Synergy usually refers to people, groups and even companies working together to get bigger and better results. It’s a powerful leverageing tool because people with different experiences, backgrounds and skills come together to create something new. They share their knowledge and assets.
Do you know who else has a range of skills, knowledge and assets? You. As Scanners, we are in the unique position to use synergy on our own to grow our audience, widen our reach and simply share with as many people as possible. I bet you already promote others and their work. Well, it’s time to promote yourself. To get the best results, you might want to shift your mindset first.
The common denominator
For a long time, I assumed my interests were so different that they were incompatible. I teach people emotional intelligence skills, share tips for healthy eating, and record videos with wave sounds. When I first learned about business, one of the key concepts was niching down. Find your niche. Focus on them. Create for them. And only them.
There’s nothing wrong with this approach. We tend to write for someone anyway, whether we deliberately design a perfect client or unconsciously create things we wished we had or had known for our past self. By all means, go on creating for your niche.
And then also cross-share. Whenever it is appropriate, share your other work, because no matter how different your projects are, they all have a common denominator: You. Mybe you always use a playful tone in your writing and your art. Maybe you are always a teacher or an entertainer. You are the common thread people are interested in.
Allow yourself to share
At first, sharing your own work might feel a bit promoty or pushy. That’s just a story you tell. Allowing yourself to share when it is appropriate, opens a flood gate of creativity! When I went into Full Scanner Mode this year, I allowed myself to hop wildly between projects. Occasionally I’d share something I had created for a different project. Yes, it felt uncomfortable at first until my brain caught on.
One of our superpowers as Scanners is associative thinking. We often have such different interests but if we allow ourselves to see the connections, they will stand out. The creativity I unleashed just by sharing different projects is astounding. You are reading this post right now, which is a product of four months of sharing.
Suddenly, my brain sees how everything is connected. I think of products that might be interesting for several audiences, like teaching people about the role sugar plays in anxiety. For my latest project, The Dodo Designs, I am creating graphics with my photographs and affirmations I have been using myself. But this is just the beginning. In future, I can use my skills and my platform to create merchandise for already existing projects, too.
Making lives easier
If you are still hesitating, please remember that the reason why people follow you is you. No, really. It’s not the content you create. It’s your unique way of creating and sharing it. Nobody writes, paints, designs, knits, sows, stamps, and so much more than you do. Nobody. You are unique.
The people who find and enjoy your work want more of it. They might not be interested in every one of your projects. But how will they know if they have no idea what else you are up to? When you cross-share your content and your products, you simply offer: “Here’s something else you might like.” And then it is up to them if they want to check it out.
Have you ever found out that someone whose work you admire did other things too and wished you had known sooner? I have. Multiple times! Why didn’t they share? Because common business advice is to stick to your lane. This does not apply to us because Scanners already switch between lanes. So please share your work.
My favourite synergy tool: link lists
Yes, this is as basic as it gets and yet, it took me months to finally create well-structured lists with links to all my blog posts and websites. If you are just starting out, great! Make that list with links to your products, your content, your e-mail address, other contact information etc. as you go along. If you already have a lot of content, create the list and every time you share a link, also add it to your list.
I use simple word files, one for each project. You could have one file for everything if you prefer. Organisations tools like Notion (free and online) and Obsidian (free and offline) are other apps that help you curate lists of your creations. Remember your social media accounts and share there too, if you think it fits.
And then sit back and relax. Wait for the creative juices to go into overdrive. No matter how different your projects are, you will start to see ways to combine them. You’re a Scanner. Our brains are wired to see connections others miss. Now that you know, the common threads in your own work will stand out. And when they do, share, share, share.