[vc_row type=”full_width_background” bg_position=”left top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”40″ bottom_padding=”20″][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]*Special guest post by John Manser
Building and keeping an on-line audience can be a tricky business.
It’s easy for the incredibly gifted/famous, but for the majority of us, audiences can be hard to come by because everyone is already blaring messages with the volume at 11. You really have to find a way to stand out. Initially, building up an audience can take patience, something our fast food society of today has a hard time embracing. And once built, one misstep and you can lose your following in an instant. Just look at the famous and their ill-conceived / badly timed messages (e.g. Kanye, Paula Deen), to understand the damage potential.
Get in it for the long haul and leverage these 8 tips:
Focus on the what and the why of the audience you’re trying to build.
Back in 2012, when I initially started a Facebook group for CrossFit Affiliate Owners, I knew exactly why I was doing it: I didn’t want to make any mistakes I didn’t have to. I hoped we could help each other since there really wasn’t a playbook handed out during my L1 beyond coaching/moving well.
Be authentic.
A little hackneyed, but it still holds true. If you are not passionate about leading the audience you’re creating, you are leading the wrong group. You are going to need to tap into this reservoir. In the end, your authenticity will help you decide the direction of your group as it grows and morphs.
Choose the proper platform.
Once you sincerely know the why and what, you need to choose the right social media platform to get your message out there to the right audience. Do your research. Facebook is a great platform for many different audiences, however, Twitter and Instagram allow you to reach and gain the power of influence of those with larger audiences. However, the demographics for all media platforms can vary wildly.
Enlist well connected help.
If you find yourself having to generate an audience, then it may mean that you are not well connected to begin with. I wasn’t. However, I sought out others that were, explained to them on what I was trying to create, and allowed them to share in the experience and spread the word.
Be clear and consistent.
You need to come to the conclusion right now that not everyone in the audience you’re building has your background, experiences, or perception. Therefore, you cannot expect them to agree with everything you publish or with each other. It follows that the rules of engagement you set for your group remain clear and consistent when it comes to disagreement. You must also be able to step back and remain as objective as possible. Your passion can get in the way of this. If this is a problem, create some type of counsel for advice. “Yes-men” should not be considered and need not apply. Some social media devices allow for clarity of your standards, others, like Twitter, are going to be a free-for-all.
Come with plenty of energy (or at least a Venti.)
It takes intent to build and keep an audience’s attention. You need to keep bringing new ideas or re-imagining old ones. You need to keep reading and learning yourself, making connections to truly be inventive. Sometimes, all it will take, however, is an insightful question to get the audience thinking/contributing.
Do not post when you’re not balanced.
Some of those in the Facebook forum I created will remember some epic rants of mine when I was sleep-deprived, overworked, and more than a little aggravated by the antics of my audience treating each other disrespectfully. Luckily, my heart was in the right place and I may have actually gained more respect within the audience rather than losing it. But, with the size of my audience today, I’m much less apt to shoot from the hip. Your posts need some type of plan. Have them build. Create some tease, mystique, or expectation. Remember to pay them off though at the end with value.
Think Abundantly.
My favorite subject. Succinctly, the scarcity model thinks of things as a finite pie. If I give away part of my slice to you, my slice becomes smaller, yours bigger. You win, I lose. The abundance mentality suggests that when I give part of my pie to you, the whole pie grows. Or as the sailors say, “All ships rise with the tide.” The best way to build an audience, I’ve found, is to help first without asking for anything in return. In today’s world, all but the simplest of audiences will see through self-promotion for self-promotion’s sake. If you’re not bringing value to them, you’re wasting your time. Remember to allow others to bring value as well without feeling jealous. Your audience will appreciate you for it.
Guest Post by John Manser
John Manser is founder of Affilination.org, an online resource for abundance-minded box owners, thought leaders, and product/service providers who believe in helping first to create success for us all.
He also leads the Facebook Group: Crossfit Affiliate Owner’s Group, currently nearing 8,000 members worldwide.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]