How to Build a Loyal Audience with Consistent Content

Want to build an audience that actually trusts you? Stop chasing shiny new platforms (and why you should focus on podcasts instead): After creating content for over a decade, I realized chasing engagement on every new platform was the wrong formula. Fixating on likes and views overlooks the deeper connection that builds a loyal audience. There's a far better predictor of success: trust. Podcasts, with their intimate audio format and long-form conversations, outperform other platforms at building genuine relationships with your audience. In my content strategy, I care more about authenticity than virality. You need an audience invested in you for the long haul. That starts with trust. Short-form content wasn't my secret sauce. Consistently sharing my expertise and insights was. I care way more about depth than shallow engagement. Give me an hour of meaningful conversation over a thousand likes any day. I want to foster a community, not just a following. People who: • Feel like they know me personally • Value my unique perspective • Trust my recommendations Creating is 1000x more fun with a loyal community that supports each other. I also want listeners who are open-minded and curious… …yet who also have the humility to understand that there’s always more to learn. One of my favorite podcasting tips: "Be yourself and share your genuine thoughts and experiences." Normalize vulnerability. Generic content stifles connection. Diverse perspectives breed loyal listeners. You want to foster a space where open communication and feedback are encouraged. I tell my audience: “Disagree often and debate respectfully, but stay connected through shared values." And for seamless engagement, community is key. See how well your podcast sparks conversations, fosters connections, and creates a sense of belonging. Can you make your listeners feel heard and valued? The ability to empathize and communicate unlocks true community. Viral trends are overvalued. I want an audience who trusts me, values my expertise, and wants to grow together. United by a shared passion, my community of listeners will outperform any number of casual followers. As Maya Angelou said: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Focus on the right kind of connection. #content #podcast #marketing — Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Scott D. Clary for more. Want more systems for success? Join our community of 321,000+ subscribers today: newsletter.scottdclary.com

In 4 years, I have: - written over 50 articles. - posted 1000+ LinkedIn updates. - appeared in 80+ podcasts and webinars. If I were to start over, here's my game plan ⬇️ Building an audience is about sharing. Laughing. Meeting. But also selling. Every entrepreneur should start by building their audience. Regardless of the topic. Regardless of the industry. ➡️0) Pick one channel. Content demands consistency. Consistency demands motivation. Motivation demands focus. Start with one platform. Master it. And the other channels (podcasts, webinars, articles) will naturally follow. (Let's use LinkedIn for this example) ➡️1) Set the right environment. In "content creation," there's "creation." And creation needs creativity. Creativity doesn't strike while staring at a computer. It sparks when the mind is free. Free to wander. Two strategies: - Make time for free thinking. - Consume a lot of content. Adapt ideas in your own style. ➡️2) Feed your idea bank. Ideas are fleeting. Within seconds, they can vanish forever. Golden rule for content creators: jot down EVERY idea. ON THE SPOT. Without judgment. To have good ideas, you must have bad ones too. Writing everything down maximizes your chances of hitting gold. A simple note on your phone works. ➡️3) Cultivate your environment. Getting comments is every content creator's dream. It boosts the reach of your content. And you, the scroll-master, have the power. The power to give. Here's the drill: ❤️ If you like the content: like & comment. Whether they are emerging or well-established creators. A simple "Thank you" or emoji will do. Tip: Use humor. The reciprocity principle works wonders: - with content creators, who'd feel "indebted" and more likely to engage with your content - with the algorithm, that'd prioritize showing your content to these creators. 🚫 Not interested in the content? Unfollow and opt "don't show again." ➡️4) Design your strategy as a funnel. Top of the funnel: broad topics, societal issues, storytelling, entertainment. Middle of the funnel: conceptual content, education on your subject, key principles. Bottom of the funnel: actionable items, call to action (another content piece, sign-up) Identify three themes for each level. ➡️5) Abide by QIR. Quality. Interactivity. Regularity. Provide value. Engage with comments. Start small. 1 post a week. Plan ahead. Ramp up once you find your rhythm. ➡️6) Persevere. Iterate. You'll hit bumps. And face setbacks. Identify what content clicks. Double down on it. Repurpose your ideas. It's a marathon. Stay strong. Stay bold. 👽

After working closely with CMOs at dozens of companies, I've seen firsthand what works when it comes to content strategy. Let me tell you - it's not easy! But over the years, I've compiled some key lessons: 1. Get crystal clear on your target personas. I can't stress this enough! Dig deep into understanding your best-fit customers so you can create hyper-relevant content tailored to them. 2. Meet your personas throughout their journey with your brand. Be there during awareness AND consideration stages with messages that resonate. 3. Set specific KPIs upfront and have the discipline to actually stick to them. This is crucial for continual optimization. 4. Produce a healthy mix of content formats across channels. Don't just focus on one silo! 5. Don't just publish and pray. Promote that amazing content across every channel possible. Make sure you have processes to analyze what's performing best with each audience segment. Then double down on those types of content. Finally, consistency and persistence are so critical. Compelling content requires dedication over the long haul. #marketing #business #Sales #team #demandgen #revenueungine

On July 17th 2022, I wrote the very first edition of my newsletter: Fresh Salmon. It was sent to 3 people. I had no existing email list. Started from Zero! Since then I have sent out 97 editions. Today Fresh Salmon is growing fast, especially since August of 2023. I've 4 takeaways for you, if you are planning to start a newsletter or currently running one: 1. Niche matters a lot:  I'm in the B2B Marketing niche, it's a tough niche to grow a newsletter. Beehiiv recently analyzed 4.3 billion emails sent on its platform in 2023, and shared that avg. Open Rate for Marketing niche was 29%, my newsletter is hovering around 43%. In fact, Marketing was in bottom 6 niches in terms of engagement metrics. 2. Differentiating your newsletter is essential: It's very important to differentiate yourself, therefore, how you position your newsletter matters a lot. The more saturated the niche is the better job you will have to do to differentiate yourself, which makes positioning statements really important. After 3-4 iterations, today my positioning statement is - "Helping you master B2B Demand Creation and Audience Building for market dominance!". 3. Think growth from the word go: Growing a newsletter is tough, you should put equal or more effort in growing the newsletter as you put in writing the newsletter. I personally didn't do a great job on growth in my first full year, but in the last 6 months, I have 10x my subscribers. You must focus on growing the audience, and based on your niche deploy both organic and paid channels. 4. Show up, show up regularly: Consistency is the secret to growing and building an engaged audience. You must be consistent, and show up with valuable content to your audience on your regular schedules without missing a beat. If nothing works, your consistency will help you build brand affinity, and help you find your die-hard fans. #newsletter #audienceengagement #audiencebuilding #b2bmarketing #freshsalmonnewsletter #viveknanda #b2bcreator

The “If I build it, they will come” philosophy is the equivalent of throwing spaghetti at the wall. If you take one look at Silicon Valley, you’ll find your proof in the many failed startups. IMO, it’s better to learn lessons from taking action rather than sitting in regret for not taking action. But through my years of scaling my businesses to 7-figures, I’ve learned how to take calculated, intentional, and strategic actions with the full understanding that: 👉🏼 Building it is no guarantee that it will attract an audience. 👉🏼 It’s quite easy to sell to people who: a.) actually have a need or want for what you’re selling. b.) already have a relationship with you or an affinity for your brand. 👉🏼 A good offer can survive misguided marketing, but a bad offer will kill any marketing initiatives, no matter how effective or advanced. 👉🏼 Your most valuable asset as a business owner is your audience + your connection with the humans in it. 👉🏼 The pre-product market fit (pre-PMF) period requires robust market research, testing, and evaluation. Skipping it is like turning a blind eye to the data that could make or break your business. The worst thing for a business? ❌ A cocktail of willful ignorance + insufficient data + an imaginary audience 🍸 “If I build it, they will come” is a FALLACY, friends. However... “If I build and nurture an audience, the money will come” is a much more accurate statement. ✅ If you build your audience before launching your business or product/service, you’ll be able to increase brand authority + loyalty by genuinely connecting with them and creating offers/products based on their specific needs and desires. In turn, this will skyrocket the lifetime value of each client/customer ⇨ making it easier to sell ⇨ which then allows you to cut marketing costs + generate higher profits! ____ 👋🏼 I'm Melissa Henault, Founder & CEO of Burnout to All Out, Online Business Educator, LinkedIn™ Expert, 2X Best-selling Author, and Host of the Burnout to All Out Podcast. ➡️ I've generated 1000s of leads on LinkedIn™ to build and sustain my 7-figure online business. Now, I'm teaching you how to do the same so that you can add commas to your bank account and establish an impactful professional AND personal legacy. Want to see more posts from me? ⤵ ✅ Connect with me 🔔 Ring the bell on my profile 🗞️ Subscribe to The Modern Entrepreneur newsletter