Build online community – Almost An Author

Your First Step to Expand Your Author Platform: Develop a Community Built Upon Service

Our author platform will never grow until we reach beyond our circle of family-and-friends to those in our target market whom we do not know…yet. Some feel the key to finding that specific group within the world’s population of more than 8 billion people is to YELL LOUDER. Uh, no…

Serving our audience in God’s name is the first step, and guess what? We can serve them long before our book is even published! Hooray!

If this sounds like madness, it’s actually genius, because as we serve, our audience is drawn to our message. They participate, ask follow-up questions, talk amongst themselves, and ask more questions. They want to know how our message applies to their specific situation.

This is called engagement, also known as building community. We want this!

As we create content: social media posts, podcasts, and Lead Magnets to name a few, we’re sharing MORE answers to the questions our audience is asking and helping them solve MORE problems they’re encountering today.

The real impact comes when they apply our message. We don’t offer information only. (You don’t, do you?) Our message must offer change. A synonym for change is transformation.

Our audience comes to us–or stumbles upon us–and discovers we know what they’re going through. We offer solutions, not as an armchair quarterback but as someone who’s been down the same (or a similar) road. As we share our story and listen to theirs, commonalities spring to the surface that both parties recognize. Commonalities that we already knew existed but that they didn’t (at first). Those common traits, questions, challenges, or fears bind us together in (say it with me) community.

Now we’re not an outsider; we’re a trusted resource. We must do our utmost to earn and protect that description.

They’ll want to dive deeper or discuss a related issue and hear our solution for that. They’ll look to us for guidance, strategies, and encouragement. We can offer this as no one else can because of our life’s journey, which includes God delivering us over and over as we muddled our way through the maze of each problem. Our audience is in the same maze. Christ delivered us in part for our own sake and in part so we could guide them to freedom in His name. Hallelujah!

As they apply the wisdom in our message–which is God’s wisdom–stubborn problems begin to improve. Long-standing challenges shift, becoming less difficult. Their lives begin to change in ways that matter to them. They’ll remember that. They’ll remember us.

This is how we can build an online platform that will last for our ministry’s lifetime and not simply for the lifetime of one book.

This is why we don’t have to start over from scratch with every.single.project. Ack!

Once in relationship with audience members, we earn the right to let them know–periodically–how they can help us. Perhaps they can buy our book, attend our event, give their input on our next book’s cover image…the list goes on and on.

“Oh, no,” some say, “I don’t want to be one of those pushy authors always asking their audience to, “Buy! Buy! Buy!”

Does that thought weigh on your mind? Relax, Padawan (Star Wars reference there 🙂 ).

Remember, these people are in your community, and others are joining them. Why? Because you’ve helped them change their lives. So, they trust you and want to support you. You’re in their community now, too. Cool, huh?

And it all began when you started serving your audience for His sake and their benefit, letting Him bless your service as He saw fit, which, since He called you to write for Him, will likely include book sales. He’s so wise!

Part Two of this series next month.

Patricia Durgin is an Online Marketing Coach and Facebook Live Expert. She trains Christian writers and speakers exclusively, helping them develop their messaging, marketing funnels, conversational emails, and Facebook Live programs. Patricia hosted 505 (60-minute) Facebook Live programs from 2018-2020. That program is on indefinite hiatus. She’s also a regular faculty member at Christian writers and speakers conferences around the country.

Website: marketersonamission.com
Facebook: MarketersOnAMission

if you only have one marketing goal in 2022, make this one

If you’re already deeply connected to your audience…if serving them up close and personal is already your priority…and if your email list numbers are all you want them to be, skip this month’s article. Otherwise, read on!

FACT: Our Message Has No Value Without An Audience

God gifted us to write and speak His truth. But if we don’t spend time in one-on-one engagement with our audience, our message won’t spread far. It may be perfect but few will read it or hear it. Fewer still will apply it, so lives won’t change.

Why? Because a critical element will be missing: our audience won’t know us personally. They won’t know what makes us laugh or what makes our blood boil, so they won’t care about us or our message. We won’t make the impact Christ intended.

Don’t let this travesty happen to you. You are the only one who can prevent it. Here’s how.

Build An Online Community

If you have only one marketing goal in 2022, build a community where your audience can find you, engage with you, be helped by you, and get to know you. The works offline but is easier online. Whatever’s best for you and your audience is the perfect choice.

The Primary Way You’re Connected to Your Audience Even Before Publication

You and I know our audience in ways that others don’t because we are like them; they are like us. That’s God’s Master Plan. We know what makes them tick. Their fears. Their questions. What causes that acrid taste of fear in their mouths or that dream that fills them with anticipation.

Others who also want to serve this specific group create surveys to discover what this group needs, so they can offer it. But you and I don’t need surveys. God’s called us to serve those who’ve experienced one or more of the traumas we’ve experienced from which He’s delivered us. Or perhaps one or more of the “impossible” goals He’s helped us reach.

Our message is the hope that He can deliver them, too, but we don’t stop there. We go on to share how He helped us, such as the steps we took–that they can also take–and so on. As they apply the principles He first taught us to apply, their lives change, too, and He is glorified.

This creates a deep, common bond between our audience and us. It’s time to solidify that bond in 2022 and build upon it.

Get face-to-face with your audience. Develop a community for them…with them.

It Doesn’t Have to be a Facebook Group

There’s a cornucopia of ways to engage with each other digitally or in real life. The first step is to make the commitment, then invite those audience members you already know to join you at the appointed time–you choose where–and bring their like-minded friends with them.

Serve them. Laugh with them. Connect with them, being your natural self. Create a safe space for them to speak their mind, ask questions, and get to know each other, too. Build a community together.

Some ask about serving online, “What if I say something wrong or my Internet connection goes crazy?” Rest easy! You WILL say something ridiculous and your Internet connection WILL go kablooey! And guess what? The world will keep right on spinning because those things happen.

Learn how to handle the ups and downs of “live” service and get over yourself already!

Before Internet days, I wrote and taught over 1,000 classes combined–each one different–at my job, church, and elsewhere in my local region.

Online, I’ve hosted over 500 (60-minute) Facebook Live interviews and over 200 live trainings on Zoom.

In all, I’ve survived some wacky experiences, and my audience was right there supporting me, eager to learn what I offered. We always made it through together. The snafu that tried to separate drew us closer instead. That’s God’s way.

Your Audience Will Support You, Too

They want the information, solutions, inspiration, or education you offer. Deliver it to them and they’ll be back. The Holy Spirit will draw others hungry for your message, too. You do your part. He’ll do His.

It’s amazing to watch your community transform from a random group of strangers with no apparent commonality into a strong band of followers who are loyal to you and each other.

Intentional fellowship changes everything, increasing both your clarity and passion as you see first this and then that person’s eyes light up and their burdens lifted, sometimes, because they know your story so well, too.

You’ll miss these tangible benefits if you don’t connect with real people in real time, whether online or off, in Jesus’ name and for their sake.

Make COMMUNITY your number one marketing goal for 2022!

Website: marketersonamission.com
Facebook: MarketersOnAMission