You Have An Audience
There's a group of people out there who are interested in what you have to say.
It's no secret that like-minded people come together and hang out with each other. And these clumps of people, even if they are distributed across multiple cities or even countries, are determined to find each other and connect.
Somewhere out there, there is a group of people who want to hear what you say. There's a clump waiting for your message. It might not be a huge clump. Maybe it's just 10 people in just as many states, but they're anxious to hear from you. And they're so anxious that they might even pay for the privilege.
I write a lot of posts on here that say something to the effect of "the Internet makes everything easy for the rest of us." It takes a lot of forms, but what I basically mean is that the Internet allows anyone to do 3 things:
1. Find out if an audience exists.
2. Determine whether or not this audience can be reached.
3. Figure out how to connect with them.
Nike didn't just start selling running shoes 30 years ago. There was a latent group of running enthusiasts that Nike spoke to, and that brought people out, and brought people together. Even if there never was an annual convention where they all congregated, everyone who bought the shoes became a part of something. Call it self-expression via consumption, if you'd like.
This phenomena works when you're able to reach the audience in a cost-effective way. Granted, most of us don't have Nike's budget and can't spend billions on advertising to the masses. My solution: don't start by saying something that's meant to be heard by the masses. Pick a niche and speak to them. And (thanks to the Internet) you don't need millions in order to say it.
What makes a rock band or musical act work is when the audience for the music comes together. Marilyn Manson didn't invent white goth kids in grade school. He just figured they were out there and started performing, giving them a place to hang out in their city where they might not be judged for their odd attire. (And, yes, he sold a few million albums...but that's the cart after the horse.)
The fact that what you're saying has been said before is a poor excuse. Very little is said, and very few things are produced, that are completely novel and new. Things get recycled, usually inadvertently, as a natural part of the creative process.
Maybe your audience won't like what you say as much as how you say it.
There's something that you want to offer. I can't say what it is, because I might not know you, but you have something to tell people, sell people, or to make people feel. There's something you can make people experience.
If you're not out there, put yourself out there. Make yourself discoverable. Let the audience find you if you can't find them. But I know that they're out there, ready to listen to you, if you reach for them.
It's no secret that like-minded people come together and hang out with each other. And these clumps of people, even if they are distributed across multiple cities or even countries, are determined to find each other and connect.
Somewhere out there, there is a group of people who want to hear what you say. There's a clump waiting for your message. It might not be a huge clump. Maybe it's just 10 people in just as many states, but they're anxious to hear from you. And they're so anxious that they might even pay for the privilege.
I write a lot of posts on here that say something to the effect of "the Internet makes everything easy for the rest of us." It takes a lot of forms, but what I basically mean is that the Internet allows anyone to do 3 things:
1. Find out if an audience exists.
2. Determine whether or not this audience can be reached.
3. Figure out how to connect with them.
Nike didn't just start selling running shoes 30 years ago. There was a latent group of running enthusiasts that Nike spoke to, and that brought people out, and brought people together. Even if there never was an annual convention where they all congregated, everyone who bought the shoes became a part of something. Call it self-expression via consumption, if you'd like.
This phenomena works when you're able to reach the audience in a cost-effective way. Granted, most of us don't have Nike's budget and can't spend billions on advertising to the masses. My solution: don't start by saying something that's meant to be heard by the masses. Pick a niche and speak to them. And (thanks to the Internet) you don't need millions in order to say it.
What makes a rock band or musical act work is when the audience for the music comes together. Marilyn Manson didn't invent white goth kids in grade school. He just figured they were out there and started performing, giving them a place to hang out in their city where they might not be judged for their odd attire. (And, yes, he sold a few million albums...but that's the cart after the horse.)
The fact that what you're saying has been said before is a poor excuse. Very little is said, and very few things are produced, that are completely novel and new. Things get recycled, usually inadvertently, as a natural part of the creative process.
Maybe your audience won't like what you say as much as how you say it.
There's something that you want to offer. I can't say what it is, because I might not know you, but you have something to tell people, sell people, or to make people feel. There's something you can make people experience.
If you're not out there, put yourself out there. Make yourself discoverable. Let the audience find you if you can't find them. But I know that they're out there, ready to listen to you, if you reach for them.