Audience Size Is Not Vanity

All too often I see women with wonderful offerings, doing deeply considered and genuinely impactful work, and yet they are not making the sales they had hoped for. It is rarely because the work itself is not good enough, and more often because there are simply not enough eyes on what they are doing.

There can be a tendency to focus heavily on refining the offer, perfecting the sales page, or creating something new, but none of these can compensate for a lack of visibility. You can design a stunning sales page or create a truly magical offer, but if not enough people see it, it will not translate into income. This is not about worth, it is about reach.

For this reason, audience size is not just a vanity metric. It is a practical business driver.

One of the most common patterns I observe is women deciding something has “failed” or that “people didn’t want it” before enough people have actually seen it. Until you are confident that your offer has had sufficient visibility, it is too early to draw that conclusion.

The more grounded approach is to spend as much time on building your audience, particularly your email list, as you do on creating new ideas. Without this, even excellent work will struggle to gain traction.

Here are a few simple and effective ways to build your audience:

1. Use Social Media to Grow Your Email List

Social media can be incredibly useful, but only if it is used with intention. Rather than simply posting and hoping for engagement, think about how you are bringing people into your world. A well-considered free resource, something genuinely helpful and aligned with your work, can encourage people to join your email list rather than remain a passive follower.

2. Prioritise In-Person Connection

In-person events such as festivals, conferences, workshops, and summits are particularly powerful because people get to experience you directly. When someone has met you, even briefly, there is often a deeper level of trust and interest, which naturally leads to a greater likelihood of them engaging with your work.

3. Ask Your Existing Audience for Referrals

There is often untapped potential within the audience you already have. A simple invitation for your current clients or customers to share your work with a friend can be very effective. If each person you have worked with invited just one other person into your world, your audience could grow very quickly.

4. Don’t Overlook Traditional Methods

Old-fashioned methods still have their place, particularly for local businesses. Printed postcards, posters in local cafes, or even a simple door drop can increase visibility. Including a QR code that links to your website or a free resource makes it easy for people to take the next step.

None of this is complex, but it does require consistency and a shift in focus. Instead of continually asking what you should create next, it is often more useful to ask how you can ensure more people see what you have already created.

When visibility increases, sales tend to follow.

Here’s to building your audience with the same care and attention that you bring to your work, and allowing that increased visibility to support the level of success your offerings deserve.