Creative tips and tricks

Develop an audience with no burnout Three strategies to build an audience without burning out coach Becky Mollenkamp |

Dec 13, 2022

Get a mindset coach's advice and creator Becky Mollenkamp's tried-and-true strategies for growing an audience without burning out.

Becky Mollenkamp is an expert in mindset coaching that helps individuals make the change from  being a small business owner to CEO, and build viable businesses that don't burn out. With her Gutsy Boss brand, she has helped thousands of clients to let go of the "shoulds to be successful' mindset and set the terms they prefer.

Over the course of nearly twenty years, Becky has gained business experience, as an entrepreneur- including owning a content marketing agency that earned six figures before launching her coaching business in 2015 -- Becky discovered what is effective for her when it comes to building an customer base.

Three principles are driving today's Becky's marketing:

There's no need to be following the latest social media trends

Choose long-term strategies over instant satisfaction

Maintain your peace of mind at work and make sure your business lasts

There's a feeling that a fresh marketing trend is popping up every day. The pressure to stay on top of it is a quick way into feeling overwhelmed and disengaged from the things you need to focus on. Becky took her conscious choice to concentrate more on the strategies and channels that work for her.

Right now, that means the removal of social media platforms that can cause more stress than they bring success.

"I am at the end of my rope in social media," she explains. "I've left Facebook that's great. It's the same with Instagram will be a bit less crowded. long periods of time there."

Becky's principle of getting rid of the "shoulds is also applicable to social media. This is especially in the case of having too much to do at once.

"It just starts to seem like a lot. The next step is to make a TikTok first, then I'll have to design an additional reel... a photo along with video. I also have to have some really creative ideas to use for Twitter. Also, I must be able to post something on Medium. This is too much." Becky describes.

"I think we are reaching the point of exhaustion in our society and people are beginning to think, "I need to make a change in some thing.'"

Instead of creating something entirely new by scratch for every platform, find innovative ways to make use of your previous work. For example, you can turn the YouTube video into shorter clips for TikTok as well as Instagram Reels. The video transcript could be the basis of a newsletter or blog article.

What does it look like what happens when you are able toown your target audience? They communicate using a method or channel that you manage, such as your email list, your online community, or even your site.

Here's the way Becky explains the importance of email in establishing your audience.

2. Make sure you choose long-term approaches over instant gratification

In the nearly two decades she has spent as an entrepreneur, Becky has a good idea of what strategies for marketing are most effective for her. In the present, she is going back to the tried and true methods even though they may take longer to reap the benefits.

In the process of building your company it's tempting to seek out marketing tactics that pay off fast. It's easy to feel discouraged in the event that you do not see immediate success, but strategies that require time and energy upfront usually will result in stronger, lasting connections with your customers.

The type of work Becky is doing demands honesty and vulnerability from her clients. Therefore, clients must feel comfortable when they work with her prior to coaching. Regular communication via her emails helps build that trust.

"Before the individuals work one-on one with me, they generally are on my email list for 6 months or a year," she explains. "I'm sending them emails every week as well as allowing the clients to become acquainted with me. There is a small portion of them who invest in something smaller but, over some time, clients who will become my clients one-on-one will ultimately invest in coaching."

The Gutsy Boss Podcast is a different key element of Becky's strategy for long-term success. "That's been a long time to reap the rewards," says Becky. "I've been running my podcast for the past four years, and I'm only beginning to see every month , I'm experiencing an increase in the number of people who listen to my podcast."

SEO is the process of making your site, content, and products more accessible to users via the search engines. The content that has been optimized is more prominent on search results when you type in appropriate terms and keywords. The more you optimize your content, easier your targeted audience to discover it through the search engine.

Becky was the founder of a content marketing agency prior to her transition into a coach in the field of SEO. SEO has stood through the rigors of careers.

"SEO is a tried and true strategy that works," she says. "SEO is a long game, however it's one that pays dividends. Instead of making one thing that has an average shelf life of 2 minutes, SEO has an item that can go through the years."

Since she has optimized the content on her website and blog with her specific audience in mind, potential clients can discover Becky's content via search. Once they do her blog, the content she has to offer and her unique insight will keep them engaged, reading to her blog, subscribing and eventually turning into clients.

"I was the only one who could answer that question because there wasn't someone who was able to answer the question this manner. If that was the only solution they came up with, then it was the answer that was resonant and that means I responded with the manner they required to hear which is why they're likely to want to work together with me."

Then, Becky finds herself networking (what she describes as is an "old traditional method of marketing") and using the network to get in touch with potential customers.

"Getting out and speaking to my current network, and using old-fashioned in-person networking to make new connections... being able to be a part of others' audiences has proven highly beneficial, whether it's summits or just partnering with others," she says.

What do these techniques for building audience common? They aid Becky keep a healthy balance between work and life, something that has become more important as ever for artists over the past few years.

3. Maintain your peace of mind at work and grow a business that lasts

"It was like all of a sudden, every business was an online enterprise during the epidemic. And I think that resulted in this massive burnout" Becky recalls. "I'm feeling it from many folks: We're just exhausted from managing an online business."

Becky focuses on finding ways to grow her audience and business without sacrificing the life she has built and hopes to lead. "I have a family and I'd like to live an existence. I don't want my life to be creating videos all day long."

"How do I make the optimal choices to enable me to live my dream and still expand my reach?"

Growing productivity and efficiency could be great things however, they shouldn't can be detrimental to your mental health.

"I need to contemplate how I use my time in the most efficient way and efficiently, not just because I'm trying to accomplish more, but because I actually would like to live a full existence."

Don't be a slave to the "shoulds in order to create the business that's right for you

Becky helps her clients develop businesses and not burn out, and it's clear it's a result of years spent discovering that equilibrium for herself.

The business she runs has grown far since her first course launched in the year 2018. But the heart and soul of her coaching -- helping others let go of those 'shoulds that's'shoulds' -- has remained constant in the products, content and approach to growing.