when Instagram shut down for the day, how did you feel? Did you lose all communication with your community for the day? Or, were you already prepared and sitting pretty with a newsletter list?
Understanding your audience is where you need to start… hint hint, we provide a step by step process to this in Course One: The Brand Strategy and continue the conversation in Course Two: The Content Creator! Not only is it important to understand who they are, but where they hang out online to help identify where you should show up.
With this in mind, the goal here is to get your followers from your social media over to a dedicated platform to explore more about your business or brand. The biggest component when deciding what platform is the best fit for you is to consider what your goals are. Do you want to build more of an engaged community? Are you looking to sell products and/or services? Overall, your goal (or goals!) should allow you to strengthen your online presence, build your credibility, and provide even more value as a brand or business.
Before we find your perfect fit, we don’t want you to forget to factor in a budget as some platforms will present either an annual or monthly fee. Take the time to research different companies in order to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
Okay, let’s get into three of The Jilly Academy’s favourite platforms for owned audiences!
Find Your Perfect Platform
EMAIL MARKETING
Who is it for?
Email marketing is for those looking to be able to send their messaging to their target audience to generate loyal consumers or readers, gain more traffic to your other platforms, or increase your conversions! Whoever signs up to be a subscriber to your email list wants to hear from you
Benefits:
- Personalization – easily incorporate your branding
- Send out quick updates for immediate results
- Gain insights on what messaging resonates with your audience
- Communicate to specific segments of your audience to align with your marketing goals
- Setup automations
A few options to look into just to get you started are: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Constant Contact, HubSpot, Omnisend. Pinpoint which service provider will work best for your industry, goals, and budget.
BLOG
Who is it for?
A blog is perfect for those who are looking to monetize their creative outlet to lead potential new community members, customers, collaborators to an owned platform to gain inspiration and information. Blogs are still very popular and a great way to share your voice to position you as a thought leader in your industry!
Benefits:
- Helps establish you as a thought leader in your industry
- Get in an authority position with SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Creative outlet
- Networking
- Positions you as a thought leader
- Organically connect your affiliate marketing
PS – Friend of The Jilly Academy, Karly de Lange of Influence Media Inc. wrote a great blog post on How to Monetize Your Blog that you HAVE to check out! Here are a few options that you could check out are: WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or even LinkedIn. Make sure the platform will cater to your needs and what will be the most user-friendly for your community!
WEBSITE
Who is it for?
ANYONE. No really, anyone can utilize a website! No matter what your industry is or job position, there is a way that you can use this owned platform. Much like a blog, it is a way to continue to build that connection with your community members, customers and collaborators. Whether your goal is conversions, building trust within your community, gaining partnerships, etc. a website is the perfect place to direct people to from your social channels.
Benefits:
- Get in an authority position with SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Convert leads
- Provide more information on your products/services
- Build credibility of your brand or business
- Easily connect all of your platforms in one place (socials, contact info, blog, etc.)
- Opportunities to learn more about your potential customers
We recommend checking out the following platforms to get you started: WordPress, Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace. Make sure you are choosing a platform that will support your business, whether that’s eCommerce, customer relations, educational, etc.
YES social media presents lots of opportunities, but consider where your time, money, and efforts are best spent to see the ultimate return on your investment. You may find that a few of these platforms are going to serve you best in the long run to create a strong relationship with your audience, establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, and experience new levels of success with converting those leads into sales!
If you’re ready to really invest in you and your dream, make sure to check out The Jilly Academy Courses! All you need is the mindset that you deserve this, you can do this, and that you’re ready to get started. These Courses are completely go at your own pace and what’s unique about them is that you are building the exact brand or business that YOU have dreamt of. We’re here to help you fast track your success, so whether you complete the learnings on your lunch break, on the weekend at the lake, cozied up on the couch with a glass of wine, or at your favourite local cafe you’ll finish each module feeling confident to tackle the next steps.
Xo
Jilly
