Has this ever happened to you?...
You finally finished that next amazing piece of art.
Or..
You just put the finishing touches on that amazing novel.
Or..
That song you have been working on for months is finally complete.
This feels amazing, right? It should. There is now a piece of your soul out there for the world to see.
Then you realize - what the heck am I going to do with this work now? How am I going to get it to the people who need it?
If you are a creative looking to share your work with the world, without a plan to get it out there, you are likely to end up trying anything and everything hoping something will stick. This *could* work, but it also involves a lot more time, energy, and resources than needed. I know...I have tried. It’s exhausting.
The solution - the marketing plan. Dunn...dunn...dunnnnnnn….(you hear the dramatic music as I type that right?).
If you are creating to share the work with the world, you need a plan, a strategy. And, if you are planning to make any money from your work, having a plan is particularly important, so that you don’t end up spending more of your royalties and profits on marketing promotions that either don’t work, or don’t make sense for your business.
So, first thing’s first…let’s adjust our mindset a minute...
If you are a creative, and you are intending to make money from your work, understand this - you are a business owner! While you might not have intended it, and started out by thinking “I just want to share my work with those who need it” - that’s all well and good. You can continue to share your work on your social media with family and friends, and that’s totally okay. The minute you decide you want to charge for it and intend to make money from it, recognize - you are now an entrepreneur.
See the difference?
I know...that alone can be a scary shift in perspective, especially when you don’t believe creatives can make money for their work, or that they have to struggle or be the “starving artist” before they can make money for their work, or never thought that you would be an entrepreneur.
So, take a minute and breathe that in. You are now a business owner.
Relax! It’s going to be okay.
Your marketing is the key to it all. And by taking the time to sit down and come up with a marketing plan that works for you is going to save you time, energy, and resources.
The marketing plan:
Helps you gain clarity on your intentions for your work - how much money do you want to make? How much time do you want to devote to it? What is your budget for advertising and promotion? Etc.
Helps you understand your audience - who are you really talking to? What is the real message you want to share and what does your intended audience think about it? How big is your target market?
Allows you to come up with a strategy on the how of it all. How will you get your message out? Which platforms make the most sense?
Allows you to create content that talks specifically to your audience, in the voice that makes sense for you - because it’s your authentic message and voice that is needed to share your true message.
The marketing plan does take some time to develop. No matter how much research you do, it’s important to remember that components of it are going to change over time. The market changes, trends change, people change. Once you have a plan in place, you go to work to test it out. Take some time to see what is working and what is not, and then, make adjustments from there. Spending time looking at the metrics is important, because it shows you where things need to be tweaked along the way.
Did you know that March Forth Media Co. offers help with your marketing plan? We provide a customized solution for you, based on you, your message, and your intentions for your work, and we're here to help you implement the strategy in a way that makes the most sense for you. Contact us today to get started.
Reach us via email: marchforthmediaco@gmail.com.
To your journey, march forth!
Lots of love,
Elizabeth