The Best Advice for Solopreneurs on Building an Audience

Is it okay if I ask you a serious question?

How do you feel about the size of your audience? Do you ever feel like nobody's really paying attention to your content?

Okay, that was two questions, forgive me. If you're reading this article you're probably not satisfied with the amount of subscribers you have. You want more, right?

I totally get it, and I'm with you. It's something I deal with as well.

You've probably put tons of effort into creating great content that people actually want to read. You may have even spent some time promoting it. It's possible that you've even reached out to an influencer or two.

But it's not working - at least not as well as you would like.

Building an audience isn't easy, is it? We both know that a highly-engaged audience isn't just something that happens overnight (although it'd be cool if it did).

But there are things you can do to help the process along. In this post, I'll discuss a few actions you can take in order to grow the size of your audience.

The results may not be instant. It isn't about finding the “magic bullet” that instantly skyrockets your content overnight. That magic bullet doesn't exist.

If you're looking to build an audience, you need to consistently apply the tips given in this post. As you implement these tips, you will see how much easier it can be to get people to get more people engaged in your content.

Let's get started, shall we?

Building an Online Audience

Guest Blogging

I love guest blogging. If I didn't, you wouldn't be reading this right now, right? There's two reasons I love guest blogging.

1. I love to write.


2. I love getting exposure and SEO juice.

Guest blogging is exactly what it sounds like. It's contributing content to established blogs that already have a high readership. It's a great way to build your audience over time.

This is especially true if you're just starting out. I don't have a huge audience yet, but most of my audience growth has come as a result of writing for other publications. Not only that, I've had a few business opportunities come my way because people have read what I've posted on other blogs.

As with other audience-building tips, guest blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. Take a look at internet marketing expert Danny Iny. He credits guest blogging for much of his early growth. It enabled him to build a remarkable brand that reaches tons of people.

The thing about guest blogging is that it enables you to get in front of someone else's audience. It allows you to position yourself in a place where more people will see your content. It's especially effective if you create content that gets shared frequently.

One of the most important things to do when developing your guest blogging strategy is to choose the right blogs to contribute to. It doesn't makes sense to write for a blog that has nothing to do what what your company sells, right?

There are plenty of ways to find blogs to write for. As a matter of fact, Peter Sandeen has a great list of established blogs that accept guest posts. When you find a blog that seems like a good fit, you'll need to send them a pitch. If they accept you, make sure you write the best content possible. You want to make as favorable an impression as you can, otherwise, people won't continue to pay attention to what you write.

If you do guest posting the right way, you will create an online presence that helps you reach more people. Eventually, you will find more visitors coming to your website.

Consider Using Other Mediums

Blogging is still one of the most effective ways to get traffic and subscribers. However, it's not the only way. If you want more traffic, you might consider using another method to disseminate your content.

Two of the most popular types of content are podcasts and video. Both of these mediums can be amazing if you know how to use them the right way.

Video marketing can be amazingly effective at reaching an audience who doesn't prefer to read blog posts. They are great for teaching a concept in a way that is easy to understand; it's one of the reasons many people prefer videos. Visual content is one of the easiest ways to teach a subject to your audience in a way they can understand.

Here's an example. Moe Kermani, founder of Natural Area Rugs uses their YouTube channel to provide DIY tips for people who want to know how to install rugs. This is what he says about video:

“Video is such a great and easy way to enhance your credibility and provide an actual benefit to your audience. How-To videos can go a long way towards earning the trust of those who are thinking about buying what you offer.”

Podcasting is another great way to distribute your content. The reason podcasting can be so effective is because it's one of the easiest types of content to consume. Unlike video and written content, podcasts don't require the listener to sit in front of a screen and consume the content.

People can listen to podcasts while they work out, run errands, or commute to work. Not only is it convenient, it's also very effective, especially for people who have a more auditory learning style. As a matter of fact, I consume more podcast content than written or visual.

If you can, consider starting a podcast or using video marketing to supplement your writing. It can help you reach people who you wouldn't be able to reach just by blogging.

Make Sure You're Easy to Find

You can't build an audience if people can't find you, right? Putting yourself out there on social media is useful, but that's not the only way to get an audience.

You have to make sure your content is optimized for search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) is important to your success in building your audience. When you make your website easier to find, you will increase your traffic and build a larger audience.

David Keeton, founder of DC Keeton Home Improvement has managed to get better search engine rankings for his website through creating tons of helpful content.

Here's what he has to say about SEO:

“There's loads of home improvement sites on the internet, so it's not easy to stand out. We found that creating helpful content that addresses the needs our prospective customers have enables us to rank higher on Google. It's helped our business tremendously.”

There are several ways to improve your SEO. Creating great content, strategic use of keywords, and getting backlinks are all ways to rank your website higher.

It's also beneficial to use tools that can help you optimize your website more effectively. There's plenty of software that you can use to this end. Of course, the type of tools you use is going to depend on the type of business you run. You might want to think about doing an SEO software comparison for your business to determine which is best for you.

Focus on Getting Subscribers

So…let me be blunt for a second. Nothing that I've written in this article matters if you're not focused on getting subscribers. You might as well stop creating content.

Why?

Because there's really no point in growing an audience if you're not going to engage with them directly. You need to get your readers to trust you enough to give you direct access to them, and vice versa.

This part is extremely important because your email list is where the money is. When you continue to build your email list, you will end up having a larger pool of prospects who might be interested in buying your product your service.

Internet marketing expert Neil Patel has some excellent tips for getting visitors to subscribe to your email list.

Here's a few of the pointers he gives:

• Create a landing page for your guest blogs.


• Use opt-in forms strategically.


• Use content upgrades.

Of course, he has many more gems for you if you're serious about growing our audience.

Realistically, all of the work you're putting into guest posting, social media, and other content marketing methods should be designed to get people to subscribe to the content on your blog. The people who are willing to give you their email address will be the people who will eventually be willing to buy from you.

Use Social Media to Provide Value

Social media is one of the best ways to build your audience. When you use social media to provide value it gets people interested in what you have to say.

Before launching a social media strategy, you want to find out which social media platforms to use. You don't want to waste time posting on a platform where your audience isn't participating.

Here are some key points to remember when using social media for your business:

• Make sure you are only posting the most high-quality content possible. You can turn people off if you're posting material that wastes the reader's time.


• Don't only post your own content. You need to leverage other people's content in a way that provides value to your followers.


• Automate as much as you can. There's lot of social media automation tools out there.


• Make sure you're posting at the right frequency.

When you learn to use social media in a way that's most effective, you will attract more visitors to your website. This will help you increase conversions.

Stay in Touch with your Subscribers

Finally, you need to make sure you're engaging with your subscribers. After all, that's the entire point of converting visitors into subscribers, right?

After you have an email list, you want to make sure you're communicating with them on a consistent basis. Take the time to create an email marketing campaign that will help you engage with your audience. Over time, your audience will become more familiar with you. They will be more likely to respond and give feedback. Of course, they will also become more likely to do business with you and share your content with others.

Here's some ways you can use email marketing to grow your audience and business:

• Promoting content: Let your audience know when you publish a new post.


• Asking for feedback: Find out what your audience thinks of your products, services, or content.


• Members-only content: Send your audience premium content that non-subscribers don't get.


• Behind-the-scenes look: Give your subscribers a glimpse into who you are. Tell them something about yourself that others don't know. Let them see how your business works.

I was considering adding “newsletter” to this list, but I decided not to. If you're thinking of using a newsletter in your email marketing, you might want to reconsider. If done correctly, email marketing can help you grow your business and expand your brand.

Conclusion

Everyone knows that online marketing isn't easy. Building an audience can take tons of time and effort. I won't lie to you, it can be quite frustrating.

However, if you commit to using the tips given in this post, you will see a difference. You will discover how much easier it can be to grow your business. Give it a try! You'll be glad you did.

Clapping Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "The Best Advice for Solopreneurs on Building an Audience" was first published on Small Business Trends