9 Ways to Reach Your Audience Other Than Social Media

Social media is a big part of marketing. It’s the go-to strategy for a lot of people to build their business and reach their audience, creatives included.

But today, we want to remind you that it’s not your only option. Whether you’re frustrated with social media, not getting what you want out of it, or it’s just not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other ways to connect with people and bring in leads. 

Whatever it is you want to do, we’re going to show you 9 ways to reach your audience, bring in more people and grow your community of people who love your work - no ‘Gram needed!

1. Going to Local Events

Anywhere that there’s a community of people hanging out that you want to connect with, head out there to show your work or even just meet people. 

There are all kinds of events that might fit the bill, but here are a few examples: 

• Markets
• Exhibitions
• Talks
• Panels
• Networking

Networking can feel pretty daunting at first, but the more you do it, the better it’ll feel and the better you’ll get at it - we promise! 

2. Speaking

Either in real life or online, speaking is a great way to reach your ideal audience. This could be panels, talks or getting a spot on a guest podcast. Whatever it is, it’ll put you in front of creative people who will love what you do. 

3. Guest Writing

Look for opportunities to write or be written about. Any kind of written feature such as articles or interviews is an amazing strategy for getting in front of the right people. 

For example, I’ve done guest writing for blogs like noissue, SuperHi and Hnry, which puts me in front of their audiences filled with creatives. 

4. Joining Communities

There are endless communities out there, both online and local. There’s an online community for just about anything you can think of, as well as in-person groups you can meet in your local area. However you choose to do it, getting involved in a community is an incredible way to make your work known to more people and to meet your audience where they love to hang out. 

5. Using SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can drive a lot of traffic to your website. By creating regular content using keywords and other SEO guidelines, you’ll climb higher up the rankings so that when someone Google searches what you do, you’re nice and high up on the list of results. From there, they’ll click through, find your work, maybe download a freebie and end up on your email list… and before you know it, you might have yourself a brand new customer or client. 

6. Using Pinterest

Pinterest is actually a search engine, not social media, and can also drive traffic to your website. You can publish your content on Pinterest using keywords to be really visible on people’s searches. Once they’ve discovered you, they’re that much more likely to come along on the rest of the customer journey. 

7. Getting in Magazines & Newspapers

Not everything has to be digital. We can also kick it old-school with magazines and newspapers. 

Before you think, “What the heck? Nobody does that anymore” - we’re here to tell you that print is not dead! There are heaps of creatives who love them, appear in them, and dream of being featured in them (our dream is to be in Frankie magazine).  

You can reach out to magazines or newspapers to let them know what you do and ask for your work to be featured, to do an interview or to run an ad. University magazines in particular are great for this and are a great way to be found. It’s a super smart way of marketing. 

8. Printing Flyers, Posters & Business Cards

Don’t forget about these tried and true methods of reaching people where they are. Whether it’s flyers for a market, business cards to hand out, or posters to put up at the local café where you know the perfect people for your audience all hang out - make sure you get that magical printed material of yours right into their hands. 

9. Sponsorships & Collaborations

Sponsorships and collaborations can be social media adjacent, but are a useful way to get in front of bigger, different audiences. This could be with brands that you love or other people whose audiences would love your work too. 

How To Decide What To Do

With all of those options in hand, it’s time to decide what to do. Not all of them are going to be a great fit for everyone, and we wouldn’t recommend you try to do everything anyway! 

Think about your ideal audience

• Where do they spend their time? 
• What media do they consume? 
• What videos do they watch? 
• What products and services do they buy? 
• Where do they hang out? 

These answers will help you work out the best way to reach them, then it’s time to get your booty in action and get out there to connect with them! 

Think about what YOU want to create

Do you love to speak? If so, then speaking is going to be your ticket to winning. 

Is Pinterest your favourite place to be? Then using Pinterest is a-go for you. 

Are you all about collaborating? Then get onto those sponsorships and collaborations. 

Do you love nerding out on tech stuff? Learn how to make SEO work for you. 

Find out what’s going to connect with your audience, but make sure that it’s what YOU want to do and that it feels really darn good to you. 

‍

Now it’s time to get at it. Go speak, write, get some ads, print some posters, grow your business, kick some ass and get more of your creative business in your life. You’ve got this. 

And if you’re looking for an online community to join, that’s exactly what The Studio is for. Come and hang out, ask questions and share what you're working on - we are flippin’ here for it!