How to Build the Best Online Community

The first step in creating and monetizing your online business is to create an audience that interacts with you and with each other. In this blog post, we’re going to talk about how to create an engaged following because an engaged following is everything. How many of you are struggling with growing your following? Look no further, I’m here to help!

Having and growing your audience doesn’t mean that you want to be an influencer, it just means that you’ve got your core group of people that you want to connect and build relationships with. Eventually, that core group of people will become your customers, clients, and team members. One of the missing pieces I’m seeing when I’m auditing students’ work is that they’re not continuously trying to grow their audience. It’s time to expand the 1,000 friends on your Facebook wall that you’ve had for the last three years. Those 1,000 people have already seen your stuff and probably won’t help you grow your biz online.

I’m going to give you my 3-step formula to build and grow your audience. Make sure to write this down and to incorporate it into your daily method of operation (DMO). If you make this a part of what you’re doing every single day, you will build a business that will be here for many years and beyond!

Step One: Work the numbers in your favor. You want to build your friends list and send outbound friend requests every. single. day. Quick tip: Facebook allows you to send up to 20 friend requests/day, but, they allow you to follow many more. Also make sure that your account is public, not just for friends only! How do you expect people to engage with you if they can’t even see what you’re posting? While you’re on Facebook, check out some groups that you can hang around it. Go into these Facebook groups with the intention to connect with people, not just link drop. And lastly, think about different ways to increase your exposure. For example, interview a professional or someone that is in your industry. Work those numbers in any way you can come up with!

Step Two: You need to build your know-like-trust factor. Make sure that you are sharing YOU. By that, I mean, people come to your page to see what you are up to, not anyone else. If you’re reposting others’ stuff, no one is coming to your page to see that. They want to see your most authentic self: what is on your heart and mind? What are some tips and tricks you can offer? What advice are you looking for? All you need is 100 super fans, and those people will turn into the foundation when you monetize your brand. Most of you are hiding online…be vulnerable!

Step Three: Engage with your community – even if you think it’s small. That small pocket of people are your community. So, make sure you’re loving on their stuff. Comment on their Facebook lives, reply to a story they put up, look for reasons to connect with them. You need to stop taking and start giving value. Don’t only look for ways to engage, but look for ways to mentor as well. If you see them say they’re struggling with something specific, go find an article or video that could help them!
If you incorporate all of these steps into your daily schedule, you will see such a difference in the audience you are connecting with online. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen as quickly as you’d like. Good things take time and great things take time and effort. Go find your tribe, Goal Digger!

Check out my latest #getLIT training to learn more about how to continuously grow your audience and build the best online community!

Are you interested in learning more about monetizing your online biz?! Check out Goal Digger University for tons of workshops, trainings, and courses to help get your business to where you want it!