There’s a term for metrics that don’t matter, beyond stroking your ego: vanity metrics.
A vanity metric is data that strokes your ego, but doesn’t actually grow your business.
These metrics are easy to measure. Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube report these numbers publicly. If you’re a creator on such a platform, they rub the vanity metrics in your face every chance they get.
These numbers are like targets that have been lined up for you. They’re the targets most online entrepreneurs frantically scramble towards.
They promise salvation: work hard enough, get enough followers and you too can make lots of money!
To be clear: I’m calling these numbers vanity metrics because they don’t matter.
That’s hard to believe, I know. But you can easily prove it to yourself.
You can have a website with lots of traffic that makes virtually no money.
You can have millions of followers and have a completely failed product launch.
Here’s an tragic/amusing example of this problem:
You can be a “success story” in the online world but suffer from burnout & struggle to make ends meet.
At the end of the day, likes, followers, even traffic won’t pay the bills.
If you think about it, this makes sense. After all, where do the vanity metrics come from? They are prominently displayed by social platforms. They’re used by these platforms as a “carrot” to get users/creators to do what’s good for the platform.
The goal of a social media platform is not to help you, the creator/entrepreneur. Their goal is to make money. And if they have loads of people desperately creating loads of content in the hopes of some far-off reward, that’s great for them! Free labour!
The reason so many online entrepreneurs fail is not because something’s wrong. It’s because the system works! The system does what it’s supposed to do. All the struggling creators are just unaware of the system.
The Holy Grail of Email Marketing (?)
While we’re in the process of slaughtering sacred cows, let’s talk about email marketing. Building an email list is the ultimate non-vanity thing to do, right? The money is in the list! How often have you heard that one?
And yes, I’ve preached the importance of building a mailing list as well.
BUT…
You can have a mailing list full of people who don’t open your emails and don’t want to buy anything from you.
There’s nothing wrong with building a mailing list (I recommend it!) but if you’re just chasing that subscriber number, if you’re just trying to get that number to increase, you’re still stuck on the vanity metrics treadmill.
So, what’s the solution? What’s the alternative to the futile pursuit of vanity metrics?
There is a solution to all the problems described above. There is a way to get unstuck - a better way to do things.
In fact, I’ve been following a set of strategies that are way off the beaten track from typical online marketing advice for years. And I’ve been very successful in doing so.
From my vantage point, I can see all the struggling entrepreneurs flailing and failing as they scramble along the well-trodden highway to frustration. It’s clear as day to me why they’re struggling. It’s clear that doing more of the same isn’t going to get them the results they want.
But there’s a problem: the way I’ve done things is so different, it’s hard for some people to believe. I can show you what I do differently (and I will - just keep reading). The question is: can you open your eyes to it? Or will you return your gaze to the shiny mirages and resume your struggle to chase vanity metrics?
The choice is yours.
What You’ll Discover in the Course
Some of the modules in the course:
The 3 Components of Audience Building
There are 3 components that must be in place for an audience to grow. Miss any one of these and you’ll be perpetually struggling.
The Treadmill & The Power Curve
Discover why most online entrepreneurs are stuck on “the treadmill” and learn how to use power curves to escape this predicament. Once you understand this principle, you’ll see it everywhere!
The Manifesto Method
How exactly can you create something that people will want to rally around - something that generates fans, not just followers? The Manifesto Method is your step-by-step recipe to do it!
The Story Challenge
Looking for a way to kick-start your audience growth? The Story Challenge is a method you can use to generate buzz around your brand and find your first group of fans.
Content Deconstruction
The Internet is full of good content that no one’s ever heard about. In the course, you’ll learn a framework to help you create content that actually gets noticed and gets results.
The 8 Content Dimensions
Develop x-ray vision for online content. Once you go through the module with the 8-dimensions framework, you’ll finally understand why some content succeeds, while most content fails.
Authentic Audience Interaction
Learn why “engagement” is overrated and how you can open an authentic, value-driven dialogue with your audience.
Serial Interactive Content
Discover the most powerful recipe for creating content that boosts your reach, turns people into fans & builds meaningful relationships between a creator and their audience.
Putting it All Together: The Audience Building Master-Plan
The Audience from Scratch course is chock-full of valuable strategies for reaching more people and turning visitors into die-hard fans. But it’s not just a collection of tips or strategies. The course is topped off with a step-by-step system that you can follow. It gives you a clear roadmap, telling you exactly what to do and in what order, to build your audience - even if you’re starting from literally zero!