Issue 23 | Lessons from Land to Data
The Chrysler Building and Digital Tenancy
Imagine waking up tomorrow as the proud owner of the iconic Chrysler Building in New York City. Sounds impressive, right? But here's the catch - the land it stands on isn't yours. It's leased from the Cooper Union, a private college. When the lease ends, everything, including the building, goes back to them. Just as the Chrysler Building stands on leased land, many businesses operate on digital platforms they don't own, a phenomenon known as 'Digital Sharecropping'.
Understanding Digital Sharecropping
'Digital Sharecropping' is a term coined by Nicholas Carr and refers to creating content and building an audience on platforms you don't own, like social media sites. You do all the work, but the platform gets all the benefits and profits. It resembles the sharecropping system that’s been common the world over, where the landowner lets a tenant cultivate the land in exchange for a share of the crop.
In the US, the term "sharecropping" has some heavy history attached to it, with its ties to the exploitation of Black farmers back after the Civil War. Because of this historical context, I prefer to use the term "Digital Tenancy" instead.
The Risks and Rewards of Digital Tenancy
Digital Tenancy, like its agricultural counterpart, involves building your business on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Medium, or even Etsy. These platforms offer ready-made audiences and easy-to-use interfaces, making them attractive for solopreneurs looking to establish a digital presence. However, as Carr points out, while these platforms provide the tools of production, they withhold ownership of the resulting products. Striking a balance between leveraging these platforms for their benefits and mitigating the risks requires strategic planning and constant vigilance.
Lessons from the Pandemic: The Need for Diversification
The pandemic showed us the dangers of relying too much on one thing. Businesses that sold goods only through physical stores for sales faced huge disruptions during shutdowns, while those with an established online presence were able to pivot and continue serving their customers. Just as businesses needed to shift to different sales channels during the pandemic, they also need to diversify their digital presence.
Embracing Digital Permaculture
What if we could make our online presence more resilient, like a well-planted garden that can weather a storm? That's where "Digital Permaculture" comes in. Here's how it works:
Diversification: Just as a garden needs different types of plants to thrive, your online presence needs variety. This could mean using different content formats, exploring channels beyond social media, partnering with others for collaborations, encouraging user-generated content, or building a community around your brand.
Sustainability: Choose platforms that will be around for the long haul and respect your data. Better yet, have your own website and email list.
Regeneration: Keep your content fresh and up-to-date. The online world changes fast, and you need to keep up.
Local Resilience: Build a strong local following. They're more likely to stick around even when the big global platforms change their rules.
Safety Net: Have a backup plan. This could be a second platform where you have a basic presence along with an email list that you control. If something goes wrong with your main platform, you're not left in the cold.
By applying these principles of Digital Permaculture, businesses can build a more resilient and sustainable digital presence, reducing their dependence on any single platform.
Conclusion
Online business is a jungle, and digital tenancy has its risks. Consider how you can apply the principles of Digital Permaculture to your own digital strategy. How can you build a more resilient and sustainable digital presence?
It's all about being smart, being prepared, and being resilient.
Transform tech overwhelm into confidence in my new course
I'm alternating between energized and frustrated as I build the slides for Day 2 of my upcoming Launch Your Coaching Business: A Tech & Operations Bootcamp. That day, we'll be diving deep into "Setting Up Your Digital Presence", covering everything from choosing your business name to building your "home base" to selecting the right marketing channel. Let me must say that distilling years of learning and experience into one hour and covering just the right amount is HARD.
Whether you're setting up a new full-time business or side hustle, this bootcamp is designed with you in mind. And if it's not you, then who do you know who's dreaming of launching their own coaching or consulting firm? Spread the word or invite a friend to join us. We start on Monday, so don't wait!
I can't wait to share my learnings (it's my first course!) and the incredible progress of the participants in this newsletter. Stay tuned!
Hail the WordHippo
When you're searching for just the right word, there's the usual trusty thesaurus, whether in paper or transposed onto the Internet...and then there's my good friend WordHippo. I have no idea how words connect with hippos, but this site gives me juicy word connections I haven't found in others with loftier titles.
Back to the Future Past
Feeling a little creaky? Technology moving too fast? Feast your eyes on the days of (computer) yore in this timeline from the Computer History Museum, which is located not too far from my home.
Find your birth year and I bet you'll learn something new. Or old. Whichever.