Member-only story
In Business, Be a Farmer, Not a Hunter
Success doesn’t have to be a numbers game
Over the past few years, I’ve seen the online marketing space become a cult of “more.” The celebrities of the industry — better known as the “gurus” — peddle a myopic hunting technique where the sole goal is an acquisition: Follow these five easy tips and score another fan, or subscriber, or follower, or comment, they promise. For only three payments of $99, you, too, can learn the secret formula for growing your email list, winning the SEO game, and achieving epic reach.
It all makes me want to reach for my bed and hide under the covers.
In my own work as a brand strategist and digital marketing consultant, I prefer to be a farmer instead of a hunter. I choose to put down the spear and instead, plant seeds and tend to them until the day I can admire the bloom. This isn’t to say that a hunter’s mentality isn’t right for some people, but it feels as if it’s evolved to be the only mechanism for growth. And I’ve seen otherwise: I have a thriving six-figure business that doesn’t lean on the hot and flashy. Instead, it has grown steadily because I’ve cultivated relationships, invested in content, and have amassed a small, but mighty following that actually looks forward to my notes in their inbox and my stories in their feed.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned about taking a farming approach.
You must till the soil
After working with nightmare clients during my time on the agency side, I’ve become highly selective about who I’ll partner with. I weed out anyone whose sole objective is a million dollars in three months or 500,000 Instagram fans in two weeks. Instead, I choose to work with clients who want to “earn” rather than “get,” those who know they must gain their customers’ trust through consistent, authentic work.
Before I begin working with a client, I set up a plan that takes into account possible complications or pain points. To guide us through our entire relationship — from proposal to final invoice — I have a workflow that relies on clear communication. I clearly reiterate our mutual boundaries and expectations so we know exactly how and when to reach one another and how to mitigate any problems along the way. My…
