When They Aren't Coming to You, Go to Them
All too often in online businesses, we focus on figuring out ways for our audience to find us. We mess with keywords. We promote our stuff in the places we hang out. We write killer blog posts with optimized headlines, cool pictures, and catchy phrases.
Meanwhile, our would-be audience is going about their business, living their own lives, and are completely oblivious to the fact that we have Just What They Need (TM). From their perspective, we don't exist.
If your stuff is selling like hot cakes or you're booked solid, then you're doing just fine. At that point, you don't need additional business.
But if you're not selling enough of your product or you're not booked solid, perhaps it's time to spend less time figuring out how to make it easier for them to find you and more time figuring out how you can find them.
That means you'll have to figure out who they are.
That means you'll have to figure out where they hang out.
That means you'll have to figure out what they want and need.
That means you'll have to figure out how to promote your stuff in a way that's resonate with who you are and what you do.
Go and connect with them. Leave some value on the table.
How often will this work? If you ask that going into the process, you're not connecting with people — you're promoting your business.
Connect with individual people and you'll build an audience. Then that audience will come to you. Since you never sold to them, they'll buy from you.