AI transcript
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0:00:22 When I first walked on campus at the University of Washington over 20 years ago,
0:00:24 it was a little bit overwhelming.
0:00:27 The undergrad enrollment there was a little over 30,000
0:00:29 or roughly double the size of my hometown.
0:00:33 But at freshman orientation, the person who was leading the group,
0:00:37 and maybe she could see the deer in the headlights, the look on our faces,
0:00:39 but she gave a line I’ll never forget.
0:00:42 And that was, it’s not as big as it seems from the outside.
0:00:44 You’re going to find ways to shrink the university.
0:00:47 That shrink the university was the line that stuck with me.
0:00:50 And she was 100% right through interest groups,
0:00:54 residence halls, business school, clubs and fraternities, rec sports.
0:00:56 I found ways to shrink the university.
0:00:58 So what’s this have to do with side hustles?
0:01:01 Well, the internet is the same as that big university.
0:01:04 It’s not as big and crowded as it seems from the outside.
0:01:07 If you find ways to shrink it.
0:01:10 In this episode, I want to give you 10 ways to shrink the internet
0:01:13 and make it easier for your ideal customers to find you.
0:01:16 And this is based on a talk I did at a mastermind last year.
0:01:19 The first one is local search.
0:01:22 And obviously, this is where you want to play if you have a local service business.
0:01:27 But what you might not, you might not consider it if you have a broader virtual type of service.
0:01:32 But it might surprise you that a lot of people still like to do business with people who are
0:01:35 local to them, even if you’re delivering the service remotely.
0:01:37 Here’s Chris Mistrick from episode 388.
0:01:41 Another thing I did was I tried focusing on something called local SEO.
0:01:45 You know, I’m by no means a SEO expert.
0:01:52 But something that I did that was really smart was I put my home address on my website.
0:01:58 And another great strategy, a friend of mine had encouraged me, write the blog post that says
0:02:02 the best, the 10 best web designs in whatever city you live in.
0:02:03 So for me, it’d be Gilbert, Arizona.
0:02:07 So it’d be the 10 best web design firms in Gilbert, Arizona.
0:02:13 And put some other people that you know that are good, that are close to you, but also put yourself.
0:02:20 And what happens when you focus locally, it drives people who are looking for your services
0:02:25 to your site a lot easier because Google is setting it up to where they’re wanting to
0:02:27 connect people that are close to each other.
0:02:32 And so I’ve had quite a few jobs of people saying like, I was looking for somebody that
0:02:36 was in my city and you’re right down the road from me and I love your work.
0:02:39 And so that was a super helpful strategy.
0:02:43 So even though Chris could have provided this web design service from anywhere in the world,
0:02:47 he found that clients liked to do business with people that were local.
0:02:50 A little bit of a way to cut through the clutter there.
0:02:51 Really interesting strategy.
0:02:56 So that’s the first way to shrink the internet is to think local, even if you have a much broader
0:02:57 target market.
0:03:03 The second way to shrink the internet is to target listicles that are already ranking in Google.
0:03:07 So Chris mentioned the 10 best web designers in Gilbert, Arizona, right?
0:03:09 So those articles may already exist.
0:03:12 And if you have a new service, you could look up those articles.
0:03:15 You could send a note to whoever owns that website.
0:03:17 Hey, I’m a new startup in the area.
0:03:18 Here’s some of my work.
0:03:21 Like do whatever you need to do to get your foot in the door.
0:03:23 But would you mind adding me to your list?
0:03:29 For example, there, maybe you sell a course on, you know, how to self-publish your next book
0:03:29 or something.
0:03:33 And so there’s already going to be a bunch of articles like the best course, the best way
0:03:36 to learn self-publishing, the best courses for self-published authors, right?
0:03:41 And you might find those articles, you might find even for bonus points, some where, oh,
0:03:45 hey, Mr. and Mrs. Website Owner, number seven on your list doesn’t exist anymore.
0:03:46 They’re out of business.
0:03:48 But I am in business.
0:03:49 And here’s a little blurb.
0:03:51 I’m going to make it easy for you.
0:03:52 You can just copy and paste that in.
0:03:53 I’m happy to be number seven.
0:03:58 And I’m going to tap into some of that traffic that already exists rather than trying to build
0:04:00 something up completely from scratch.
0:04:03 That’s how I’m going to be able to shrink the internet with listicles.
0:04:08 The third side door that I want to touch on is Reddit and forums.
0:04:13 So how this works is you can search your keyword in Google or you can search it on Reddit directly.
0:04:18 And you’re probably going to find threads with people asking about the problem you solve.
0:04:24 Like Hannah Morgan recently mentioned, finding threads talking about the mental load of parenting,
0:04:30 which was a natural place to sympathize with them and kind of gently mention her virtual house
0:04:31 management service.
0:04:33 Hey, we can take care of some of that mental load for you.
0:04:38 Now, I found a thread on has anyone ever hired a business coach?
0:04:39 And so that’s an opportunity.
0:04:44 Again, gently, if you have a business coaching service without self-promotion, you can describe
0:04:48 your experience in working with coaches if you’ve hired them yourself and your approach.
0:04:52 If you are a business coach to working with clients and getting results there.
0:04:54 Again, it doesn’t have to be overly self-promotional.
0:04:56 You’re going to want to tread carefully there.
0:05:01 But looking for those keywords and those threads, because those are already ranking in Google
0:05:03 and people starting their search directly on Reddit.
0:05:08 It’s a way to get that exposure to shortcut some awareness and exposure to shrink the Internet
0:05:10 to just your target audience.
0:05:15 We did a whole episode on Reddit marketing a couple months ago, episode 673, if you want
0:05:15 to go check it out.
0:05:19 The fourth way to shrink the Internet is through Google Search Console.
0:05:22 And this is one for people who already have existing websites.
0:05:25 How this works is you’re going to open up your search analytics report.
0:05:31 And I like to look for the terms or keywords that have a lot of impressions, relatively speaking,
0:05:32 but not a lot of clicks.
0:05:38 That’s a signal that Google is already ranking your content if it finds it relevant and helpful
0:05:41 and high value enough to be showing it to people.
0:05:45 But it’s not giving it the primary positions, right?
0:05:47 It’s probably lower on page one.
0:05:51 Maybe it’s the top of page two, where if you just were able to go through and tweak those
0:05:57 existing content pieces, beef up that content, make it more relevant, more timely, whatever
0:06:02 it may be, that is going to be an area of opportunity to improve the click volume since the impressions
0:06:03 are already there.
0:06:05 It’s like almost like getting free traffic.
0:06:09 So I think you’ll really get a good bang for your buck out of the Search Console strategy.
0:06:13 Are you looking for a flexible income stream and one with real career potential?
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0:07:08 That’s intuit.com slash expert, I-N-T-U-I-T dot com slash expert.
0:07:13 The fifth way to shrink the internet is through podcast and YouTube guesting.
0:07:17 And if you want to start your own show, by all means, I think that’s a fantastic way to
0:07:21 build a relationship with the audience, but it’s a whole lot slower than just showing up
0:07:26 for half an hour and tapping into someone else’s audience, somebody else who already has a built-in
0:07:28 podcast or built-in YouTube audience.
0:07:36 And how this works is you can just search your keyword on iTunes or in YouTube, and you might
0:07:40 see these shows, especially interview shows, would be value if you want to come in as a
0:07:43 guest, where you might be able to lend some expertise.
0:07:47 And my recommendation is to not just come in with this generic cold pitch, because as
0:07:51 podcasters, this is what we get all day, every day is, hey, so-and-so is a new book out.
0:07:54 And it’s like, you didn’t, you don’t know, you don’t know my audience at all.
0:07:59 You don’t, come on, at least make an effort, show you, listen to some content, you, maybe
0:08:00 you present a gap in what you’re talking about.
0:08:07 So I looked up MedSpa, like for example, maybe you do marketing, consulting for MedSpa owners.
0:08:13 And so there’s a dozen or more different MedSpa related podcasts that MedSpa owners are probably
0:08:13 tuning into.
0:08:17 And so if you don’t have a competing service with that host, maybe you have a complimentary
0:08:21 service, or maybe you have a unique angle or perspective that the audience would still
0:08:25 find valuable, it’s a way to come in and make that an easy pitch.
0:08:30 Now, for the sake of reference, the best pitches that I get as a podcast host are the ones that
0:08:34 have a clear hook or a clear, almost like a transformation.
0:08:38 Like here’s what the audience is going to get in exchange for their 45 minutes of tuning into
0:08:38 this.
0:08:42 It’s like, you know, the before, the after, there’s a clear picture there.
0:08:43 There’s some bullet points.
0:08:47 There’s, there’s something that I can work with rather than just, can I come on your show?
0:08:49 Like, well, what are we even going to talk about?
0:08:50 It’s like, make, make it an easy.
0:08:51 Yes.
0:08:55 And if you can send a personalized outreach message, I think you’re going to have a really
0:08:57 good success in that area.
0:09:01 So that’s the, that’s the fifth idea on this list, podcast and YouTube guesting.
0:09:07 The sixth way I have to shrink the internet is what I call how to content on YouTube, call
0:09:09 it tutorial YouTube.
0:09:14 This is answering specific questions that your target customers might have.
0:09:19 And I remember Joshua Lysak talking about, uh, for his ghostwriting business, how much does
0:09:25 a ghostwriter cost or traditional versus self-publishing or how to work with a ghostwriter or how does
0:09:26 the ghostwriter work?
0:09:32 Like these types of very specific, almost bottom of the funnel, like, you know, high purchase
0:09:35 intent, decision maker type of questions, or he can answer the question.
0:09:40 And at the same time, introduce himself as a professional ghostwriter or somebody who can
0:09:40 do this.
0:09:44 For example, we met last year, Christy Da Silva on the podcast.
0:09:45 This was episode 627.
0:09:51 She’s got a consulting business that specializes in a couple of different software tools, ClickUp
0:09:52 and HoneyBook.
0:09:58 So what she do, she creates videos about how to do certain tasks in ClickUp and HoneyBook.
0:10:06 We decided to launch a YouTube channel and that was a huge turning point for DL because YouTube
0:10:11 is obviously long form video content and people are extremely problem aware.
0:10:13 Like they’re like, how do I do this with ClickUp?
0:10:14 How do I do this with HoneyBook?
0:10:19 And so our first YouTube video that ever took off, it’s still one of our highest ranking,
0:10:23 is five ClickUp dashboards that will change your business.
0:10:28 It was cool to see, like, because the first few videos were like, here’s how we can help
0:10:28 you.
0:10:32 What’s the difference between a CRM and a project management tool?
0:10:37 You know, Beginner’s Guide to HoneyBook and ClickUp, which those still do well as well.
0:10:42 But then the more specific we started to get with it, like, OK, these five ClickUp dashboards
0:10:48 that will change your business, even ones like specific ClickUp automations or how to create
0:10:54 a content calendar in ClickUp or things like that, how to run your agency in HoneyBook.
0:10:59 Those are things that perform really well because people are searching for that exact thing.
0:11:05 People are searching that exact thing and probably not a ton of other people have created that
0:11:07 exact keyword targeted video.
0:11:08 Really powerful strategy.
0:11:11 It doesn’t take a ton of views to drive meaningful revenue.
0:11:13 You don’t need to win the algorithm.
0:11:17 You don’t need to go viral because the only people watching that specific video are the
0:11:19 ones that really need help with the problem you solve.
0:11:25 Again, episode 627 with Christy for more on how she converts those viewers into customers.
0:11:30 But always a good idea to introduce yourself as the fill in the blank expert consultant or
0:11:36 service provider and then provide an obvious next step or call to action in the video or description.
0:11:37 So that’s number six.
0:11:43 Create that how to or tutorial YouTube content targeting those long tail super specific keywords
0:11:45 that your customers are going to be typing in.
0:11:50 Maybe even repurpose the frequently asked questions on your website into YouTube content.
0:11:53 Idea number seven on this list is Facebook groups.
0:11:56 And Facebook is still a traffic juggernaut.
0:12:01 And every day people are looking for groups related to their interests and problems.
0:12:06 The example that comes to mind here is Abby Ashley and her virtual assistant Savvy’s group,
0:12:10 which is probably over 130, 140,000 members at this point.
0:12:13 So people might search virtual assistant on Facebook.
0:12:15 They come across Abby’s group.
0:12:20 And the, you know, one of the primary call to actions is, you know, join the free webinar
0:12:22 or whatever other lead magnet she may have.
0:12:26 You know, download the list of 101 virtual assistant services you might be able to offer.
0:12:31 It’s a top of the funnel entry point into her world for selling her virtual assistant training
0:12:32 program.
0:12:38 And so it’s a way to tap in to the traffic that’s already happening, the search volume that’s
0:12:43 already happening on Facebook, which is probably a lot less competitive than the search landscape
0:12:44 on Google.
0:12:45 That’s a fun way to shrink the internet.
0:12:48 I do the same thing with the Side Hustle Nation Facebook group.
0:12:52 If people are searching side hustles on Facebook, I want to make sure they come across the Side
0:12:54 Hustle Nation Facebook group as well.
0:12:58 And then there’s an opportunity for people to join the email list from there and hopefully
0:13:02 get indoctrinated into the podcast and all the other stuff that we have going on.
0:13:04 Hopefully a good entry point from there.
0:13:06 So that’s number seven, Facebook groups.
0:13:13 Number eight is actually Facebook groups part two, and that is internal group search.
0:13:15 And so this could be groups you’re already a member of.
0:13:20 This could be groups that you proactively go out and join of your target market.
0:13:24 Remember Jane Havens talking about joining a bunch of mom or parenting groups and looking
0:13:27 for threads talking about, oh, my kid won’t go to sleep.
0:13:28 What can I do?
0:13:31 And she comes in and said, well, have you tried this, this, and this?
0:13:33 By the way, I’m a certified sleep consultant.
0:13:39 And so it was a way to interact in an organic way, similar to the Reddit strategy above, with
0:13:42 people who are having the problems that you help solve.
0:13:47 And so even in the groups that I’m in, I see people asking, like, and sometimes they’ll
0:13:52 even say, I’m willing to pay someone to help set up a Facebook ad for me or test out this
0:13:53 paid campaign.
0:13:55 I need someone to help me with WordPress.
0:13:57 I need somebody to help me with video editing.
0:14:00 It’s like different keyword phrases that you can go and search.
0:14:02 And it’s like, that’s a hot lead.
0:14:05 And the other thing about it is those threads live on forever.
0:14:08 Even if it’s from a couple of years ago, people might still be searching.
0:14:12 And this is how we found contractors for house projects around here.
0:14:17 Our local neighborhood Facebook community, I will often search for, you know, plumber
0:14:21 recommendations, you know, kitchen remodel recommendations.
0:14:25 And, you know, it might be three or four years old, but it’s like, hey, if my neighbor recommended
0:14:28 it, that’s probably a pretty, pretty good reference, right?
0:14:33 And so those threads can live on and have a really long shelf life.
0:14:37 And it’s a really powerful strategy to get in front of your target customers.
0:14:40 And again, shrink the internet to just the people that you want to do business with.
0:14:44 The ninth strategy that I want to present to shrink the internet is LinkedIn.
0:14:49 Another major, major social network, another major search engine that a lot of people aren’t
0:14:51 taking advantage of as a search engine.
0:14:58 But LinkedIn gives you the opportunity in your headline or your bio to target certain keywords
0:14:59 that you want people to find.
0:15:04 For example, I typed in weight loss and I found people saying, hey, I’m a weight loss coach.
0:15:06 I’m a weight loss coach for busy parents.
0:15:07 I’m a weight loss expert.
0:15:10 I’m a spiritual weight loss mentor.
0:15:15 All different ways that people are working in that target phrase into their profiles.
0:15:19 And I imagine if you’re creating content on that, I don’t know how the LinkedIn algorithm
0:15:23 works, but I imagine if you start to build up a reputation in that space, you can show up
0:15:25 as somebody who could help in that area.
0:15:26 If people are typing that in.
0:15:33 And we did a whole episode on LinkedIn marketing and setting up your profile page as really a sales
0:15:39 letter to your ideal target customer and how to create content that resonates and can reach
0:15:40 outside of your existing network.
0:15:43 And we did that whole episode earlier this year with Joe McKay.
0:15:46 So I’ll link that up in the show notes for this episode.
0:15:48 But don’t sleep on LinkedIn.
0:15:52 I think it’s a powerful search engine that a lot of people aren’t really paying a ton of
0:15:52 attention to.
0:15:57 And it’s a way to shrink that internet and connect again with your ideal customers.
0:16:01 And number 10 is one of my all time faves in that is Amazon.
0:16:04 And I’m talking about self publishing on Amazon.
0:16:10 Of course, a lot of time and effort that goes in to writing a book, especially if you’re starting
0:16:10 from scratch.
0:16:15 But it’s a huge business card, like it’s the best business card in the world and a huge
0:16:15 credibility builder.
0:16:17 Oh, he wrote the book on the topic, right?
0:16:18 He must know what he’s talking about.
0:16:23 It is also something that can have a really long shelf life where some of the titles that
0:16:26 I wrote years ago are still making sales are still driving awareness.
0:16:30 I have looked up just recently the data on this.
0:16:35 So over 2000 people have downloaded the perma free side hustle book this year, even though
0:16:37 it’s definitely due for a refresh.
0:16:39 But again, it’s another one of these search engines.
0:16:43 If somebody is searching side hustle on Amazon, I would love for them to come across my stuff
0:16:45 and enter into that ecosystem.
0:16:50 It could be a lead generation play, which you see really common in nonfiction books
0:16:53 where, you know, download as you’re going through, you’ll see download the free toolkit.
0:16:56 And, you know, it’s a low barrier to entry into your world.
0:17:01 If it’s a, you know, a three to $10 price point, or even if you’re going to use the perma free
0:17:05 type of strategy there, I looked up commercial real estate for beginners.
0:17:08 Maybe you help people get started with real estate investing.
0:17:13 There’s a book with over 900 reviews that in kind of flipping through like the beginning
0:17:19 preview, you know, look inside is very obviously a lead generator for this guy’s, for the author’s,
0:17:21 you know, paid membership program.
0:17:26 So ranking really well on Amazon and has turned into, okay, yeah, I’m making a little bit of
0:17:27 royalties selling the book.
0:17:27 Sure.
0:17:28 That’s great.
0:17:32 But the real money is going to be made as a lead generator for this paid, you know,
0:17:33 mentorship program that he runs.
0:17:37 So Amazon really long shelf life.
0:17:41 Of course, a little bit of effort to create that book upfront, but you might be able to take
0:17:45 some of the existing content that you’ve already created to create an outline.
0:17:49 You may be able to ask AI to help you create an outline based on some of your existing content.
0:17:53 You might be able to crowdsource some success stories from clients, a few different creative
0:17:54 ways to go about it.
0:17:58 But don’t sleep on Amazon as another way to shrink the internet and get in front of your
0:17:59 ideal target customers.
0:18:02 If you have any other favorite ways, I love geeking out on this stuff.
0:18:06 So if you have any other favorite ways to shrink the internet, to connect with customers in
0:18:08 creative ways, let me know.
0:18:13 Nick at SideHustleNation.com is my direct email, and maybe we can include your suggestions in
0:18:14 an upcoming episode.
0:18:17 Big thanks to our sponsor, Intuit, for helping make this content free for everyone.
0:18:22 Intuit is the maker of TurboTax and QuickBooks, and they’re inviting Side Hustle Show listeners
0:18:26 to join their world-class network of tax and bookkeeping experts.
0:18:30 To learn more or apply now, head on over to Intuit.com slash expert.
0:18:34 Again, that’s at Intuit.com slash expert.
0:18:35 That is it for me.
0:18:37 Thank you so much for tuning in.
0:18:40 Until next time, let’s go out there and make something happen, and I’ll catch you in the
0:18:42 next edition of the Side Hustle Show.
0:00:05 How cool is that?
0:00:08 Whether you’re looking to grow a side hustle or switch things up full-time,
0:00:11 Intuit helps tax and bookkeeping professionals chart your own path
0:00:13 and connect with customers in meaningful ways.
0:00:17 Head to intuit.com slash expert to learn more or apply now.
0:00:22 When I first walked on campus at the University of Washington over 20 years ago,
0:00:24 it was a little bit overwhelming.
0:00:27 The undergrad enrollment there was a little over 30,000
0:00:29 or roughly double the size of my hometown.
0:00:33 But at freshman orientation, the person who was leading the group,
0:00:37 and maybe she could see the deer in the headlights, the look on our faces,
0:00:39 but she gave a line I’ll never forget.
0:00:42 And that was, it’s not as big as it seems from the outside.
0:00:44 You’re going to find ways to shrink the university.
0:00:47 That shrink the university was the line that stuck with me.
0:00:50 And she was 100% right through interest groups,
0:00:54 residence halls, business school, clubs and fraternities, rec sports.
0:00:56 I found ways to shrink the university.
0:00:58 So what’s this have to do with side hustles?
0:01:01 Well, the internet is the same as that big university.
0:01:04 It’s not as big and crowded as it seems from the outside.
0:01:07 If you find ways to shrink it.
0:01:10 In this episode, I want to give you 10 ways to shrink the internet
0:01:13 and make it easier for your ideal customers to find you.
0:01:16 And this is based on a talk I did at a mastermind last year.
0:01:19 The first one is local search.
0:01:22 And obviously, this is where you want to play if you have a local service business.
0:01:27 But what you might not, you might not consider it if you have a broader virtual type of service.
0:01:32 But it might surprise you that a lot of people still like to do business with people who are
0:01:35 local to them, even if you’re delivering the service remotely.
0:01:37 Here’s Chris Mistrick from episode 388.
0:01:41 Another thing I did was I tried focusing on something called local SEO.
0:01:45 You know, I’m by no means a SEO expert.
0:01:52 But something that I did that was really smart was I put my home address on my website.
0:01:58 And another great strategy, a friend of mine had encouraged me, write the blog post that says
0:02:02 the best, the 10 best web designs in whatever city you live in.
0:02:03 So for me, it’d be Gilbert, Arizona.
0:02:07 So it’d be the 10 best web design firms in Gilbert, Arizona.
0:02:13 And put some other people that you know that are good, that are close to you, but also put yourself.
0:02:20 And what happens when you focus locally, it drives people who are looking for your services
0:02:25 to your site a lot easier because Google is setting it up to where they’re wanting to
0:02:27 connect people that are close to each other.
0:02:32 And so I’ve had quite a few jobs of people saying like, I was looking for somebody that
0:02:36 was in my city and you’re right down the road from me and I love your work.
0:02:39 And so that was a super helpful strategy.
0:02:43 So even though Chris could have provided this web design service from anywhere in the world,
0:02:47 he found that clients liked to do business with people that were local.
0:02:50 A little bit of a way to cut through the clutter there.
0:02:51 Really interesting strategy.
0:02:56 So that’s the first way to shrink the internet is to think local, even if you have a much broader
0:02:57 target market.
0:03:03 The second way to shrink the internet is to target listicles that are already ranking in Google.
0:03:07 So Chris mentioned the 10 best web designers in Gilbert, Arizona, right?
0:03:09 So those articles may already exist.
0:03:12 And if you have a new service, you could look up those articles.
0:03:15 You could send a note to whoever owns that website.
0:03:17 Hey, I’m a new startup in the area.
0:03:18 Here’s some of my work.
0:03:21 Like do whatever you need to do to get your foot in the door.
0:03:23 But would you mind adding me to your list?
0:03:29 For example, there, maybe you sell a course on, you know, how to self-publish your next book
0:03:29 or something.
0:03:33 And so there’s already going to be a bunch of articles like the best course, the best way
0:03:36 to learn self-publishing, the best courses for self-published authors, right?
0:03:41 And you might find those articles, you might find even for bonus points, some where, oh,
0:03:45 hey, Mr. and Mrs. Website Owner, number seven on your list doesn’t exist anymore.
0:03:46 They’re out of business.
0:03:48 But I am in business.
0:03:49 And here’s a little blurb.
0:03:51 I’m going to make it easy for you.
0:03:52 You can just copy and paste that in.
0:03:53 I’m happy to be number seven.
0:03:58 And I’m going to tap into some of that traffic that already exists rather than trying to build
0:04:00 something up completely from scratch.
0:04:03 That’s how I’m going to be able to shrink the internet with listicles.
0:04:08 The third side door that I want to touch on is Reddit and forums.
0:04:13 So how this works is you can search your keyword in Google or you can search it on Reddit directly.
0:04:18 And you’re probably going to find threads with people asking about the problem you solve.
0:04:24 Like Hannah Morgan recently mentioned, finding threads talking about the mental load of parenting,
0:04:30 which was a natural place to sympathize with them and kind of gently mention her virtual house
0:04:31 management service.
0:04:33 Hey, we can take care of some of that mental load for you.
0:04:38 Now, I found a thread on has anyone ever hired a business coach?
0:04:39 And so that’s an opportunity.
0:04:44 Again, gently, if you have a business coaching service without self-promotion, you can describe
0:04:48 your experience in working with coaches if you’ve hired them yourself and your approach.
0:04:52 If you are a business coach to working with clients and getting results there.
0:04:54 Again, it doesn’t have to be overly self-promotional.
0:04:56 You’re going to want to tread carefully there.
0:05:01 But looking for those keywords and those threads, because those are already ranking in Google
0:05:03 and people starting their search directly on Reddit.
0:05:08 It’s a way to get that exposure to shortcut some awareness and exposure to shrink the Internet
0:05:10 to just your target audience.
0:05:15 We did a whole episode on Reddit marketing a couple months ago, episode 673, if you want
0:05:15 to go check it out.
0:05:19 The fourth way to shrink the Internet is through Google Search Console.
0:05:22 And this is one for people who already have existing websites.
0:05:25 How this works is you’re going to open up your search analytics report.
0:05:31 And I like to look for the terms or keywords that have a lot of impressions, relatively speaking,
0:05:32 but not a lot of clicks.
0:05:38 That’s a signal that Google is already ranking your content if it finds it relevant and helpful
0:05:41 and high value enough to be showing it to people.
0:05:45 But it’s not giving it the primary positions, right?
0:05:47 It’s probably lower on page one.
0:05:51 Maybe it’s the top of page two, where if you just were able to go through and tweak those
0:05:57 existing content pieces, beef up that content, make it more relevant, more timely, whatever
0:06:02 it may be, that is going to be an area of opportunity to improve the click volume since the impressions
0:06:03 are already there.
0:06:05 It’s like almost like getting free traffic.
0:06:09 So I think you’ll really get a good bang for your buck out of the Search Console strategy.
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0:07:13 The fifth way to shrink the internet is through podcast and YouTube guesting.
0:07:17 And if you want to start your own show, by all means, I think that’s a fantastic way to
0:07:21 build a relationship with the audience, but it’s a whole lot slower than just showing up
0:07:26 for half an hour and tapping into someone else’s audience, somebody else who already has a built-in
0:07:28 podcast or built-in YouTube audience.
0:07:36 And how this works is you can just search your keyword on iTunes or in YouTube, and you might
0:07:40 see these shows, especially interview shows, would be value if you want to come in as a
0:07:43 guest, where you might be able to lend some expertise.
0:07:47 And my recommendation is to not just come in with this generic cold pitch, because as
0:07:51 podcasters, this is what we get all day, every day is, hey, so-and-so is a new book out.
0:07:54 And it’s like, you didn’t, you don’t know, you don’t know my audience at all.
0:07:59 You don’t, come on, at least make an effort, show you, listen to some content, you, maybe
0:08:00 you present a gap in what you’re talking about.
0:08:07 So I looked up MedSpa, like for example, maybe you do marketing, consulting for MedSpa owners.
0:08:13 And so there’s a dozen or more different MedSpa related podcasts that MedSpa owners are probably
0:08:13 tuning into.
0:08:17 And so if you don’t have a competing service with that host, maybe you have a complimentary
0:08:21 service, or maybe you have a unique angle or perspective that the audience would still
0:08:25 find valuable, it’s a way to come in and make that an easy pitch.
0:08:30 Now, for the sake of reference, the best pitches that I get as a podcast host are the ones that
0:08:34 have a clear hook or a clear, almost like a transformation.
0:08:38 Like here’s what the audience is going to get in exchange for their 45 minutes of tuning into
0:08:38 this.
0:08:42 It’s like, you know, the before, the after, there’s a clear picture there.
0:08:43 There’s some bullet points.
0:08:47 There’s, there’s something that I can work with rather than just, can I come on your show?
0:08:49 Like, well, what are we even going to talk about?
0:08:50 It’s like, make, make it an easy.
0:08:51 Yes.
0:08:55 And if you can send a personalized outreach message, I think you’re going to have a really
0:08:57 good success in that area.
0:09:01 So that’s the, that’s the fifth idea on this list, podcast and YouTube guesting.
0:09:07 The sixth way I have to shrink the internet is what I call how to content on YouTube, call
0:09:09 it tutorial YouTube.
0:09:14 This is answering specific questions that your target customers might have.
0:09:19 And I remember Joshua Lysak talking about, uh, for his ghostwriting business, how much does
0:09:25 a ghostwriter cost or traditional versus self-publishing or how to work with a ghostwriter or how does
0:09:26 the ghostwriter work?
0:09:32 Like these types of very specific, almost bottom of the funnel, like, you know, high purchase
0:09:35 intent, decision maker type of questions, or he can answer the question.
0:09:40 And at the same time, introduce himself as a professional ghostwriter or somebody who can
0:09:40 do this.
0:09:44 For example, we met last year, Christy Da Silva on the podcast.
0:09:45 This was episode 627.
0:09:51 She’s got a consulting business that specializes in a couple of different software tools, ClickUp
0:09:52 and HoneyBook.
0:09:58 So what she do, she creates videos about how to do certain tasks in ClickUp and HoneyBook.
0:10:06 We decided to launch a YouTube channel and that was a huge turning point for DL because YouTube
0:10:11 is obviously long form video content and people are extremely problem aware.
0:10:13 Like they’re like, how do I do this with ClickUp?
0:10:14 How do I do this with HoneyBook?
0:10:19 And so our first YouTube video that ever took off, it’s still one of our highest ranking,
0:10:23 is five ClickUp dashboards that will change your business.
0:10:28 It was cool to see, like, because the first few videos were like, here’s how we can help
0:10:28 you.
0:10:32 What’s the difference between a CRM and a project management tool?
0:10:37 You know, Beginner’s Guide to HoneyBook and ClickUp, which those still do well as well.
0:10:42 But then the more specific we started to get with it, like, OK, these five ClickUp dashboards
0:10:48 that will change your business, even ones like specific ClickUp automations or how to create
0:10:54 a content calendar in ClickUp or things like that, how to run your agency in HoneyBook.
0:10:59 Those are things that perform really well because people are searching for that exact thing.
0:11:05 People are searching that exact thing and probably not a ton of other people have created that
0:11:07 exact keyword targeted video.
0:11:08 Really powerful strategy.
0:11:11 It doesn’t take a ton of views to drive meaningful revenue.
0:11:13 You don’t need to win the algorithm.
0:11:17 You don’t need to go viral because the only people watching that specific video are the
0:11:19 ones that really need help with the problem you solve.
0:11:25 Again, episode 627 with Christy for more on how she converts those viewers into customers.
0:11:30 But always a good idea to introduce yourself as the fill in the blank expert consultant or
0:11:36 service provider and then provide an obvious next step or call to action in the video or description.
0:11:37 So that’s number six.
0:11:43 Create that how to or tutorial YouTube content targeting those long tail super specific keywords
0:11:45 that your customers are going to be typing in.
0:11:50 Maybe even repurpose the frequently asked questions on your website into YouTube content.
0:11:53 Idea number seven on this list is Facebook groups.
0:11:56 And Facebook is still a traffic juggernaut.
0:12:01 And every day people are looking for groups related to their interests and problems.
0:12:06 The example that comes to mind here is Abby Ashley and her virtual assistant Savvy’s group,
0:12:10 which is probably over 130, 140,000 members at this point.
0:12:13 So people might search virtual assistant on Facebook.
0:12:15 They come across Abby’s group.
0:12:20 And the, you know, one of the primary call to actions is, you know, join the free webinar
0:12:22 or whatever other lead magnet she may have.
0:12:26 You know, download the list of 101 virtual assistant services you might be able to offer.
0:12:31 It’s a top of the funnel entry point into her world for selling her virtual assistant training
0:12:32 program.
0:12:38 And so it’s a way to tap in to the traffic that’s already happening, the search volume that’s
0:12:43 already happening on Facebook, which is probably a lot less competitive than the search landscape
0:12:44 on Google.
0:12:45 That’s a fun way to shrink the internet.
0:12:48 I do the same thing with the Side Hustle Nation Facebook group.
0:12:52 If people are searching side hustles on Facebook, I want to make sure they come across the Side
0:12:54 Hustle Nation Facebook group as well.
0:12:58 And then there’s an opportunity for people to join the email list from there and hopefully
0:13:02 get indoctrinated into the podcast and all the other stuff that we have going on.
0:13:04 Hopefully a good entry point from there.
0:13:06 So that’s number seven, Facebook groups.
0:13:13 Number eight is actually Facebook groups part two, and that is internal group search.
0:13:15 And so this could be groups you’re already a member of.
0:13:20 This could be groups that you proactively go out and join of your target market.
0:13:24 Remember Jane Havens talking about joining a bunch of mom or parenting groups and looking
0:13:27 for threads talking about, oh, my kid won’t go to sleep.
0:13:28 What can I do?
0:13:31 And she comes in and said, well, have you tried this, this, and this?
0:13:33 By the way, I’m a certified sleep consultant.
0:13:39 And so it was a way to interact in an organic way, similar to the Reddit strategy above, with
0:13:42 people who are having the problems that you help solve.
0:13:47 And so even in the groups that I’m in, I see people asking, like, and sometimes they’ll
0:13:52 even say, I’m willing to pay someone to help set up a Facebook ad for me or test out this
0:13:53 paid campaign.
0:13:55 I need someone to help me with WordPress.
0:13:57 I need somebody to help me with video editing.
0:14:00 It’s like different keyword phrases that you can go and search.
0:14:02 And it’s like, that’s a hot lead.
0:14:05 And the other thing about it is those threads live on forever.
0:14:08 Even if it’s from a couple of years ago, people might still be searching.
0:14:12 And this is how we found contractors for house projects around here.
0:14:17 Our local neighborhood Facebook community, I will often search for, you know, plumber
0:14:21 recommendations, you know, kitchen remodel recommendations.
0:14:25 And, you know, it might be three or four years old, but it’s like, hey, if my neighbor recommended
0:14:28 it, that’s probably a pretty, pretty good reference, right?
0:14:33 And so those threads can live on and have a really long shelf life.
0:14:37 And it’s a really powerful strategy to get in front of your target customers.
0:14:40 And again, shrink the internet to just the people that you want to do business with.
0:14:44 The ninth strategy that I want to present to shrink the internet is LinkedIn.
0:14:49 Another major, major social network, another major search engine that a lot of people aren’t
0:14:51 taking advantage of as a search engine.
0:14:58 But LinkedIn gives you the opportunity in your headline or your bio to target certain keywords
0:14:59 that you want people to find.
0:15:04 For example, I typed in weight loss and I found people saying, hey, I’m a weight loss coach.
0:15:06 I’m a weight loss coach for busy parents.
0:15:07 I’m a weight loss expert.
0:15:10 I’m a spiritual weight loss mentor.
0:15:15 All different ways that people are working in that target phrase into their profiles.
0:15:19 And I imagine if you’re creating content on that, I don’t know how the LinkedIn algorithm
0:15:23 works, but I imagine if you start to build up a reputation in that space, you can show up
0:15:25 as somebody who could help in that area.
0:15:26 If people are typing that in.
0:15:33 And we did a whole episode on LinkedIn marketing and setting up your profile page as really a sales
0:15:39 letter to your ideal target customer and how to create content that resonates and can reach
0:15:40 outside of your existing network.
0:15:43 And we did that whole episode earlier this year with Joe McKay.
0:15:46 So I’ll link that up in the show notes for this episode.
0:15:48 But don’t sleep on LinkedIn.
0:15:52 I think it’s a powerful search engine that a lot of people aren’t really paying a ton of
0:15:52 attention to.
0:15:57 And it’s a way to shrink that internet and connect again with your ideal customers.
0:16:01 And number 10 is one of my all time faves in that is Amazon.
0:16:04 And I’m talking about self publishing on Amazon.
0:16:10 Of course, a lot of time and effort that goes in to writing a book, especially if you’re starting
0:16:10 from scratch.
0:16:15 But it’s a huge business card, like it’s the best business card in the world and a huge
0:16:15 credibility builder.
0:16:17 Oh, he wrote the book on the topic, right?
0:16:18 He must know what he’s talking about.
0:16:23 It is also something that can have a really long shelf life where some of the titles that
0:16:26 I wrote years ago are still making sales are still driving awareness.
0:16:30 I have looked up just recently the data on this.
0:16:35 So over 2000 people have downloaded the perma free side hustle book this year, even though
0:16:37 it’s definitely due for a refresh.
0:16:39 But again, it’s another one of these search engines.
0:16:43 If somebody is searching side hustle on Amazon, I would love for them to come across my stuff
0:16:45 and enter into that ecosystem.
0:16:50 It could be a lead generation play, which you see really common in nonfiction books
0:16:53 where, you know, download as you’re going through, you’ll see download the free toolkit.
0:16:56 And, you know, it’s a low barrier to entry into your world.
0:17:01 If it’s a, you know, a three to $10 price point, or even if you’re going to use the perma free
0:17:05 type of strategy there, I looked up commercial real estate for beginners.
0:17:08 Maybe you help people get started with real estate investing.
0:17:13 There’s a book with over 900 reviews that in kind of flipping through like the beginning
0:17:19 preview, you know, look inside is very obviously a lead generator for this guy’s, for the author’s,
0:17:21 you know, paid membership program.
0:17:26 So ranking really well on Amazon and has turned into, okay, yeah, I’m making a little bit of
0:17:27 royalties selling the book.
0:17:27 Sure.
0:17:28 That’s great.
0:17:32 But the real money is going to be made as a lead generator for this paid, you know,
0:17:33 mentorship program that he runs.
0:17:37 So Amazon really long shelf life.
0:17:41 Of course, a little bit of effort to create that book upfront, but you might be able to take
0:17:45 some of the existing content that you’ve already created to create an outline.
0:17:49 You may be able to ask AI to help you create an outline based on some of your existing content.
0:17:53 You might be able to crowdsource some success stories from clients, a few different creative
0:17:54 ways to go about it.
0:17:58 But don’t sleep on Amazon as another way to shrink the internet and get in front of your
0:17:59 ideal target customers.
0:18:02 If you have any other favorite ways, I love geeking out on this stuff.
0:18:06 So if you have any other favorite ways to shrink the internet, to connect with customers in
0:18:08 creative ways, let me know.
0:18:13 Nick at SideHustleNation.com is my direct email, and maybe we can include your suggestions in
0:18:14 an upcoming episode.
0:18:17 Big thanks to our sponsor, Intuit, for helping make this content free for everyone.
0:18:22 Intuit is the maker of TurboTax and QuickBooks, and they’re inviting Side Hustle Show listeners
0:18:26 to join their world-class network of tax and bookkeeping experts.
0:18:30 To learn more or apply now, head on over to Intuit.com slash expert.
0:18:34 Again, that’s at Intuit.com slash expert.
0:18:35 That is it for me.
0:18:37 Thank you so much for tuning in.
0:18:40 Until next time, let’s go out there and make something happen, and I’ll catch you in the
0:18:42 next edition of the Side Hustle Show.
The Internet seems impossibly big and crowded — until you learn how to shrink it. In this episode, I’ll share my 10 favorite ways to it and connect with your ideal customers.
Full Show Notes: 10 Ways to Shrink the Internet and Connect with your Ideal Customers
Sponsor: Intuit — Join Intuit’s world-class network of Tax and Bookkeeping Experts!
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