Running an online business as a female entrepreneur with autism brings specific challenges which aren't apparent to an NT (neurotypical) world.
We tend to see concepts quite clearly and like a rat smelling out a piece of cheese at the end of a maze, we know exactly where we need to be... trouble is, we're also able to ingest a plethora of information, analyse it all and confuse the fuck out of ourselves.
We cut the fluff and we don't enjoy drama. Who's got time for the fluff and drama?
But... what we can struggle with in a way which is completely out of proportion is:
- self-confidence in marketing OURSELVES
- which way is the "best" way when several options all bring good results
- consistency
Marketing Yourself in a NT World
I want to dig a little deeper into those items by starting with the self-confidence of marketing ourselves.
Because we tend to have a huge ego surrounding our ABILITY and achievements - often underestimating how difficult some things are for people who are not us (!) - but when it comes down to actually showing up as "ourselves" we question our motives, whether what we're doing is "right" and whether we're pulling it off or not.
When you're autistic in a NT-world, you spend your entire life trying to mimic the behaviour of others - are you making eye-contact right? Saying the right things at the right time? Making the "appropriate" facial gestures - and heaven help you if you've got a face like mine, generously described as "expressive"... 😂
We expect to be rewarded for our talents - but online business means that we become the brand. We have to market MORE than just our results - we need ourselves to become desirable - in a way which makes our clients want to work with US and not someone who provides the same results as us - but does it in a mint-green blouse!
Eek. And ugh!
But... marketing yourself is something which can be learned to a degree by creating a process which works for YOU yourself - and not what "everyone else is doing" - and by consistently BEING that version of you. Even the weird, quirky shit. ESPECIALLY the weird, quirky shit!
For me, I like to be in control of the content I create and this means writing blogs (which I can leverage with organic growth), newsletters (I love writing!) and I need to get back to creating content for my YouTube channel. I'm "OK" with YT as a social media channel because there's an element of scripting, editing and even scheduling involved rather than just going live and shouting out into the ether and saying:
... which tbf is pretty much my default when I get flustered and lose my thread! 🥃
Which Strategy is the RIGHT Strategy?
Oh calamity & indecision!
OK, so we know where we want to be. We know where we need to be. We've done our due diligence and researched 4 different ways to get to our destination.
Trouble is, weighing up the pros and cons of all 4 of those routes - we're not quite sure WHICH one to go for.
I mean they're ALL possible - and have potential - if the strategy is applied well... but, what if we plumb for Option A and really Option C would've been quicker, but Option B would've suited us personally more but Option D would've brought in the most cash?
Sooner or later we need to make a decision, stick with it - and apply consistency!
How to be Consistent in Marketing Your Online Business
The only way we can ever really find out whether a particular strategy is going to work for us or not - is to actually start, get the fuck on with it - and keep doing it.
But... that can be hard when you're not getting immediate results - or even any results. But we just don't know if that big breakthrough is a mere 48 hours away when we throw in the towel and ooooooh Shiny Object Syndrome! 😂
If you're sticking at the strategy you've chosen after doing your due diligence, then you need to keep sticking at it simply. However, if you feel it's REALLY not working out for you or there are some parts of it you absolutely despise - then PIVOT that element of the strategy.
Pivot does NOT mean throwing in the towel and starting from scratch with something new no matter how tempting that is or how fun that new app looks! (guilty!)
A pivot should be a small tweak, a 15 degree change.
Although you're following or designing a strategy - everything you do must be viewed through your OWN lens. i.e., does it make sense to you and does it make sense for you?
Because I know blogging brings me rewards in terms of audience + list growth + clients but also because I actually ENJOY it (!) I'm able to be more consistent with my marketing.
When you see the fruits of your labour in combination with a marketing strategy that actually DOES align with your values then it is far, far easier to be consistent.
The easiest and fastest way NOT to be consistent is to choose to do something which is just a "hell yuck" for you personally rather than a "hell yeh"!
I've signed up to a "30 days of live video" challenge before and made myself near vomit for 3 days before throwing in the towel with a lousy excuse. But it never was going to work for me personally - because it's NOT aligned with my personality.
Consistency is doing regularly the things you ENJOY doing, the things you do WELL and the things which are going to continue to bring you RESULTS.
You can consistently do shit by hiding behind your desk and hoping the phone rings or the client emails you... but realistically, you need to get out here are market yourself. Consistently.
Being autistic (or any other flavour of neurodiverse) means you may well need to delve a little deeper to find a marketing strategy which works for you personally - and isn't just the latest bandwagon.
But once you DO find the thing you actually enjoy doing, then you will be able to be consistent and will leverage and scale that strategy with the increased confidence the success of consistency has brought to you.
