As a podcast producer and marketing consultant, I understand the pains of not only creating your craft, but also sharing it with the world while trying to get to know your audience at the same time. Although time may be limited, it is absolutely critical to get to know your fans, potential fans and following. If you put in the time to listen to your future followers and fans, you’ll thank yourself later.
My number one goal for The Set Up Podcast and for my clients is to build a community. The reason? It will help you understand your audience and their needs. It will also show that you care. Making content is a two way street on social media platforms. You can use it to build your following but keep in mind, others are in the same mindset so show them love. To me, communities are important for the following reason:
- They can provide support from like minded individuals.
- You can find a true bond with your followers and fans who can relate to you.
- They will humanize your work by showing your true self.
There are many ways you can build a community around your brand, service, music, podcast, etc. Without feeling overwhelmed, you can find YOUR people through these four steps first.
- Find and engage with relatable groups on Facebook and Reddit. Join groups where your potential fans are and also groups with others who are in the same situation as you.
- Write down 10 people you have a similar sound and style to. Engage and follow their followers on their social media accounts. This is what I call the “lowest hanging fruit’ because these people already have something in common with you so there is a higher potential for them to be interested in your work.
- Engage with every new follower or visitor that is new to your accounts. (Every person who has liked, commented or viewed your profiles.)
- Follow hashtags that are meaningful to you on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and engage with the people who post using those hashtags.
Make Your Messaging Count
What do you say? You can take the easy route and send a fire emoji or “good work” but that is not meaningful. How many times have you received the same message from the same people? It starts to be repetitive and sound fake. Take your time, read their captions, listen to their posts and send a relatable message. The type of interactions you should be having are compliments, any relatable stories, words of encouragement, a question, valuable resources or articles, or exclusive content that can benefit the group.
Last, please do not send a link to your music or portfolio, if you do your job right and build the community, they will discover you.
Ultimately, you are playing for the long haul. This method isn’t meant to hit a bunch of people quickly and hope something sticks. You are creating a mutual beneficial community for every person to find some value in it. If you leave with one takeaway, be authentic with every interaction.
Good luck and I’d love to hear how it goes! If you need any additional marketing tips, please contact me at www.thesetupseries.com.
