We didn’t want to leave you guys hanging after our last episode, so here are 05 things that you SHOULD do to build an online presence!
- Why do you want to build an online presence? What are your long-term goals, internal and external, with this?
- Be very clear about who your audience is and what content you’re going to provide.
- Be yourself, but don’t make your content all about you.
- Seek out partnerships that are mutually beneficial. It should be a win-win for all people involved.
- Be consistent in a manageable way. “Slow and steady wins the race.”
Homework: Reflect on these 5 points, start incorporating these solutions and see what works! Which one stands out to you the most? Why? What small change can you make today to get better results?
TRANSCRIPT WITH HIGHLIGHTS
Hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Improve Your English, Improve Your Life. I am Jackie.
And my name is Foster. Hey, Jackie, how are you doing today?
Hey, Foster. I’m doing great. And I’m really excited to release this episode because I feel like we left people hanging. We left them hanging. That’s a good – that’s a good expression, “to leave someone hanging”. We left them there and we didn’t give them the solution to… to the problems – potential problems.
to leave someone hanging = literalmente “deixar alguém dependurado”, expressão idiomática que significa “deixar alguém no vácuo”, no sentido de “deixar a pessoa na expectativa”
– Michael, what happened at the wedding? Come on, don’t leave me hanging, I need to know!
Yeah, yeah, that is a… It’s such an interesting phrase. I don’t know how to explain that any better than… than you did. But, yeah, we left people in suspense without a solution, which now I kind of feel bad about.
Yeah, sorry, guys, but this episode we will deliver you the solution.
That will all be resolved today. So in our last episode, Jackie, you gave us five things not to do, essentially a “not to-do list” of things to keep in mind when you’re building an online presence. And today you’re giving us the good stuff. “Five things that you should do”.
Yes.
So, I’m really interested.
Well, Foster, I think these are things you… you are already doing, so… But you can check!
I hope so.
I think you’re already doing a good job.
We’ll see. Do you want to dive right in?
Yeah, let’s dive right in. Okay. Number one is: Know why you want to build an online presence. And this is probably the most important question you can ask yourself, “Why do I want to build an online presence? Do I want to sell a course? Do I want to promote my business? Do I want to help people with this specific information that I have? Do I want fame and followers and an ego boost?” I don’t know. Everybody has a different reason. But it’s important to know this and – and to be very, very clear as to why you want to build an online presence and also what your long term goals are with this, because it is a long term commitment. And I do notice, for example, there’s a few people that I follow that are creating apps and have courses and are taking on really, really big projects. And, and it’s cool to kind of follow their journey because some of them I started following from the very beginning and they didn’t have a big presence. But you could just tell, like, they feel it so strongly that their purpose, their mission is to create this course, to deliver this content, that they just keep doing it over and over again, and it’s inspiring. And I think they’re going to do really, really well because of it.
a boost = um “gás”, algo que dá um impulso extra
– I love coffee! It gives me a boost of energy in the morning.
long term = a longo prazo
– I’m looking for a long term relationship, not just a short term one.
goals = metas
– It’s important to have different kinds of goals, both long term and short term.
purpose = propósito
– What is the purpose of this object? What do we use it for?
Yeah. Okay. Wow. I think this is the big one. This is kind of the fundamental point. Jackie, can I ask you, what’s your “why”?
Well, when I first started on YouTube, my “why” was that I wanted to sell my online course. I had the school, but I had this dream of being able to teach more people and not just people that lived in Campinas or that region. And I knew the only way to do that would be virtually, so I, I had it so strong in my mind and I, like, felt it energetically, which might sound a little bit “woo-woo” to some people. But I do think this is really important. Before I even had my presence or before I even had the course, I felt like I already had it. And I don’t know if you can relate to this, but I know a lot of people have said, like the secret to… to success is not just visualizing some future thing, but it’s, like, feeling it as if it were already happening. And it was something so strong for me that there was no doubt in my mind that like, this is… this is what… I have to do this, like… no question about it.
no question about it = lit. “sem perguntas sobre isso”, expressão idiomática que significa algo como “sem sobra de dúvida”
– Yeah, that’s a small dog, no question about it.
Yeah.
And I think that’s what made it successful. What about you, Foster?
Very similar story. I think it is, at least in my case, it’s important to point out that I think your “why” or your purpose can change over time. But I think if you… I don’t know if you are familiar with Simon Sinek’s work?
Simon Sinek = autor Britânico-Americano e “expert de liderança” que ficou famoso após sua primeira palestra no TED Talks sobre o conceito de começar qualquer coisa com o “why” (o “porquê”)
– Simon Sinek’s TED Talk about the concept of “why” is one of the most popular TED Talks of all time!
A little bit. I think I’ve seen some interviews with him.
I think he has the most famous, most viewed TED Talk of all time that talks about like, “what’s your ‘why’?” Anyway, I’m not that familiar with his work, but the way I interpret it is, I can tell you why I started a podcast. But behind that, there is, like, a deeper motivation. And over the years, that kind of stays even when, like, the external manifestation of that “why” kind of changes over time. Does that make sense?
deeper = mais profundamente, mais profundo
– Let’s go deeper into this topic.
Absolutely. So what would you say was, like, your original “why”? Like, if I were to talk to you six years ago, like, “Foster, why do you want to create a podcast?”
Yeah. It was also something that I, like, felt in my bones. I was a really heavy podcast listener. I’ve always loved podcasts, I love audio, and I was in Brazil at the time, super into learning about Brazilian culture and Brazilian Portuguese. And I had recently met my partner Alexia, so I wanted to kind of capture that experience in a way that would be helpful for other people. And it was very obvious to me at the time that a podcast was the best way to do that. Yeah.
bones = ossos
– An adult human skeleton consists of 206 bones.
Awesome. And you really did, because you have, like, an audio diary basically of your whole experience and that whole journey. But, and, and I think those… there are right and wrong reasons, I guess, to do anything. But I think, when you feel it, when it’s something that has an emotional pull and it really gets you excited. The little difficulties don’t… don’t bother you. You don’t get taken down so easily. If the only reason you’re doing something is to make money, for example, any little obstacle, any little problem will probably take you down more easily. But when you’re so excited about it and you feel like, “Yes, this is exactly what I want to be doing!”, and you’re in it for the journey. You’re enjoying the process.
I guess = algo como “imagino, suponho”
– The sky has a lot of dark clouds. I guess we should go home now before it rains.
an emotional pull = um “puxar” emocional, algo que atrai de maneira emocional
– Family often has an emotional pull to take care of other family members.
to get taken down = dependendo do contexto, pode significar algo como “ser destruído” ou “ser derrotado”, ou ainda “ser desmontado”
– The posters got taken down after the party was over
Exactly.
Those obstacles are, like, no big deal.
a big deal = expressão idiomática que significa “algo/alguém de muita importância”
– That guy is a big deal in our department, you should meet him.
no big deal / not a big deal = “não é tão importante”, geralmente usado quando queremos dizer que algo não é um problema
– Down’t worry about the broken vase, it wasn’t expensive, so it’s no big deal.
Yeah, I think it’s kind of difficult to articulate because it is really something that you feel, like, it’s in an embodied sense. But you know you’re on the right track if your motivations are internal, like, you really want to share this because you have something to say. But if you are seeking, kind of, external validation, that normally will be fame, money or, like, power of some sort. Then it probably will not feel that good and probably right – a red flag that you should reconsider what you’re… what you’re thinking about.
a red flag = lit. “uma bandeira vermelha”, expressão que significa “algo que serve de aviso que algo/alguém não é boa coisa”
– If you’re at a job interview and the person says that they expect you to do many different functions is an enormous red flag!
Exactly. And that’s so funny. I just remembered a story; when we started, my husband and I, when we started our school in Brazil, we were invited to participate in a group. It was, like, young entrepreneurs. It was basically people under the age of 35 or something like that, and they paired us up with a mentor and we would have meetings. And I remember the first meeting we went to, he… because we did, like, Happy Hours and I would meet with students at the park and we would go for a walk and talk in English – like, just fun events outside of the classroom. And I remember him asking me, “So these events that you’re doing, how many new students do you get from each event?” And I was, like, “Zero”. “How much more… how much more money are you making from these events?” I was like, “I’m actually spending money. I pay for the teachers and… and things like that”. And he’s, like, “You got to stop doing these events”. And I remember driving home with my husband, I’m like, “That guy’s crazy. I’m not just doing this for the money. Like, this stuff is fun. Like, we’re doing this for the experience, for the process, and I don’t care if I’m not making any more sales or bringing in any new students like… this is the fun part of it. And if there’s no fun, what’s the point?”
Yeah. No, that’s, that is such a great anecdote to illustrate the… I mean, any job is going to have parts of it that are not fun. So if you are really trying to make a livelihood from your online presence, you’re still going to have to do a lot of things that you don’t find super interesting. Yeah, I think it’s a really… That’s a great insight, especially in the beginning. You’re going to have to do things that would not make, like, financial or business sense. Like, you have to do things that would not scale. And you don’t mind doing that because it’s fun. You want to do it.
livelihood = meio de subsistência
– The pandemic has put many people’s livelihoods at risk.
You’re internally motivated, like you mentioned; not just externally motivated. And to be honest – they have the statistics that 90% of new businesses fail in the first four years. Well, in my non-professional opinion, I tend to believe that a lot of it is because people are externally motivated entirely and not internally. And that’s why they can’t they can’t handle the problems and the difficulties. When you’re in it because you’re enjoying the journey, you can just deal with things so much more easily. But you need both; obviously, the business needs to be lucrative as well.
Yeah, but I think what… what you’re saying can apply to almost any situation. That if you just kind of peel back the question of “what is your ‘why’?” Just a little bit, like, “what’s motivating you?” So let’s say, for example, you don’t really care about having an online presence, but you are job searching. You’re looking for a better job. So then you can think, “Okay, why do I want to have a new job? Like, what am I not satisfied about at my current job? What would be my ideal scenario?” And then just, like, filling out your LinkedIn profile or whatever probably will be a little bit more enjoyable when you know why you’re doing it.
to peel = literalmente “descascar”, ou “tirar a pele de algo”;
– My skin always peels when I spend all day in the sun.
to peel back = usado de maneira idiomática para falar “remover o que encobre algo”
– Let’s peel back the reasons why this solution isn’t working.
Exactly. And… and also having that idea, like, “This is what I want”, and embodying that, like, “I’m going to be that person right now, even if I don’t have that job title yet”, like, “If I were that person, how would I act? How would I dress? How would I be? How would I think? How would I feel?” And just really embody that and represent yourself in that way, on social media, in person, everything. And then things just happen. They just begin to happen in kind of unexplainable ways.
Yeah. Six years later, I am wearing, I think, the exact same clothes that I had when I started.
Me, too. If you were to look at my closet, you’d be like, “Wait, where are your clothes?” Like, I wear the same three shirts and a pair of jeans. That’s it.
Same. Okay. Point number one is… Can you give us a little recap? Because that’s a big one.
recap = maneira informal de dizer “recapitular”
– Okay, our last class was two weeks ago. Let’s recap our previous class.
Yeah. It’s just basically “know exactly why you want to build an online presence”. And I like what you added to that, Foster, is “be internally motivated, not just externally motivated”. You can be externally motivated as well. There’s no problem with that. But you need to have some type of internal motivation and, like, feel the… Everything, feel the success, feel the happiness, the satisfaction, feel it.
Yeah. And that’s like a step you cannot skip. Okay. Well, we could talk about that one all day, but… Let’s get to point number two. Jackie, what do you have for us?
The number two is: “Be very clear about what content you’re going to provide and who your audience is”. So we talked about the “don’ts”, which is basically… a common mistake is for people to post about exercise, English tips, makeup tutorials. “Here I am doing yoga, whatever”. And someone doesn’t know, like, “Well, what do you do? What… What am I here to…to learn?” And like I mentioned before, people follow you for one reason, typically. It’s okay to show them that you’re not only an English teacher, you do other things in your life, but you need to give 95, let’s say, percent of your… your focus, your attention on that one reason. Like English, for example, or makeup. And it’s hard to find out who your audience is. Did you guys struggle with that at all, Foster? At the beginning or even now?
Still today. Yeah. I mean, we have a lot of people listening to our podcast and 99% of them I have never met and don’t really have any clue who they are. This is a difficult one for me, even nowadays, because I totally agree that you should decide what you want to focus on and stick with it. If you are teaching yoga, you don’t need to post about… I don’t know, like, cute dog videos. But I’m thinking about some people that I follow online, and the reason I follow them is because of them.
clue = pista, dica
– The detective is following the clues to find out who killed that person.
to not have a clue / to have no clue = expressão idiomática que significa “não fazer ideia de algo”
– “Do you know why Jake wants to meet with us?” “I have no clue.”
to stick with something/someone = lit. “grudar com algo/alguém”, expressão idiomática que significa “continuar com algo de maneira constante, sem mudar de ideia”
– Don’t worry, I’ll stick with you during the party, so you won’t be alone.
Right.
If that makes sense.
Yes. 100%.
I don’t know how that fits in. So, for example, I’ll try to give you a concrete example to make this a little more clear: Perhaps my favorite writer online nowadays is a guy named Craig Mod, and he lives in Japan and he goes on really long walks and he writes about them, but he also runs a membership and is really into photography and he publishes book – like, does book design and covers and stuff. So I got into him because of the walking part, because I’m also interested in long walks. But I continue to follow him just because, like, his attention to detail and the way he presents himself. I find it so, um, delightful.
book cover = capa de livro
– I think this book cover is so creative! I love the design!
Yeah.
So, I don’t know how… does that fit into your model or…
Yeah. I mean, he’s… He’s a perfect example of just being himself, which is actually the third point. You know, he is showing who he is. And you identify with that. You can relate to that. You’re inspired by that. But there’s probably a few specific things. I mean, you, for example, might choose to follow him because he is a mentor in some ways or a source of inspiration for – for you, for example, to walk more or to pay more attention to detail. Or there’s… there’s all little things that we kind of see in other people that we’re, like, “Oh, wow, that’s really beautiful”, or “That’s amazing! That makes me feel like inspired. So I want to see more”, which is great. And in some people’s entire, like, accounts or careers or professions it’s strictly that – like, to serve as a source of inspiration, that is, like, what they do – and they do it authentically. They’re not just, like, posting quotes all the time. They’re showing you how it could be done in simple, everyday things, like through taking a walk or just noticing nature, getting off your phone and taking a picture of something strictly to appreciate its beauty, not to post and – and get attention from others. So there’s probably a few if you take it apart. I would say that you follow him for inspiration.
to take something apart = desmontar algo, fisicamente ou metaforicamente
– When he was a kid, my brother liked taking his toys apart to see how they worked.
You nailed it. That’s perfect. I’m thinking about it; it does not matter what content he is posting or whatever he’s talking about. I am always inspired. And it, like, makes me reflect about… I reflect on my own work and why I care about it and just, like, handling things delicately, with care. So it’s inspiring. That is the through line. Thank you, Jackie. Boom, lights on!
through line = expressão que significa “um tema, característica, ou enredo que conecta toda a história em um filme, série, livro, etc.”
– Even though the three seasons of the series are different, there is still a clear through line.
But I, I, I do the same thing. There’s a lot of people who… I’m not so interested necessarily in the exact content or I’m not following them to learn a specific skill, but, who they are inspires me. And that’s the reason why I just want to learn from them and, and have them as an example, as someone to be. But when we’re starting out, maybe that is what a person wants to do. “I’m a life coach” or “I’m a meditation coach, and I want to teach people how you can do this at any time, any place”. And that’s okay. That’s actually show…. they’re very clear as to what they’re… what they’re doing. And if you were to talk to this guy, he, he probably is pretty clear about what he’s posting about. You may not… I mean, the audience can be broad. But I think when people try to please everybody and anybody, they lose focus and it… it gets confusing. So you can… you can mix it up a little bit. But I think the best way to figure out who your audience is, is through trial and error. And there’s a lot of that; you can try something new and see how people respond to it, how they react to it. Also, we as people change. So sometimes who we were a couple of years ago isn’t who we are now. And some people may not relate to who you are now compared to who you were a few years ago. And that’s okay too; you know, let them… Let them go. But you can survey your audience. You can do a Google doc with a bunch of questions asking them about their difficulties, their struggles, their goals, their plans. And that way you’ll also know how to help them better. But it’s just trial and error, over and over and over again.
broad = aqui, significa “amplo” ou “geral”
– This Youtuber always talks about a broad range of topics. They’re very interesting.
to mix it up = literalmente “dar uma misturada”, expressa aqui “dar uma variada”
– I go to the beach almost every weekend, but sometimes I like to mix it up and go to the shopping mall instead.
to survey = olhar de maneira geral, considerar de maneira geral ou compreensiva
– He surveyed the farm he wanted to buy. It looked very good, perfect for what he wanted to do.
I think that’s so important because, when you find it, you will know it. Like, we went through many different iterations of our podcast. Originally it was very scripted. Like, I wanted it to be, like, extremely high production value, like “This American Life”, but for English learners, and every day. So one day in English, the next day the exact same script in Portuguese. And that didn’t feel good to me; it was an extraordinary amount of work and no one listened to it. And we continued just, like, throwing stuff against the wall. And at the end of the day, it turned out people just wanted natural conversations with me and Alexia.
iteration = iteração, versão
– This product has had many iterations; its beta version was very different from what it is today.
scripted = “ensaiado”, algo que segue à risca um script
– This conversation didn’t feel natural, it felt very scripted. We should rewrite the dialogue for the characters.
This American Life = podcast jornalístico que fala sobre vários assuntos pertinentes ao dia-a-dia nos EUA em formato de histórias
– Did you listen to this week’s This American Life episode?
Absolutely! Honestly, that’s what I would want. I don’t… I don’t want something so scripted. I like to hear people being authentically themselves, speaking naturally without following a script. It’s more relatable.
That’s what they are getting right here on this podcast, and I think that’s a good segue into your next point. So point number three, what you got for us Jackie?
segue (soa como: “ség-uêi”) = fazer uma transição; expressão que vem da música e expressa “ir à próxima parte sem pausar”
– She was talking about her family, and then easily was able to segue into talking about her job.
And it actually is tied into what we just talked about; it’s basically “Be you”, and I gave the example in the last episode is, when I first started working with…he was actually a photographer, but he wanted me to be somebody that I’m not. He was encouraging me to, like, wear a suit and to speak in a way that kind of put people down. To me, it’s just old school marketing tactics that personally don’t work very well nowadays, thank goodness. And it’s just not my style. But luckily, we ended that, that partnership very, very quickly. I was, like, “This is not gonna work.”
old school = lit. “escola velha”, expressão que significa algo como “da velha guarda”
– My parents really like old school music.
Yeah. You’re not wearing a suit today.
I hate suits! What are you talking about? So uncomfortable, “This is the worst!” But basically, “Be you”. And by being yourself… But I even wrote here, I said “Be you, but don’t make your content about you”. So it’s… there’s that… that fine line between being yourself and filling your ego. You don’t want to go online just to be, like, “Look at me! How amazing am I? Like me, give me attention” type of thing, because that again falls into the “don’t” category of just being desperate and attention-seeking. Be yourself in a very natural way that if I saw you at the grocery store, it’s the same person. But, again, focusing on your content, not yourself. And if your content, again, is inspiration, like, “Ways that I find inspiration”; okay, it’s not like “You need to be inspired by me”, it’s “Here, I am going for a walk and I am inspired by nature. I’m inspired by the details, I’m inspired by the clouds and the moon”, or whatever it is that you’re inspired. You’re sharing your own inspirations in an authentic way that make other people inspired as well. It’s not in an ego-based way. If that makes any sense?
It makes a lot of sense. I do, unfortunately, think that there is kind of an entire industry just for people selling themselves and their personality. And it’s not unfortunate… I mean, if someone wants to do that, go for it. More power to them. But I think the vast majority of people do not want to be famous just for fame’s sake. They actually want to do good things in the world and help people, inspire people, connect with people.
Right.
So, Jackie, I’d like to ask, because I’ve heard this a lot from friends and people that reach out to me, is “How can you be authentic?” Like, “How can you be you?” When I get… no one really knows about you, so it feels like you have to do stuff that isn’t you so people will at least, like… your work is visible to them. Does that make sense?
Yeah, it does. I mean, one thing for me that helped when I first started recording videos, because I literally was just looking at myself in the camera, which is pretty weird. And when we’re with other people, there is that exchange of energy between us. You see a smile, you see the person falling asleep or whatever. You get these signals and… and I feel, like, more energized for sure when I’m with other people in person than just myself and the camera. But I, I would visualize… and at the time I visualized a specific student that I had at the school, and I would imagine – and she was one of my favorite students, I felt really comfortable with her. She actually had the level that I was aiming for, like as my ideal student – not like “ideal student”, but my, my typical student, which was a, an intermediate level. And I would imagine that I was talking to her when I recorded the videos and it just made me connect, I think a lot better with the camera and I am very much so myself with her. So it was very natural and easy. So I think that is something that people can do with video; it’s just, imagine, like, your best friend or imagine a person that you feel really comfortable and that you feel like brings out the best in you and imagine that you’re talking to them or that you’re teaching them. And that, I think, will be a very natural way to show people who you are. And with you, Foster – you and Alexia, you guys obviously are very comfortable with each other. You know each other very well. So it’s natural for you guys to have a conversation and be yourselves. Like, you don’t need to put on a suit and be somebody that you’re not with her. So your conversations are very real, which people appreciate.
very much so = algo como “muito mesmo”, dá mais destaque ainda do que “very” e “very much”
– “Do you like dogs?” “Yes! Very much so!”
Yeah, but I do consider this when we are recording podcasts, so… let’s imagine if the podcast was live in an auditorium and tens of thousands of people are going to listen to this episode – that would change everything. Like, I would put on a performance and it would be probably a disaster. But I like to think if I was in that situation, I would still try to find, like, one person in the audience and imagine I’m talking to this person because they need just, like, a good, light-hearted conversation right now.
light-hearted = lit. “de coração leve”, adjetivo para descrever que algo é bem “light”, sem pressão ou peso
– I love spending time with my family on Christmas and playing light-hearted games.
Yes. Yes. I remember hearing… I don’t remember who it was, but I gave a few presentations when I was in Brazil at a couple of universities, and it was scary to get up and give a speech in front of everybody. And I remember – in Portuguese, I did actually one in English, but I did a few times in Portuguese, which is great because I started out doing it in Portuguese. And then, once they said, you know, I came back to another one, they’re like, “Oh, you can do this in English”, because I was working with English teachers. I was like, “Easy, I’ve already done it. I’ve done this so many times in Portuguese. This will be so much easier in my native language”. But I remember thinking, like, “I’m here for them”, not for me. It’s not for me to be applauded, or “Everyone, look at me up on stage”, get my picture taken. It’s like, “I’m here for you guys. Any message that I have, any information that I have that could be helpful… Like, that’s the purpose. It’s not for my own ego inflation. It’s to really be here”. And I remember looking at just a few smiling faces and just connecting with people that are kind of looking up and smiling and smile back. It just relieves the anxiety, but it is hard. Yeah, public…public speaking for me is very difficult.
Oh yeah.
To this day.
Yeah, we can do an episode about that maybe in, like, season seven. Because I avoid it at all costs.
Yeah. But I think just remembering, like, “I’m here for them, they’re not here for me”. Like, “I am here for them”. Like, “What can I do to help?” And then it just takes the pressure off for being, like, “I don’t need to entertain or be perfect. It’s just… I’m here to help”.
Yeah. At the end of the day, I think, just on a fundamental human level, we want to help each other. Yes, but most businesses, that’s the same thing. Like, you’re serving your customers. We talk about service because you quite literally are serving somewhat. You are helping them achieve something.
somewhat = de certa forma
– This TV is somewhat expensive. We should save more money before we try to buy it.
Right.
So, just thinking about, like, “Oh, yeah, how can I help this person?”
Right.
Yeah.
And then, and then you just feel like… to me, it’s like a stress relief.
Yeah.
Takes the pressure off me and I focus on them; like, “What do you need? How can I help you?” I’m not… It’s not, you know, all the… the noise, like, “Oh, my goodness, what if I fall? What if I make a mistake? What if they hate me?” It’s just gone. It’s just this,” What do you need? How can I help?”
the noise = o barulho, o ruído; aqui, usado como expressão para se referir a qualquer coisa que atrapalha a comunicação
– If there’s too much noise, the message doesn’t get conveyed.
And to some of your other points about, like, finding your audience and knowing what to focus on. Yeah, that’s also a good heuristic to know. Like, if you think, “How can I help this person?” If someone asks for something that you are not equipped to help them with, then that’s a good sign of like, “I can’t do that, so maybe I should focus on the stuff that I can actually help people with”.
heuristic = uma regra ou conjunto de regras de bom senso que aumentam a possibilidade de resolver um problema
– Knowing some good heuristics is really helpful in life.
Mm hmm. Exactly. Exactly. Awesome. All right, you ready for…
Great point, Jackie. We could go on that one all day, but let’s get to point number four, if I’m not mistaken.
if I’m not mistaken = se eu não estiver enganado
– If I’m not mistaken, that woman over there is Liara, Mayara’s sister! Let’s go say hi!
Point number four. Okay, so in the previous episode, we had talked about how people can be a little bit aggressive or desperate. We mentioned buying likes, buying followers, or commenting, sending messages, begging people to “Share my video, help me grow my audience, collab with me”. And this is the solution here; if any of you guys find yourselves doing this, there’s a couple of ways to go about it. Like, you can offer to pay people to advertise for you, which is fair in some situations. You know, like, if I’m going to ask someone with millions and millions of followers to promote me, I would definitely offer to pay them. Like, there’s no way I would ask them to do that without offering to pay. But I haven’t done that, by the way – have not done that yet. Maybe in the future, who knows? Look, for people with similar numbers, it should be mutually beneficial. So for example, when I was starting out, I did do collabs. I still do collabs with people. And it’s not always people that have the same numbers. I mean, I’ve done with people who have way, way less and, and more if I feel like there’s some content or some benefit to my followers. But ideally it should be something that’s a win-win for both people. And I think we have to keep that in mind. Like, it’s not just, “I want to grow, so I’m going to take advantage of all these other people” or ride on their coattails, so to speak.
to advertise = fazer propaganda
– The company was advertising their new product on the internet.
fair = justo, no sentido de “ter justiça”
– Why do I have to take the trash out? My sister never needs to do that! It’s not fair!
to promote = promover
– I am going to hire someone to promote our event. I hope it’s not expensive.
win-win = lit. “vence-vence”, significa “uma situação onde todas as partes saem ganhando”
– I want some ice cream, and you want coffee, so let’s go to that café where they sell both. It’s win-win for us!
keep something in mind = manter algo em mente
– Always keep in mind that different countries will have different cultures, so it’s good to do a little research before travelling!
to take advantage of someone = tirar vantagem de alguém, explorer alguém
– I don’t think you should date this girl, I think she’s just taking advantage of you.
ride on their coattails = lit. “montar na cauda do terno deles”, usado de maneira idiomática para expressar “aproveitar o sucesso dos outros para facilitar a aquisição do seu”
– You shouldn’t ride on her coattails; you can be successful on your own!
Yeah.
And, again, another thing is, if someone… if you invite someone to be on your channel or to participate in a podcast or whatever it is, “come to an event”. Be gracious about it and don’t… don’t make them feel like the only reason they’re there is to advertise for you. I have been in several situations in which I left feeling completely used because I was invited to an event, I was invited to participate in a podcast – not yours, Foster, by the way. You guys were amazing! I don’t even think I knew when you guys released the episode! You guys just invited me, it was a wonderful conversation, and then that was it. But there have been other times where people invite me to be interviewed for something, and then they send me a million posts and pictures and links and harass me, like, literally harass me. “Post this on your Instagram, post this on your Telegram, put this on your YouTube, share this”. I’m like, “What the heck? Like, you… you invited me to participate. I went, I gave you my time. I didn’t accept any money or anything for it. And now… now you want me to… Is that why I was invited, to advertise?” “Yes, it was”.
to harass = irritar ou atormentar de maneira insistente
– Can you please stop harassing me? I don’t want to be your girlfriend!
What the heck? = expressão que significa algo como “Como assim??”
– “Look at this! The price of these cookies went up 50%!” “What the heck? That’s ridiculous!”
So, obviously don’t, like, manipulate or use people.
Yes.
Do you have a good example of, like, what’s the solution? Like, what are good examples of… how can people approach a win-win?
Yeah. So, for example, one thing that… that I did when I first started out, I did reach out to people who had similar audiences. For example, there’s a teacher named Teacher Ali. She actually had more followers than I did at the time. She was… she had started before me. But I really, really loved the way she taught and I admired her pronunciation. I mean, I still do. She’s got, like, amazing pronunciation and she never lived abroad. She’s, like, a perfect example of a Brazilian who learned to speak English perfectly. She’s got amazing pronunciation in Brazil, and I invited her to participate in my channel – or on my channel, I should say. And I wanted to interview her and figure out, like, “What did she do? What… what was her experience?” Like, “How did she get to that level?” Because I think it’s very helpful to other people. And I never expected her to have me on her channel. I made it very clear, you know, “I just I admire what you’re doing. I think it’s amazing. I really want to be able to share this with my followers. Would you be interested?” And she was interested and we became friends. And then she wanted me to be on her channel. And it was… it was helpful. But I made it very clear that “I’m not trying to just take advantage of your followers. I don’t want to appear on your channel. I just really want your knowledge and your experience”. And I think… Foster, when you guys asked me to be on your podcast, it was the same thing. There was no… there was absolutely no pressure at all. You guys didn’t even say anything about…. “Okay, so here’s the episode, post it, share it. Don’t forget!” You know, there wasn’t that aggressiveness that happens so many times. And, and what’s frustrating is I have a hard time saying “no”, I’ve learned this the hard way. And when someone invites us, we want to go. “Sure, I’ll give it a chance”. But then you go, and then they want more and more and more and more.
I have a hard time = lit. “eu tenho um tempo duro”, expressa algo como “eu tenho dificuldade”
– Do you have a hard time speaking in public?
I’ve learned this the hard way = lit. “eu aprendi isto da maneira dura”, expressa “aprendi isto pelo caminho difícil” ou “aprendi isto a duras penas”
– Some people just can’t learn from other people’s mistakes; some people just need to learn the hard way, from their own mistakes.
Yeah. In general, I think you can just do like a quick gut check. Like, you know, just go with your intuition and think, “Hmm. Do I actually have good feelings about this person?”. Most of the time I think that works.
a gut check = usado de maneira idiomática para falar “dar uma checada na sua intuição”
– When you go out with a new possible boyfriend or girlfriend, always do a gut check. If something feels wrong, it probably is!
Yeah.
But I also think it’s a really important point that you mentioned, of searching for people with similar numbers. I think that can also apply to a lot of different contexts. So, just, kind of, people enjoy talking and connecting with people that are in similar situations. So when we started out, I remember, like, reaching out to, just, other English teachers or other people that just started a podcast and it’s more of, like, “Hey, we’re in this together. I don’t really know what I’m doing… Maybe I can help you. Do you want to talk about things?”
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes. And in that way it’s mutually beneficial. And I think that’s the question you have to ask yourself, like, “Is this invitation beneficial to them as well?” I mean, even if you don’t have a lot of followers or… but you want someone because they have information or experience that you think would be helpful, of course, that’s beneficial to them, too, because they’re going to be able to share that experience and share their knowledge with your audience, and that is an opportunity for them. But yeah, we have to just be careful with the way we approach people and the way we treat them afterwards, too, so that they don’t feel completely used and abused.
Yeah, just… Just be cool, people.
Yeah, exactly. Be nice.
Okay. So the last and final point of things that you actually should do when building or growing an audience online. Drumroll, Jackie!
This one is actually quite simple, but it’s just, “Be consistent, and also give yourself breaks to avoid burnout”. And again, just remember; focus on the work, not the likes, not the views, not the comments – although that stuff can be very challenging. But try to, you know, if you say you’re going to post a video every week, really try to stick to that, you know, make that promise to yourself and do it. But don’t overextend yourself. You know, if… if it’s too much for you to do it every week, if you feel burnt out, slow it down. And I do believe that quality is more important than quantity in a lot of situations. But consistency is key, and some people we see they, like, explode with content and the whole month, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then they get tired and then they’re burnt out and they disappear for four months. It’s like the… the tortoise and the hare, that fable. You can like sprint, stop, sprint, stop. Or you can just go slow and steady and slow and steady wins the race.
burnout = “esgotamento”; usado para expressar quando a pessoa já fez tanto de uma coisa específica, que ela já não aguenta mais, seja física, mental, ou emocionalmente
– Be careful not to work too much, or you could suffer a burnout!
tortoise = jabuti (a tartaruga terrestre)
– My friend has a pet tortoise, it’s very big and really cool!
hare = lebre
– When Paul was out hunting last month, he caught a big hare.
fable = fábula. Aqui, a Jackie está fazendo uma referência à famosa fábula da corrida entre o jabuti e a lebre; apesar da lebre ser a mais rápida, ela parou para dormir, sem querer deixando o jabuti, que ia devagar e sempre, passá-la e então vencer a corrida
– I love reading fables, they’re so interesting!
sprint = correr de maneira bem rápida, mas por um curto período de tempo
– Life is a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time and pace yourself.
steady = aqui, expressa “de maneira contínua” ou “de maneira estável”, sem grandes interrupções
– My student is making steady progress with her English, I’m very proud of her!
slow and steady wins the race = expressão idiomática equivalente a dizer “devagar e sempre vence a corrida”
– Don’t worry about trying to do everything in one day. Remember that “slow and steady wins the race”!
Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I feel like I’m kind of a case study for the positives and negatives of consistency because we just finished a thousand episodes of a daily podcast. And on that podcast, we talk a lot about burnout because we definitely stretched ourselves too thin and overcommitted to things that honestly were not very healthy for us. So, Jackie, do you have final words or homework for our audience about the things they should do when growing an online presence?
we stretched ourselves too thin = lit. “nos esticamos finos demais” (pense num pano que é esticado a ponto que fica fino demais e não protege nada), no sentido de “tentamos fazer coisa demais e não demos conta”, ou “ter pouca gente pra fazer muita coisa”
– Our employees are stretched too thin! We need to hire more people!
to overcommit = se comprometer além do que se consegue cumprir
– When she was younger, Sheila was always overcommitting and getting burned out. Now she knows when to say “no”.
Yeah, I think in the previous episode, the homework assignment was to… to flag all the things they were doing wrong. Sorry, guys! But now you guys have some concrete examples and ideas as to what you can do right! You know, you have solutions to these problems. So if you want to start an online business or grow your online presence, reflect on these five points and maybe just write down some ideas, some things that you can start today to do. And if you don’t know who your audience is, you can survey them or try out some new things. See how people respond. If you don’t know why you want to be in the online world, really go deep asking yourself that question. Be realistic about how consistent you can post and produce content with your schedule and with your life. And… and just remember to just be yourself. No one can be you except for you. So just don’t forget that. And if someone’s trying to convince you to be someone that you’re not, tell them to go take a hike.
to flag = “marcar”, tipo, “colocar uma bandeira ou algo que chame a atenção para alguma coisa”
– While Eileen was running an antivirus program on the computer, it flagged several sites as dangerous.
go take a hike = lit. “vá dar uma andada no mato”, expressão equivalente a dizer, por exemplo, “vá pentear macaco”
– That guy told me he didn’t like my clothes, so I told him to go take a hike. I don’t care for his opinion, I don’t even know him!
That was such a polite way of saying what I thought you were going to say.
We’ll keep this… We’ll keep this rated G.
rated G = “com a classificação Livre”, é usado para classificar filmes, podcasts, etc. como apropriado para todos os públicos
– Children’s movies are normally rated G, so anybody can watch them.
Haters gonna hate everyone else. Go take a hike.
Exactly. Thank you, Foster!
This was very enlightening for me. I imagine our audience will also hopefully get a lot of value out of it. And I guess we’ll talk in the next episode.
All right. Sounds good. Thanks, Foster. Bye, guys!
Bye.
