Whether you're a consultant for an already-established brand or a small business owner looking to bring your coveted skills to others, you know that you must first have a listening audience before anything else can take place. How do you make your message not just known but well-received?
Here are 5 ways to attract an audience:
1. Determine Your Target Audience
Contrary to popular belief, the goal is not to gain as many followers as possible. Why? Followers do not automatically translate into loyal clients. You need the RIGHT followers. 100 loyal customers are better than 1,000 flaky Facebook "friends." So, before spending a bunch of time and money boosting posts and collecting followers, ask yourself who you are trying to attract: How old are they? What are their professions? What are their hobbies? What do they hope to achieve by using your product or service? Don't spend your time "collecting" a disinterested audience.
2. Know to Your Audience
For instance, if you sell women's clothing, you may narrow your focus to women, primarily busy mothers, between 20-40 years old who are looking for cute but functional wardrobe pieces. To pique their interest, you could showcase several versatile pieces they could wear at the park with their kids and then another photo of the same pieces dressed up for date night. You know that these women want something easy, flexible, and stylish.
3. Speak to Your Audience
Images really do speak volumes. Let them visually see what you have to offer. Don't worry if the images are not always done by a professional photographer -- it's ok to show them real life. Plus, if they can see what you have to offer real-time through updated photos and videos, they'll be more inclined to check you out. Make sure that you use content that interests your target audience and addresses topics that are relevant to them, otherwise they will lose interest.
4. Engage Your Audience
Ask for your audience's feedback or input. Do they have any questions you could answer? Rather than speaking at them, engage with them by sparking conversations through your posts and emails. Encourage them to reach out. And when they do, respond promptly and politely!
5. Reach Out to Your Audience
If you aren't getting the responses and engagement you'd like to see, go ahead and reach out to those who have hinted at interest in your product or service. But rather than pushing a sale, aim to build a relationship. Engage with your people and find out what they are looking for. Some people may not be ready to invest yet, but keep the communication open, natural, and unobtrusive (no one likes to feel like you are trying to sell to them every time you talk).
Need help keeping up with your content? Rather spend time pursuing your passion than finding the right words to say? Lets collaborate! As a small business owner, I like to see other small businesses like mine thrive! Email me at elises.edits@gmail.com or drop a line below. I'd love to hear from you!