Build a Better Audience

If you are preparing to launch your work to the world — your book, your craft, your company, your product — you know that this is your big chance.

Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of writers and creative professionals to do the work necessary to successfully connect their vision to an engaged audience.

Books to readers.
Arts and crafts to buyers.
Entrepreneurial ideas to thriving businesses.
One’s creative vision to an effect in the world.

The alternative? Blowing their opportunity. Missing the boat. They never get organized, they never find the right collaborators, and they never do the work necessary to truly launch their idea and their work. Instead, they spend years floundering, half-assing it, following every marketing trend of the moment, with little result.

They hear the seductive call of viral success promised by articles, videos, courses, and webinars online — the “work half as hard and find twice the success” hucksters — that are too hard to ignore.

Why? Because as you strive to connect your vision to a sizable audience and sales, you likely feel three things:

  1. Overwhelmed at the sheer amount of work ahead of you.
  2. Lost amidst the many directions you are told you have to go, the many tasks. You aren’t sure what to do next and how each of these tasks forms a cohesive plan that delivers your vision and your work to the right people.
  3. Alone in the process; it all rests on your shoulders, and that weight is getting heavy. Your vision is solid and focused, but need people on your team to get the work done.

People come to me when they are ready to take action, to build a strong foundation, and to truly take their work to the next level. In working with hundreds of creative professionals I have developed a 6-point system that both gets you ready to launch your work to a deeply engaged audience, and builds a solid foundation for long-term success

ConsultingIconsMed

This system fills the holes that most people skip over. We get it done when it matters most.

The biggest mistake that I see many creators make? They start at the final step: marketing. They pitch their work blindly without clarity around all the other areas. The result? They flounder. Their work isn’t seen. They feel overwhelmed. They fail.

How do we solve this? By working through my system together. We take the actions most people miss, and my team and I get it done for you.

If you have a creative vision that you want to connect with an audience, consider allowing my team and me to help you make it a reality.

Imagine not just knowing how to get it done, but having a partner in the process. My team and I execute these things with you.

How We Can Work Together

When you hire me, I create a full proposal of steps and deliverables focused on connecting your vision to your audience.

You have full access to me. We meet every week via phone, and then follow up as much as needed via email. Have a moment of panic? You pick up the phone and dial my cell phone.

We work through a cohesive plan, clear deliverables, and a focus on getting things done.

You also have my entire team behind you, which is comprised of the following roles

  • Me! Hi, I’m Dan.
  • Writers & editors
  • Graphic designers
  • Researchers & industry experts
  • Web developers
  • Community managers
  • Accountability coaches

Each are pulled in at the exact right moment, and managed by me. You don’t have to worry about who to hire, or how to work with them. That is all on me.

There are two ways to work with me:

  • My full 6-point system, which is a 12 month program where we move step by step from where you are to where you need to be.
  • The 3-month kickstart, where we put the top three key pieces in place to ensure you have a solid plan and a clear focus on who you hope to reach and how to bridge the gap between your work and those people.

Team Planning_Black-01

Outline of the Full Program

My full program is geared towards those creative professionals who are preparing for a serious reshift in their career. Perhaps it is an upcoming launch, or they are moving through a big transition. Folks I work with are:

  • consulting_booklaunch100Launching books: novels, nonfiction works, memoirs and more. You have spent hundreds of hours crafting thousands of words, and now is the moment you want to ensure that these words are read. That the book reaches readers’ hearts and minds.
  • consultingbusiness100Starting creative businesses: you have a vision for developing a full or part-time business of your own. To take your creative work to the next level professionally, and use this as a springboard to a new career. This is about building the foundation for a new brand, a new phase in your career, a new profession, or a new entrepreneurial venture.
  • consultingart100Selling art: paintings, jewelry, crafts, and so much else. Perhaps you are launching a shop on Etsy or developing a standalone business on your own website. You have layered meaning into an inspirational form, and you know this art can touch people’s lives, if only they could find it.
  • consultingproducts100Launching products: you have spent years building credentials and now want to launch products and services to help others, and create revenue streams. The key is launching the right products and services, in the right way, to the right people.
  • consultingshow100Preparing for a big show: this could be an event, gallery show for your art or photography, or other presentation of your work. There is a moment where the doors open and you hope a crowd rushes in — that when your work is embraced with open arms.

To make these things a reality my team and I work through the following steps with you, all focused on clarity and action:

  1. Success Planning: we do a 15-point audit of where you are, your resources, your messaging, your work, the ways you connect to your audience, your goals, and the key milestones you need to reach to turn the goals into reality.
  2. Messaging: We craft your bio from scratch — three versions of it: one for direct audience engagement, one for the media, and a social media version. You will get a sheet of 5 talking points about the work that you do and why you do it that can be used in conversations online and off. We will analyze your entire public presence (online and off) and identify 10 core steps to establish it or improve it. We also develop your branding — the tone your ideal audience picks up on within 3 seconds telling them whether your work speaks to them. We create a brand book with a 10-point branding checklist that extends to your website, social channels, and anywhere else you will interact with your audience.
  3. Marketplace Analysis: We research and clearly identify the 10 places you need to be online and of; 5 examples of comparable work that your audience will use as guideposts to discover your work; 3 mentors to learn from; and a list of 10 key needs and desires that engage your audience.
  4. Audience Identification: We create 3 personas of who represents your ideal audience. We then use these to identify the triggers that gets your audience’s attention and causes them to take action — to engage with and buy work like yours. This is all about understanding your audience so well that we no longer need to worry about “doing it all,” this allows us to focus on a few key tactics that will truly matter to those you hope to reach.
  5. Audience development: A clear plan to connect with real people who are a part of your ideal audience. We provide templates and help you customize them so that they are exactly right. We will craft a channel strategy across three core channels (online and off), and a content strategy that develops a group of core fans for your work. A clear plan is provided for how to manage social media in a way that you truly show up, while not eating into what matters most: your craft and other responsibilities.
  6. Marketing Plan: We develop a 3-6 month marketing strategy focused on powerful milestones of sharing your work, and ensuring that it reaches those you care about most.

Organizing-01

How do we get it done? Well, when you hire me, the following are the people I manage and bring in when needed. This isn’t a laundry list of services, they are resources that I bring when our plan requires it. I manage them, and ensure the work gets done quickly:

  • Dan-01Me, obviously. You have full access to my experience, from brainstorming, to problem-solving, to planning. I have been in the trenches with hundreds of creative professionals in that key moment of launching their work — of ensuring their vision meet reality. I am not giving you a system that worked once for one author — I have worked across a wide range of topics & genres and types of creators. Each aligned to the 6-point system I craft, yet each are wholly unique. Benefit from my experience by having me on your team.
  • editor-01Writers & editors: So much of connection your work to the world requires clear and compelling communication. Website copy, product descriptions, your bio, media pitches, presentations, blogs, podcasts, social media content and so much more. The writers & editors I work with are trained to craft messaging that will resonate with your ideal audience.
  • Graphic Design_rev2-01Graphic designers: You want your stuff to look amazing right? Design is highly underutilized by so many people because good design is difficult. My team helps you craft elements of your strategy and make them pop. You will look at them and be amazed that your vision looks this good. Whether it is website design, digital products, presentations, logos or other graphics, we design your look so that it feels right to you and your audience.
  • research-01Researchers & industry experts: Every niche, genre, and topic has a unique set of key players, channels, and audience expectations. My researchers and industry experts create custom research and recommendations pairing your goals with these marketplaces and communities.
  • Graphic design-01Web developers: I know you don’t feel like designing your own website, email newsletter, or other online channels. Well luckily, my web developers do! They handle the tech stuff so that you can focus on the work that matters most to you.
  • consultinghuggersCommunity managers: Do you feel the pressure to be constantly present on social media and other places? My community managers can be a part of your team to help manage that process for you. Whether it is crafting an editorial calendar, monitoring channels, or engaging with others, these are folks who help you manage it all.
  • coaches100Accountability coaches: these team members are trained to ensure that we get our work done. They keep you on tasks, not by putting pressure on you, but by helping you to balance the many responsibilities in your life. We know that you have to work on your craft, you may have a day job, you have a family to take care of, a home to maintain, and we firmly believe that sleep, mental health, and physical health are essential ingredients to success. My accountability coaches help you manage it all, and get stuff done.

You are no longer alone in this process. That is huge, and saves you an enormous amount of time and energy when you need complete clarity.

My team and I help you get focused, develop your skills, and we execute on a plan with you. Our goal: allow you to take control of your creative career and truly make things happen.

Outline of the 3-Month Kickstart Program

For the 3-month kickstart program, we go through a few core elements of my 6-point system. This is meant to give you maximum impact in a short period of time. Included are core elements of the bigger program: success planning, messaging development, marketplace analysis, and audience identification and development.

Why Work With Me

DanBlankIf you are wondering if I am the right fit for your needs, here is a little bit of my background:

  • I have worked with hundreds of creative professionals. My days are spent in the trenches with these people – none of this is theory to me – it is always framed in the everyday reality of what truly works for connecting with an audience.
  • I have worked with amazing organizations who support creative people, such as Random House, Hachette Book Group, Sesame Workshop, Workman Publishing, J. Walter Thompson, Abrams Books, Writers House, The Kenyon Review, Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, and many others.
  • I have helped launch hundreds of email newsletters and blogs; I’ve built dozens of websites; developed podcasts, videos, and even Kickstarter campaigns; and I’ve consulted on marketing strategies with huge publishers & organizations that serve creative professionals. Plus, I have run my own company for years, meaning that I have had to become the master of hundreds of tiny technical details for “getting out there.”

I think what is equally important is that my days are spent with creative professionals, and my entire life has been spent surrounded by creators hoping to make their mark. As for myself, I have been an artist, a poet, a musician, a paper sculptor, a writer, a publisher, a photographer, a teacher, a radio DJ, a cartoonist, and an entrepreneur.

If you want to get a sense of my work? Here are some examples:

How to Get Started

If you are hoping to bring your vision out into the world in a meaningful way — one that has an impact — consider reaching out to me. No, I’m not going to give you some form to fill out, email me directly:

dan@wegrowmedia.com

Let me know what you are working on, the big challenge you are facing, and how you hope I can help.

(Bonus points if you add the subject line: “Dan, I’m ready to get it done.”)

I only take 4 clients per quarter. This is your chance to take meaningful action.