In 2008, I wrote a short article entitled Your New Career: Publisher. If you missed it, you can read it here. Back then, there was no such thing as Pinterest or Instagram, and WordPress and YouTube were only three years old. The principles I shared in that post are more relevant today than they were in 2008, so I updated it and shared it at Central Soapers Workshop last weekend.
In case you missed the event, (I am sad for you), I am sharing an overview here so you don't miss out. The slides are embedded at the bottom of this post. Here are a few of the main points I made.
The More Publishing Changes, the More It Stays the Same
The publishing industry has seen great upheaval in the last few years. Just a decade ago, you could not publish and sell your own book without a traditional publisher. Today, that and so much more is possible with technology, yet the people who benefit from technology have not changed much at all. They are still people, just like always. And while the way they consume information has changed, they themselves have not.
- Technology changes, people don't.
Humans are built to absorb information. We have eyes to see it, and we have ears to hear it. We don't all want to absorb it in the same way or in the same amount of time, but we all want to see and witness new ideas. This core human desire has not changed in a million years, and it never will change.
Your customers want information, and if you are smart, you will give it to them. In doing so, you will lead them straight to what you have to offer. You still have to sell your products once you get them there, but the first piece of the puzzle, being discovered by your target customer, is within your grasp in a whole new way because you can produce content to naturally attract people to you.
- Consumers look to blogs.
When I wrote Your New Career: Publisher in 2008, I was one of a handful of people I knew with a blog. Today, 77% of Internet users look to blogs for the information they need to live a better life. When your customers use the Internet to find information relevant to the products you sell, and you are not there, you are turning down business every. single. day. This is not a long term strategy for success.
- Be everywhere … without being everywhere.
Producing quality content, and authentically engaging with people around that content, gives you three things: access, speed, and presence. You can access your target customer quickly using social media, and you can be present with them without being present with them in a literal sense.
In other words, your brand can be everywhere your customers are, but you do not have to personally be there yourself. This is a big deal, and it was not possible 15 years ago when, unless you were *at* the farmer's market, you were not *at* the farmer's market.
Today, because the farmer's market's Facebook page can expose their customers to you at a time when you are sound asleep, you can be where your customers are without being where they are. It's a beautiful thing, and you need to be in on that action.
”
Donna Maria, Founder & CEO, Indie Business Network
The More Publishing Changes, the More It Stays the Same
People have not changed.
Publishing has changed, and it has changed to your advantage.
You are a Maker. You are a Handmade Entrepreneur.
And if you are smart, you are also a Publisher.
I hope you get that. I really hope you get that.
Here are the slides I used in the presentation. You can advance the slides by clicking the arrow.
Best and Success!
