7 Things You Can Do TODAY to Grow Your Following

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Most of the questions I receive from the amazing women of the Biz Women Rock community can be distilled down to this one question:

How do I make more money?

My answer: Get more clients/customers to pay for your product or services.

How to I get more clients/customers?

My answer: First step: build a community of individuals who know, LOVE and trust you!

How do I grow my community? (or “build my following?”)

My answer: Do any ONE of these 7 things today!

1. Ask Your Current Community Members to Share

This simple call to action is so often overlooked! Get onto the platforms you currently have – your Facebook Group, your email list, your Instagram profile, your podcast, your blog, your YouTube channel – and ask your community members to share about you! This can sound like…

[Podcast] “If you loved this episode and got value out of it, I would appreciate you sharing it with one other person who you think would benefit from it!”

[Facebook Group] “Hey ladies! I am loving these conversations in here! If you know of other amazing business women who would benefit from being a part of this incredible group, go invite them to join! Just give them this link! Together, we can ROCK the world!”

[Blog] “If you enjoyed this article, go ahead and share it with others who would benefit!”

Get the idea? Those who love you and are already a part of your community are super happy to share about you…they just need reminding every now and again and to be given an EASY way to do it!

2. Pitch Yourself to Be a Guest on a Podcast

As a podcaster, I have an inside view on how POWERFUL this medium is for visibility! You don’t have to be a podcaster to be featured on other podcasts. Just work backwards…what podcasts are out there that attract your ideal avatar? Do you happen to have any connections with any of those hosts? If yes, go ask them if they’re open to new guests on their show and that you’d love the opportunity to provide value to their audience. If not, start sending some emails and messages to pitch the hosts. (extra resource: my good friend Jessica Rhodes of Interview Connections has some great info on how to pitch to get yesses! http://www.interviewconnections.com/).

And think outside the box…I was just a guest on my good friend Diane Daniels’ podcast Weight Loss Nation (http://theweightlossnation.com), sharing my story of overcoming food addiction and how I achieve ultimate health and fitness happiness. It’s totally not my usual topic of conversation and doesn’t really have anything to do directly with business (my normal “zone of genius”), but a) I really felt like my story could be valuable to her community and b) there may be high driving business women who are listening! As my friend Danny Peña of Gamertag Radio says, “you never know who’s listening!”

3. Write a Killer Email/Blog Post and Post It On Social Media

Visibility is important…marketing is the lifeblood of your business. But CONTENT IS STILL KING. Meaning, you can shout all you want into the world, but if you don’t have good content for others to read, listen to or watch when their eyes point your way, all of it is for nothing. So, take some time to write a fantastic email and blog post (by the way…efficiency tip…one can always be turned into the other). Send it out and share it on social media. If you mention others in it, tag them to bring them into to conversation! Maybe even tap on the shoulders of a few community members to have them share it (go back to #1!).

4. Personally Share Relevant Content With Individuals Who Would Benefit

When you write an awesome blog post or create a great podcast episode or upload a cool YouTube video, personally reach out to a few people who you know would directly benefit from it. Maybe someone in your community just posted in your group about a challenge they’re having and your content addresses that issue. Reach out and share it with them, letting them know you thought it would be helpful in light of their recent post.

5. Reach Out to a Media Source in Your Niche and Offer Yourself as a Resource

Think of 2-3 media sources in your niche who attract your ideal avatar. Reach out to them and offer yourself as a resource. Maybe that means offering to write helpful blog posts or talking to them about offering your podcast or YouTube channel as a regular resource for their readers. Maybe that means bringing them onto YOUR platform so you can give them exposure. This is a strategic ways to get a lot of eyes on you!

6. Do a Facebook LIVE!

Think of the top 3 questions your avatar asks you all the time. Answer each of these 3 questions and boom! You’ve got yourself a 3 part Facebook Live series! Get in front of the camera and share your knowledge! Do this from your Facebook Page and/or your personal Facebook profile because when you do, people will watch and share! Facebook Live tips: 1) write in the copy of the Facebook Live what the video is all about…I’m not going to watch your video if I can’t see what it’s about and whether it’s relevant to me or not. 2) Write AND SAY a call to action! Give people a link so they can find out more about you or get access to something that you’re talking about! If not a link, tell them to comment or sent you a direct message! 3) Do NOT hesitate to get in front of the camera. Still sweaty from a workout? Hair all messy? No makeup? Who cares! Get over it and press record…your community WANTS to see you REAL. (I know my good friend Dana Goldstein of Chic Flicks would agree – http://chicflicks.com).

7. Connect With Those Who Follow Other Influencers in Your Niche (ie. your ideal avatar)

Go into Instagram (or Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn…whatever you like). Go follow someone else who is an influencer in your industry. Someone else who has a brand that attracts your ideal avatar. Then, check out who follows THEM. Go down the list and start following those who look like they would also love your brand.

Note: While this may seem a little “smarmy,” it’s not. Not as long as you are simply CONNECTING with these folks…not directly spamming them. Not putting them on a list and then sending crap to them they never asked for. All you’re doing is strategically opening up the opportunity to get to know them better on social media!

EXTRA RESOURCES:

If you want to take this information deeper, go check out the 4 part series I did all about HOW TO BUILD A COMMUNITY here –> http://bizwomenrock.com/258-2/