Focusing on building and nurturing an audience is not just a marketing strategy…
…it’s a lifeline for your company during dry seasons and ensures that everyone keeps their sanity while working through scaling and the tough days of figuring it out to come.
By cultivating a loyal audience through consistent engagement, strategic storytelling, and container creation, you create a reliable source of income that transcends market fluctuations. During lean periods, your engaged audience becomes a dependable customer base, ensuring a steady stream of revenue that fortifies your business against economic uncertainties. This audience-centric approach transforms your company from being solely reliant on sporadic transactions to a resilient entity with a consistent revenue stream, safeguarding its financial health even in challenging times.
Furthermore, prioritizing audience-building significantly contributes to effective hiring and retention. Prospective employees are increasingly drawn to companies with a strong online presence and engaged communities. A well-crafted narrative and an established audience showcase the company’s stability, values, and vision, making it an attractive workplace. Beyond attracting top talent, a flourishing audience also plays a pivotal role in employee retention. When team members witness the company’s commitment to building a community and recognize their contribution to this shared mission, it fosters a sense of pride and loyalty, reducing turnover and creating a positive work culture that resonates with both current and potential employees.
Step 1: Leaning In with Your Story Your story is the foundation for connecting with your audience. Craft a compelling narrative that not only introduces who you are but also communicates your mission. Remember, people hear in soundbites, so the goal is to make them lean in and become leads. Share your story consistently across various channels to keep your audience engaged.
Step 2: Choosing the Right Distribution Channels To effectively tell your story, leverage various distribution channels. Here are my top five favorites:
- YouTube
- Podcasting and Medium.com
Select the channels that align with your target audience and business goals. Consistent storytelling across these platforms will increase your visibility and attract potential leads.
Step 3: Containers for Your Audience Once your story is out there, you need containers to keep your audience engaged. Consider these top four containers:
- Email List
- Phone Call List
- Physical Mailing List
- Facebook Group (e.g., Do The Damn Thing Nation)
Choose at least one container to start with, ensuring you have a space that belongs to your business. Social media platforms are beneficial, but remember, you don’t own them. Having your containers allows you control and prevents dependency on external platforms.
Step 4: Consistent Engagement for 30 Days Commit to telling your story once a day on your chosen distribution channel for 30 days. Simultaneously, focus on encouraging your audience to jump into one of your containers. The key is to convert their interest into action. Their “yes” is an invitation for you to share more.
Why 30 Days? The 30-day commitment to audience-building is a strategic move. It’s not just about short-term gains; it’s a pledge to lay the groundwork for lasting success. By leading the charge for a month, the CEO establishes the rhythm for ongoing audience engagement and sets the stage for a robust and loyal community.
Step 5: Building Your List By consistently telling your story and guiding your audience into your containers for 30 days, you’ll build a list of engaged individuals. This list becomes your audience to sell to and a valuable resource for generating leads.
Your new title for the next quarter is going to be Chief Audience Builder. Even though you might not be pushing the buttons yourself. You are 100% leading the charge.
Building an audience is a strategic process that involves focus, leveraging distribution channels, creating containers, and consistent engagement. By following these steps and focusing your efforts for 30 days, you’ll not only have an audience to sell to but also a foundation for long-term business success. Choose your containers wisely, tell your story passionately, and watch your audience grow.
