5 strategies to build an audience that sticks

Let’s fast-forward a few years into the future.

Are you hunting for a pile of likes, or are you receiving a constant stream of authentic responses that push your growth forward?

Here’s a harsh reality: building an audience that feels more like a community than a passive following isn’t easy.

Many creators are chasing overnight success, daydreaming about reaching 10,000 followers in the next month.

There are a lucky few who get there, but for most of us it requires patience and a refusal to give up.

Where do you start?

This is the big question. This all sounds great, but there are a million directions you can go.

Let’s take a look at 5 things you can do right now to ensure you’re building a lasting, authentic audience:

1. Define what matters most

You might see some creators talk about finding your niche – the one thing that you want to be known for specifically.

You absolutely should, but to get there you need to define what matters most to you.

Start by answering these 3 questions:

• What problem can you solve?
• Why do you want to solve that problem?
• What unique perspective do you have?

Take some time on this and really elaborate on your answers. You’ll learn a lot about your goals and, as a result, you’ll communicate them better to your audience.

2. Share your best

If you want to build an active community around what you share, give them a reason to talk about it.

This can feel really intimidating for a variety of reasons. Maybe you’re worried you’ll run out of things to say, that you’ll spend a lot of time and effort with no return, or that you’ll somehow create your own competition.

I like this strategy Nathan Barry shared for getting started:

3. Prioritize conversations

Tell me if this sounds familiar…

You post and you post on social, but you feel like you’re being ignored.

Every chance you get you’re sharing something and waiting for a response.

I’m sorry to be the person to tell you but… you’re doing it wrong.

Instead of sharing and waiting for a signal, be the person who responds.

Show up, be helpful, ask for nothing in return. If you can master the art of talking to people and treating them like real people, you’re well on your way to massive growth.

Believe it or not, this simple strategy is overlooked all the time.

4. Show up consistently

I’m not telling you to hustle and crank out daily content until you burn out.

Instead, do what works best for you but be consistent about it. Make commitments and stick with them, no matter what.

Here’s how you can start building consistency:

1. Set a goal to share something at least once a week.
2. Tell your audience about this new goal.
3. Stick to that goal or you’ll let them down.

5. Be yourself

Your unique perspective is the reason people will join your audience. No AI chat bot or template can replace that.

Don’t waste your time copying creators you look up to. They found success for a number of reasons but it wasn’t because they followed someone else’s path.

Writing how you would speak is a skill, though, and it will take some practice.

Like I said in the beginning, building a truly authentic audience who will stick with you takes time. It's a long game with a lot of ups and downs, but it will be worth every moment.