There was a time when travelling the world meant suspending all of our business activities for lengths of time that could prove problematic or even crippling. In the digital age, however, that’s all changing.
Thanks to infrastructural improvements all over the world, the quality and availability of internet access has never been better, meaning that entrepreneurs can become location independent, taking their businesses with them wherever they go.
With certain caveats, it’s an exciting life that offers unparalleled freedom.
Many who refer to themselves as ‘digital nomads’ simply travel and scrape together an income doing odd jobs, sometimes documenting their adventures on social media. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this kind of lifestyle, being a true digital nomad is a business like any other, and needs to be treated as such.
Rise of the digital nomad
The term ‘digital nomad’ didn’t even exist 10 years ago but it’s an exponentially growing trend, with a growing community of bloggers, podcasters, web developers, marketeers, and other entrepreneurs from a wealth of creative and technological disciplines living the dream by making a good living while exploring the world.
If this lifestyle appeals to you then the key to your success or failure will lie in your developing your ability to find a voice in a growing chorus of similar voices.
Know your brand
The moment you make the decision to start a blog, podcast, website or app that will enable your transition into the digital nomad lifestyle it’s important to establish your brand. A logo and / or slogan are great starting points in deciding how you differentiate yourself from the other brands that you’ll be competing with.
It’s easy to assume that these are luxuries that can only be afforded by big businesses with marketing budgets but it’s easy to get inexpensive logos commissioned that will work wonders for establishing your brand.
Decide upon your defining characteristics and how they will be incorporated into your brand’s voice. Do you want to be informative, comedic, engaging, irreverent, sincere or all of the above?
If you make and/or market a product, what qualities do you want people to associate with that product?
The more decisive you are about the kind of tone you want to strike, the closer you’ll be to having a distinctive voice.
Know your market
Knowing what you want to say will depend on and be influenced by who you want to listen. Your voice should be as unique as your business so only you know who you want to direct your product or content at. Are young graduates your target audience or thirty-something aspirationals? Will your brand benefit middle-income parents or unattached freelancers best?
The answers to this will determine not only the tone you need to strike, but which digital channels you need to pursue to reach them. Will a pay-per-click facebook campaign target the audience you’re after or would you be better served by generating some email leads?
Whatever medium you choose, make sure that when you’ve found your voice, don’t waste it by letting it fall on deaf ears.