How to Build Your Audience the Easy Way
A simple strategy you can use right now to skyrocket your influence
Do you want to be loved by a legion of raving fans?
Wouldn’t it be great to be greeted with thunderous applause every time you publish?
It can seem like the impossible dream, especially when you’re first getting started. But it doesn’t have to be. There is an easy way to grow your audience. And it’s not expensive, manipulative, or unethical.
You can do this right now if you’re ready.
First, let’s remove what may be standing between you and the audience you want. These are pretty common problems. I faced them when I was starting out. When we identify what may hold us back, we can take steps to overcome those barriers, can’t we?
You’re trying to go it alone.
This is especially tough for me as a man.
When I was growing up, the role models I was presented with were “self-made” men. Courageous. Daring. Bold.
Courage and boldness are good qualities in themselves. But the thought of being self-made is a lie. You can’t gain influence in the world without influencing people. You can’t build a business, an organization, or an empire without support. So if you’re a lousy influencer, or a dictator, or a loner, you’ll limit yourself forever.
You don’t know what to do.
Fair enough.
When I started my Facebook groups, I really didn’t know what to do. I had an idea, of course. I’d participated in several groups for several months before launching out and starting my own. But as you probably know, there’s a big difference between being a participant and a leader.
My motto lately has been this:
Learn enough to get started. Then commit to learn as you go. Grow by doing, making mistakes, and taking risks.
You don’t have a network.
That’s easy enough to fix.
In this post, I’ll show you a simple way to make friends, influence people, and build the audience of your dreams.
The key here is to find an interested band of friends. These are people who gather around a common theme to talk, share, and lift each other up. There may be a group in your local community you can join. If not, social media has groups you can join on your favorite platform.
Your Action Plan
Nothing happens until you do something. That’s why I’m giving you an action plan you can implement today, as soon as you finish reading this post. Thinking and reading are just a start. So let’s take the next crucial step, shall we?
Join a group.
If you’re on Facebook or LinkedIn, do a search for groups in your interest area. There should be something out there, especially if you’re a writer. Isn’t that why you’re here on Medium reading this?
Maybe you’re a coach or a teacher. Or a service professional. It doesn’t matter. If what you do appeals to enough people, I guarantee there is a group online where people are talking about it.
If you’d like to join my writing group, just go to the link below and answer 3 simple questions.
Join in the discussion.
This is the easiest way to get in the know, make friends, and learn what people are thinking.
Honestly, you need to know what people are talking about. Then you’ll be able to write to those needs with passion, experience, and insight nobody else has.
That’s really the key to standing out as a blogger. You can’t copy what others are doing and be unique. Consider your DNA, for example. With over 6 billion people on earth, your only chance of having an identical DNA match is for you to have an identical twin. And even then, you’d have your differences, wouldn’t you?
So get in there, gets your hands dirty, and open yourself to the reality of your niche.
Go deeper with a few people.
It’s a great idea to get to know a few people outside the threads. Here are a few ways you can have a one-on-one even if you’re thousands of miles apart.
- Talk on Facebook Messenger.
- Have a video or audio chat.
- Schedule time to talk about something specific on Zoom.
What you’ll find is when you share ideas, you sharpen each other. And when you develop trust, you’ll be able to help each other rise faster and better than you could going it alone.
That’s what friends are for, isn’t it?
Start blogging about what you learn.
If you learn something helpful, share it with others so they can grow, too.
If it’s appropriate, give your friend a nod so she can get the attention she deserves.
Showing others that the life they want is possible is the most rewarding feeling ever. You can do it through blog posts, videos, and even webinars. You can also go deeper in your products, your coaching, and your online courses.
Zig Ziglar summed this up better than anyone I know:
You can get everything in life you want if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.
That’s really the Golden Rule put to practical use. If you do this every day, your life will be amazing.
Start sharing your newfound wisdom now. Your audience is waiting.
Share other people’s work.
Someone said collaboration is the new competition.
Who can you collaborate with instead of compete against?
Tom Kuegler suggested we do collaboration posts right here on Medium. It’s not hard. You just create a Google doc, find someone to go back and forth with three times, and hit publish.
The beauty of this approach is you combine two fountains of wisdom to doubly refresh everyone who reads the post.
It’s a win for you, the other blogger, and the reader!
Start your own group.
I’ve written about this repeatedly because it’s so powerful it’s insane.
When you gather a group of people around a cause they all care about, amazing things start happening.
When you lead your own group, you’ll rise to a new level of respect. It’s one thing to write about things. It’s quite another to call people to do something about it — and give them a space to be accountable.
All you need to start a group is a platform and a compelling reason. That’s what will keep you moving after the initial euphoria of the idea has died and faded into the distant past. When you have a strong purpose to guide you, it feeds itself with enthusiasm.
Now It’s Your Turn
What have you done that has helped you build your audience? Tell us about it in the responses.
Have you started a group? Share the link if you’re looking for more members.
If you’re new to this idea, find a group today and get involved. Make a few friends you can go offline with and lift up. Share your ideas with each other and brainstorm great solutions. Give each other permission to go for it, mess up, and start over. The journey to the top is hard, and we all need a few trusted friends to help us see it through.
Take what you just learned and make it yours. Until we meet again, I hope you thrive!
