For years and years I ignored search engine optimization (SEO) and other data-driven ways to drive traffic. When I finally decided to get some help, I turned to Rachna Jain of http://www.profitablepopularity.com (that’s her on the right.)
Boy, was I surprised. Rachna is far more than SEO–in fact, SEO and other technical expertise is really just frosting on the cake. She’s a big-hearted, huge-integrity, sharp strategist who really gets how to be human and effective on the internet at the same time.
She’s built two internet-based businesses, each of which generates six figures a year, helped many high level clients, and she’s one smart cookie.
I interviewed her in this podcast recently, and I wanted you to hear from her. We discussed:
- How large an audience you really need
- The difference between popularity and profitability
- What are the steps that move people from becoming followers to true fans
- An intriguing hierarchy of business needs
You can listen to the audio here: Rachna Jain Interview
Here’s the illustration of the hierarchy of business needs we discussed in the interview:
And here’s a link to the PDF we also mentioned in the interview:
Boosting Engagement in Social Media
Thankfully, she’s written a book I highly recommend.
Internet Marketing for the Rest of Us: Your In-Depth Guide to Profitable Popularity
Share your insights, thoughts and questions here in the comments!
10 Responses
Wonderful interview! Quality relationships over Quantity is what I received from listening! I have always believed this but sometimes get into that fear based panic mode that takes my eye off the ball and throws me into less authentic directions..that serve no one! Thank you both for your warm and fun discussion…it resonated for me on many levels!
Jen,
Mark is a wonderful interviewer. Thank you for taking the time to listen, and I’m glad you took away a key message- quality over quantity always wins. I’m happy the conversation resonated! 🙂
Hmm. Wondering what would be the $100/year.
Once I actually got to 1,000. Which is about 10 times what I have now. And presumably all the 1,000 won’t be true fans.
Good stuff, thanks for posting.This is an extremely nice blog here.Thanks
Evan,
You could potentially sell several things for $100/year- services, products, a mix of both. And yes, you’re right, reaching 1000 true fans will require a bit more than getting 1000 people on your email list, but the principle holds the same- it takes fewer people than you think to make the money you want to make. Thanks for commenting!
Just listened to the podcast and looked over your site. Thank you for your grounded and practical perspective on the uses of social media. The hierarchy of business needs makes perfect sense and suggests a question I need to ask my prospective clients: whether they’re at the point where they can afford to take time to build a platform (that is, write a book).
I’m in the early stages of building my own business and wonder whether I should even take the time to establish more than a token presence on social media, as I expect most of my initial clients will be local, people I’ve met or who come to me via word of mouth.
Hi Anne,
Thanks for listening and commenting. I’m glad you find the hierarchy to make good sense- and yes, I think asking your clients if they are at the right “stage” is a good idea. This will position you more distinctly than others who don’t inquire about this. I think that establishing a presence on social media is a good idea, a sort of “stake in the ground” for the future- and you’re right on that most of your first clients will come from your more direct connections.
Powerful message, Rachna! Thanks for the great tip sheet too: Boosting Engagement in Social Media. I recently changed my Facebook posts (intuitively before I read your tips) and have experienced a huge shift in engagement. I’m adding your strategies to my rhythms too. Thank you!
Hi Debra,
Thank you for listening and commenting. I’m glad you are experiencing greater engagement in social media. You are worth paying attention to, and I’m glad everyone else is benefiting now. 🙂 Yay!
Very fine writing and wise article, and thanks for sharing those useful tips, love reading it, thanks for sharing.