14 Building in Public: Audience - It Matters
GM. Welcome to Building in Public, where we fall flat on our face so you don’t have to.
So, what’s up today?
Today is all about the Audience. Why it’s important and how I’m building one (errr, I mean, trying to).
First, it’s confession time: I used to look at follower counts in vain. I kinda had this thought of “who gives a sh*t how many followers they have on social media??” and “How is this a job?”
This was me when Instagram first came out, when LinkedIn picked up steam, and when TikTok skyrocketed. Not really a first mover…
And frankly, I was an idiot for thinking that.
Those followers can be pure gold.
Why? Take this simple example.
Matt decides to launch a product. Matt has 400 followers on Instagram and 1,500 followers on LinkedIn. The announcement is “Meh”. Sure, some people see it. It gets shared around a little, but that’s about it. Maybe Matt gets 25 people to sign up for the ‘pre-launch’.
Then Chad launches a product. And Chad is a damn Chad. He has 12k followers on Instagram and 25k on LinkedIn. He’s built a mini-tribe of followers, most of which trust him. So, this Chad guy gets over a thousand people to sign up pre-launch.
Who is ahead here? It’s Chad.
The ability to have customers before even having a product is a cheat code.
This is something I’ve been noticing more lately. Audience, followers (good ones), and engagement on social media are crucial. Initial traction for any new product or service is difficult. It takes work, and a lot of it. But having a mini-tribe of fans in your niche before even launching is like starting 10k ahead in a marathon.
Basically…
Okay. How the hell do I build an audience?
I’ve asked myself that question many, many times. And yes, I’ve been posting on LinkedIn consistently for over a year. But I didn’t put a system in place until 3-4 weeks ago (again, I am an idiot). You know what’s happened since? This:
Follower count: 32% increase
Engagement: 76% increase
Direct Messages: 50+
New ventures: 1
I’m kicking myself for not doing this earlier. But hey, a lesson I learned so you don’t have to :)
Lesson: Put a damn system in place!
How I did it.
I believe that when we first start, we need to get loud. Quantity does matter in the early innings. So I needed some help to pump out content and keep me on schedule.
Enter Taplio.
Legit game changer. This has allowed me to go from 1 post per weekday (sometimes only 3-4 times per week) to 19 posts per week (3 per week day, 2 per weekend day).
What does this do? Three things.
- Increases engagement and profile views drastically.
- It ensures I stay consistent with my message. I can see exactly what I’m posting for the week ahead. It keeps me in line. I will often deviate with something I find interesting, but my followers do not… (guilty).
- Saves a massive amount of time.
Further, I just went HAM on LinkedIn for the first few weeks. I wanted to gain more traction there, get the hang of it, then branch out to the second platform.
For the second platform I chose Twitter. Exactly the same process as LinkedIn.
Enter Tweet Hunter.
Honestly the exact same as Tapilo (who ripped off who?? I dunno, but shit is the exact same) and it allows me to schedule all posts, and basically use my LinkedIn content and splice it up.
A couple things I’ve been reminded of:
- No one gives a hoot about your morning routine unless you're Tim Ferris. So don’t post about it. Stay in your niche.
- Find a group of people who are consistently engaging with your content and engage back.
- Leave thoughtful comments on top posts. Not the BS, “wow, so insightful!’. Nah, challenge them, ask a great question, provide additional insight on the topic if you can.
- Show some numbers! I’m open with how much I make for the most part. It’s engaging. People are curious. Do the same.
And remember, LinkedIn has a ton of Alpha. But it can also be cringe.
Don’t be cringe. Don’t be Jared.
Why am I doing this now?
Well, it’s never too late to start. And this stuff compounds quickly.
If you’re thinking of starting a biz, then think about building an audience in that domain first. Gain some authority and gain some trust. It will make that product launch 10x easier.
Yes, it takes a long time. But laying the groundwork early has shown time and time again to work. It's Antifragility on steroids.
PS have some fun with it!
Happy hump day!