You have determined that the world needs what you have to offer, but how the heck do you get it in front of them?!? You need an audience! But how?!?!
Growing your audience online seems like a simple task, but it can be harder than you may anticipate. Here is what we have learned as we have continued to (slowly) grow our platform.
Get your mindset right- What are you offering? Is your message clear? Do you believe in it? Make sure you are owning your product or services before you start trying to sell it to others.
Slow and steady always wins- Chances are you won’t go from 100-10,000 overnight, and that is ok! Growing your audience takes patience and resilience. You want to do it right and build a quality audience. No cutting corners!
Don’t rely on your friends/family- Ouch! But take this wake up call from us now so that it stings a little less when you come to realize this on your own. Yes, our friends and family support the heck out of us, but in the heavily saturated social media land, they are feeling just as overload as the rest of us. Sure, they might follow your pages but cut them some slack when it comes to engaging and participating in what you’re asking of your audience. Definitely keep asking for support, and let them know how much it means to you! Or maybe ask them what you can do better/differently to get them engaged.
Quality over quantity- Numbers don’t matter! Don’t build your audience with fake people! It might start to feel good to see those numbers rising, but if it is with people who are not actually interested in what you have to offer, you may as well stay at 0.
Put yourself out there- They won’t see you if you don’t get in front of them! Facebook pages, groups, insta, linkedin, pinterest, youtube, podcast, a website! Find where you think your audience is hanging out and then saturate the area! The more you show up, the more likely they are to listen.
Stay authentic- Ah, authenticity… the thing we all say we want to see online, but still aren’t getting! I’m the first to say I love a curated page, but being vulnerable and showing your audience who you are is a guaranteed way to connect. And yes, you can do both! Stay true to who you are and surround yourself with an audience who appreciates you as much as what you’re selling.
Make it easy- Don’t leave your audience guessing how to do the things you want from them. We talked about this last time with your website, and it should be the same across the board. If you want something from your audience, show them how, and make it simple.
Listen- Yes, this is your thang… but you’re not the one buying it! Give your audience a voice and LISTEN to what they are telling you. Can you make tweaks to help their pain points or provide them more value? Chances are when you start listening you will take things to the next level. Market research, polls, Q & A’s, these can all be key when it comes to growing your business for your audience.
Stay grateful- Your audience is CHOOSING you and that says a lot! They could be hanging out anywhere else online, but they are here supporting what you have to offer. Be thankful and don’t take them for granted. Give back with giveaways, provide free value, or showcase some of your audience members to show them you care. Put your own spin on it, but make sure they know you see them, too!
There is a whole world of people out there just waiting for the value you can bring to them. Remember why you started, and give yourself permission to be vulnerable... your audience will thank you! Now get out there and make a difference!