“💔I lost my audience and my bottom line is suffering”

Dear ScreamingIntoAVoid, 

Ouch! That hurts. I feel your pain, buddy. Let me tell you – it’s not gonna get any better after reading my advice. 

You walked right into the ‘rented land trap’ that way too many businesses fall for in this day and age. I gotta give credit to two middle-aged white dudes who thought up the term first (so check out the link!). 

What in the world is ‘rented land’? It’s not rocket science: it’s borrowing somebody else’s crowd. LinkedIn? Not your crowd. Facebook? Not your audience. Snapchat? No different. And TikTok? Yup, same there too! Whenever you need another person or business to reach your audience, you’re standing on rented land. 

Rented land definitely has its own advantages! Someone else is doing all the work to bring these people together so you can chat with them. This makes it easier for you to get your message, or wild dance moves, out into the world!

There’s a gargantuan downside lurking in the shadows. You have no control over the platform, and suddenly, it flips the switch on you, separating you from your audience. Maybe it makes you pay from now on. (Looking at you, Facebook!)

Or…maybe everything hits the fan because the platform turns out to be a national security risk. Long story short: your marketing fortress can be easily destroyed if you don’t own the land it’s built on. 

This actually reminds me of someone I spoke to a couple of years ago. I was at a conference for creators in Europe and went for a drink after checking into my hotel. At the bar, a dejected-looking man was sipping one of those fancy Belgian beers. 

“Are you here for the conference?” he asked, his nose already a little red. “

“Yes,” I replied with a thin smile, eager to find some other place to sit.

“So am I,” he continued, not picking up on my not-so-subtle body language at all. “I’m one of the speakers.”

I was surprised; he did not look like a young and energetic creator to me. He was the exact opposite of what I had expected to find on this trip. He must have picked up on my surprise, for he began to explain his presence.

“I used to create funny videos about accounting,” he said, moving his beer glass back and forth between his hands like it was a hockey puck. “And I got a lot of followers.”

I looked around the bar, increasingly convinced that I should find someone who could help me get out of this conversation.

“They took it all away,” he said, straightening in his chair with a sigh.

“Who did?” I asked, now curious against my own will.

“Those assholes at Twitter,” he said, growing increasingly red. 

“They kicked you off Twitter?” I exclaimed, bewildered as to what antics he’d pulled to get banned from accounting video-town. Run a multimillion dollar smuggling ring on there? I mean, back then Twitter had already sunken to a seedy level of morality – and that was before Elon Musk got his hands on it.

“No, they shut down Vine!” He sighed and took a gulp of his beer.

I blinked for a few seconds. I hadn’t heard the name Vine in quite some time. I remembered doing some campaigns on the platform; it was pretty fun, but I had never really gotten into it personally.

“So, I’m here to warn creators about the platforms they rely on,” he continued. “It’s dangerous to build something on a platform that isn’t yours.”

I guess my anecdote is far from subtle this time, ScreamingIntoAVoid. There are so many reasons why you should always build a direct connection with your audience, even if you meet them on another platform first. 

And I guess that is my advice to you: find a way to connect directly with your customers. Yes, you’ll have to start over from scratch. But you did it once; why not try again? I’m sure you can do it!

Except this time, make sure that you own the land you build on. Find a platform where your customers are and try to push them to your own channels from there. Hell, have them sign up for an old-school newsletter! Build your own website with more videos!

I know it’s a lot of work. It can be hard when you’re a small business owner. You’re not alone in facing this challenge, though. You wouldn’t believe how many large businesses rely on rented land alone for their marketing; it’s really quite sad.

When I decided to start this blog, the first thing I did was get my own URL. I know it’s not particularly exciting, but at least I’ll always have my own digital home. Speaking of which, I need to go! My publisher is coming over and there is so much more writing to do…

Tools that will change your life

These resources will make your life as a marketer much easier. They’re available for free. (You don’t even have to give me your data because I have no use for it!)

Get Started With Your Marketing Plan Template 💡

🔒Awareness Funnel Meditation 🙏🏼

🔒Bottom up Budget Template🙏🏼

What does 🔒 mean? It means this resource is locked for now. Don’t worry: you’ll get access to these valuable tools soon enough! 😘

Hi, I’m Angie. I was a brilliant marketing director before cashing out my stocks and retiring (very) early. Now, I answer your questions about marketing so I can feel better about myself while I relax on my yacht and pretend to write my first novel. Hey, at least I’m honest about it! Want to know more about me?