14 experts reveal their secrets to building an actionable audience. Highlights from The Content Code, including Guy Kawasaki, David Meerman Scott, Anne Handley, Chris Brogan and Seth Godin.
2. Hi. Iâm Mark Schaefer.
Author. Teacher.
Marketing consultant.
And creator of the {grow} blog.
3. As part of my new book
The Content Code, 13
experts provided their
advice on building an
actionable audience.
4. In the book, I define an actionable
audience as your "Alpha Audience" -- the
elite members that share your content. They
are the bedrock of your business!
7. âI try not to have fans. I
seek allies. Fans are great
insofar as they spend
money or something, but
allies advance the cause.
Once people understand
how I can help them, they
tend to stick around.â
9. âIn everything I write, I try to
find the part thatâs most
fascinating and unique, and
thatâs often not the party line,
but instead the mistakes and
the aftermath and how we grow
from them. This honesty builds
trust and audience bonds.â
11. âAs a content creator, itâs not your
goal to sound smart. Rather, the
goal is communion. Whatever you
say allows your audience to nod
their heads and say âI get it. I see.â â
13. âWant to change the world?
Upset the status quo? This takes
more than run-of-the-mill
relationships. You need to make
people dream the same dream
that you do.â
15. âIf you spend time online talking to
the people who influence purchase
decisions, you can provide the
foundation for your community.
And, when you do it this way,
it becomes more than
engagement.â
17. âNot even once have I, or you,
shared another brandâs content
because it was âTuesday at 2 p.m.â.
People share emotions. When you
evoke that, people react.â
19. âIn order to have people talk about
you and your ideas, you must resist
the urge to hype your products and
services. Instead, create something
interesting for your audience.â
21. âMaking my content as personal
and applicable to life as possible
makes my core audience feel more
like old friends who I live and grow
with, and I believe thatâs a key
element for any brand. â
23. âI try to get involved as deeply
as I can in conferences I attend,
even creating unique content for
and about these events. I want
to create a positive, intelligent,
and creative experience for the
people who are involved. The
content moves but it also
strengthens connections with
people I meet.â
25. âBefore I sit down to write I think
about one person. This practice
helps me to understand that I must
always respect their time, never
take their attention for granted,
and always try to provide value.â
27. âAim for the smallest possible audience,
not the largest, to build long-term
value among a trusted, delighted tribe,
to create work that matters and
stands the test of time.â
29. âPublishing is a privelege and should
not be squandered. I started my career
in print journalism. And that
sensibility from my journalism
school days of âNo one has to read
this,â continues to influence and
inform what I publish to this day.â
32. âThis is what I have to do to earn
an audience. This is what is
required in a noisy, competitive
world. I have to give my audience
everything.
And so do you.â