The Market Your Message Show
The Market Your Message Show
Ch 13. Create Your Potential Audience Audit
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Uncovering Your Hidden Network: The Power of a Potential Audience Audit
In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked power of utilizing your existing network to kick-start your project or business venture. Drawing inspiration from J.K. Rowling's early days before she became famous with Harry Potter, we emphasize the significance of a small but supportive network. The episode introduces a methodology called the Potential Audience Audit to help you identify and leverage the hidden reach within your social media contacts, email lists, and personal connections. Through step-by-step guidance, you'll learn how to conduct an in-depth audit to discover your true audience potential, validate your offerings, and build momentum without the need for a massive following.
00:00 Introduction: The Power of a Small Network
02:15 The Audience Myth: Debunking the Need for a Huge Following
03:25 Untapped Potential: Discovering Your Hidden Audience
05:19 Conducting Your Potential Audience Audit: Step-by-Step Guide
09:18 Putting Your Audit into Action: Leveraging Your Network
12:56 Key Takeaways: Maximizing Your Audience Potential
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Hello and welcome to the market. Your message show. I'm your host, Jonathan Milligan. And we are going through the third book in the series. Validate your offer. This is an important book because a lot of people will start their business online. And then they're trying to figure out how do I create something that people will want and how do I do it without wasting time? And that's what this third book in my book series is all about. Now as a thank you for being a loyal podcast listener, I am making the audio book available one chapter at a time every single week. And as you're listening to this, we are currently going through that. Validate your offer. Now, if you ever want the audio book or you want the book or the workbook, you can go to platform growth, books.com again, it's platform, growth books.com, and you could order one of those. And of course, listen, as you go through the book or use the workbook to implement what you hear. In each episode. So with that being said, let's jump right in to today's chapter.
Speaker 38:Chapter 13. Create your potential audience audit. Before J. K. Rowling became a household name, before Harry Potter took the world by storm, she was just another aspiring writer with a dream. Tucked away in a small Edinburgh flat, Rowling poured her heart into the story of a young wizard, not knowing if anyone would ever read it. Like many writers, Rowling felt isolated and uncertain. She had no publishing connections. She had no huge social media following. This was the early 90s, after all, and she had no way of knowing if her work would resonate with readers. In short, she felt like she had no audience. But Rowling did have something. A small, but mighty network of friends, family, and former colleagues. People who knew her believed in her and were willing to support her journey. When Rowling finished her first Harry Potter manuscript, She didn't have a huge platform from which to launch, but she did have a few close connections. She reached out to an old friend from her days working at Amnesty International, who put her in touch with a literary agent. That agent saw the magic in Rowling's words and agreed to represent her. The rest, as they say, is history. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published in 1997 and It launched a global phenomenon. The series spans seven books, eight films, theme parks, and much merchandise. But it all started with Rowling recognizing the potential in her existing network. She didn't have a massive audience at the start. But she had something just as powerful, a small group of people who were ready to champion her work. This chapter is all about uncovering that hidden potential in your own network. We'll cover a process called the potential audience audit. It will help you see how many people you could reach by using your existing connections. Here's the thing. You don't need a massive following to validate your offer and make sales. You just need to start with the people who are already in your corner. As rolling story shows, even the most successful journeys can start with a single connection. So if you're feeling like you don't have an audience, take heart. Your potential reach is probably much greater than you realize. Let's uncover it together.
Speaker 39:The audience myth. Why you don't need a huge following to launch. Let's talk about a common belief that holds many people back from launching their offer. The idea that you need a massive audience to be successful. Here's what most people do. They look at their social media following, see a modest number, or even a big fat zero, and https: otter. ai I can't possibly launch yet. I need thousands of followers first. So, they put their offer on hold, waiting for that elusive big break that will magically bring in a huge audience. But here's the problem with that approach. By waiting for a huge following, you're missing out on the potential audience that's already right in front of you. You see, most people have a much larger network than they realize. You likely have access to many potential customers. They are in your social media contacts, your email list, your friends, your family, and your colleagues. But when you're stuck in the, I need a huge audience mindset, you overlook those valuable connections. You miss out on opportunities to validate your offer, get feedback, and even make sales. So what's the alternative? It's time to conduct a potential audience audit.
Speaker 40:Untapped potential, how to discover your hidden audience. A potential audience audit is all about uncovering the hidden reach of your existing network. It's a process of mapping all the people you're connected to directly or indirectly. It's about getting a clear picture of your true audience potential. This audit involves a few key steps. First, you list out all your social media accounts and note your follower count on each. Then, you export your email contacts from all your accounts.
Next, you identify your top 50.
Speaker 40:The 50 people you have the strongest, most engaged relationships with. By the end of this audit, you'll have a clear, data backed picture of your potential reach. And, spoiler alert, it's probably much higher than you think. The power of connection. Leveraging your network for launch success. Once you've done your potential audience audit, it's time to put that insight into action. This is where the magic happens. Instead of waiting for a huge, anonymous audience, You start engaging with the people already in your network. You let them know about your upcoming offer. You ask for their feedback and support. Remember, these are people who already know you like you and want to see you succeed. They're much more likely to engage with your offer than cold leads who don't have that personal connection. And as you start to validate your offer with your existing network, Something amazing happens. Those initial supporters start spreading the word. They share your offer with their networks. Momentum builds. And before you know it, your audience starts to grow organically. That's the power of starting with the audience you already have, rather than waiting for the audience you wish you had. So, don't let the, I need a huge following myth hold you back. Your audience is already there, waiting to be uncovered. All you need is a potential audience audit and the courage to start connecting.
Speaker 41:How to conduct your potential audience audit. All right, let's break down the steps to create your potential audience audit. Grab a pen and paper or fire up a spreadsheet and let's get started. Step one, list your social media accounts. First up, make a list of all your active social media accounts, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, write them all down. Then next to each one, note how many followers or friends you have on that platform. Now, I know what you might be thinking, but my follower count is so small. Here's the thing, though. Even if you only have 100 followers on Instagram, that's still 100 potential customers. And when you consider the six degrees of separation theory, it suggests that everyone is connected by no more than six social links. Your reach could be larger than you think. Takeaway, don't underestimate the power of your social media audience, no matter the size. Those connections can be the start of something big. Step 2. Export your email contacts. Next, it's time to round up your email contacts. Log in to all your email accounts. These include your personal, work, and that old Hotmail address you still use for some reason. Then, export your contacts into a CSV file or spreadsheet. If you're thinking, Do I really need to include all my accounts? The answer is yes. A study by the Raticati Group found that the average person has 1. 75 email accounts. That means you likely have contacts scattered across multiple inboxes, and each one is a potential lead. Takeaway. Your email contacts are a goldmine of potential audience members. Don't leave any stone unturned in your audit. Step 3. Identify your top 50 connections. Now, out of all your social media followers and email contacts, who are the 50 people you have the strongest relationships with? They could be close friends, family members, colleagues, or just acquaintances. You've had great conversations with them. Write down their names. These are your top 50. As Porter Gale says, your network is your net worth. These 50 people are your inner circle, your champions. They're the ones most likely to support your launch, give you honest feedback and spread the word about your offer. Take away. Your top 50 are your secret weapon. Nurture those relationships and they'll be the foundation of your launch success. Step four. Estimate your potential audience reach. Finally, it's time to crunch some numbers using industry standard reach estimates, calculate the potential audience you could tap into through your social media followers, email contacts, and top 50. For example, if you have 1000 Instagram followers, the average user has 150 followers, so your potential reach on Instagram could be 150, 000 people.
1, 000 times 150 equals 150, 000.
Speaker 41:It's like an iceberg. Your immediate following is just the tip. There's a whole lot more beneath the surface, or think of it like a tree. Your direct connections are the branches, but they lead to a vast network of roots. These are the roots of your connections and their connections. Your potential audience audit will likely reveal a larger audience than you thought at first. That's the reach you have to work with. As you validate and launch your offer, remember this audit isn't about collecting a huge, faceless crowd. It's about seeing the value in your current connections. You can use those relationships to build momentum, so don't get discouraged by small numbers in the world of launching. Your network is your superpower. Audit it, nurture it and watch it grow.
Speaker 42:Today's exercise, conduct your potential audience audit. All right, it's time to put all this theory into practice. Let's dive into your potential audience audit. Here's what I want you to do. Set a timer for 15 minutes and commit to focusing solely on this exercise for that time. No distractions, no excuses. This is important work. First, open up a new document or grab a fresh piece of paper. Start by listing out all your active social media accounts. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik TOK. If you've got a profile, write it down next to each account. Note down your current follower or friend count. Don't worry if the numbers seem small. Remember, we're looking at the potential here, not just hard numbers. Next, hop over to your email accounts. Yes, all of them. Export your contacts from each account into a CSV file or spreadsheet. If you're not sure how to do this, a quick Google search will give you step by step instructions for your specific email provider. Once you've got all your email contacts in one place, it's time to identify your top 50. These are the 50 people you have the strongest, most positive relationships with. They could be friends, family, colleagues, mentors. Anyone you feel would be supportive of your launch. Write down their names. If you're feeling extra motivated, jot down a few notes about each person. How do you know them? When was the last time you connected? Finally, it's time to estimate your total potential reach. This is where a little math comes in handy. For each social media account, multiply your follower count by 100. Why 100? It's a conservative estimate of how many people each of your followers could potentially reach. So, if you have 500 Instagram followers, your potential Instagram reach is 50, 000. 500 times 100 equals 50, 000. Do this for each social media account and add up the totals. Then, add the number of email contacts you exported. Finally, add 50 for your top 50. The grand total is 50, 000. That's your estimated potential audience reach. I bet it's a bigger number than you expected. That's the power of the potential audience audit. It reveals the hidden reach of your existing network, but this exercise isn't just about numbers. It's about strategy. Now that you know your potential reach, it's time to make a plan to tap into it. As you look at your top 50 list, start thinking about how you could reach out to each person when you're ready to validate your offer, could you send a personal email, schedule a coffee chat. Invite them to a special preview of your offer. The key is to make it personal. These are your champions, your inner circle, treat them as such. As for your wider network, your social media followers and email contacts, start brainstorming ways to warm them up to your upcoming offer. Could you share teaser posts about the problem your offer solves? Could you run a survey to gauge their interest and pain points? The potential audience audit isn't just a one and done exercise. It's a living, breathing strategy document. Keep it handy as you move through the validation and launch process. Remember, your network is your most valuable asset as you launch. This audit is your roadmap to leveraging it effectively. So, don't skimp on this exercise. Put in the time, put in the thought, and watch as your perception of your audience potential shifts. You've got this. Your audience is out there waiting for what you have to offer. It's time to start connecting with them. Key takeaways. Your audience could be much larger than your followers. It includes your social media contacts, email contacts, and friends. Conducting a potential audience audit is a key step. It helps find your hidden audience before you validate and launch your offer. By leveraging your existing network, you can reach a wider audience, validate your and make sales even without a large following.