If the idea of ”building your fan base” or “growing your audience” overwhelms you, you’re certainly not alone. Setting up an online platform isn’t a one-click task, but there are ways to maneuver the often confusing path to successfully building your online reach.
The 5 main stages of the journey to grow your platform (according to Michael Hyatt) are as follows: Definition, Activation, Attraction, Monetization and Optimization. If you’re tired of feeling like you’re writing to no one and posting for no one but yourself to see, keep reading. I’ve adapted its 5 stages and action steps to better serve partner-published and self-published authors.
1. Definition – Gain Clarity
As you work to find your voice and create a brand for yourself, you are considering the unique God-given message you have to share. How will it affect the people who receive it? Determine exactly what your message will be.
Action steps:
- Survey your readers
- Write a core value proposition
- Create a brand slogan
- Develop the components of your brand (logo, photos, etc.)
2. Activation – Create content
Whether it’s a blog, vlog, podcast, or website, you’re launching your home base that will be the source of your main content. You are starting to work on gaining your first followers and learning to serve them through great content on a consistent basis.
Action steps:
- Establish your base of operations
- Select your main content categories
- determine your voice
- Commit to a posting schedule
3. Attraction – Attract customers
Your content is being created and published, but now you want to share it with as many people as you can. This is done by developing your social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.), building an email list, and trying to increase traffic to your home base.
Action steps:
- Install an email pickup form
- Create an attractive email incentive
- Choose a primary social media channel
- Develop a social media strategy.
4. Monetization – Generate Cash
Once you have a strong list of subscribers and followers, you want to better serve them by increasing your income through online revenue. It’s time to explore affiliate links, sell ads, and create original products (think eBooks, webinars, workbooks, conferences, etc.).
Action steps:
- Understand your relationship with money
- Consider advertising revenue
- Maximize affiliate opportunities
- Develop your own products
5. Optimization – Build a company
Finally freed from the demands of a daily job, you can work to maximize your impact and optimize your results. By building infrastructure, developing workflows, and hiring a team, you can learn how to empower others to spread the message that started this whole process.
Action steps:
- learn to delegate
- Establish a hiring process.
- Identify and define key workflows
- Pay attention to the numbers
So don’t get overwhelmed! Take these 5 steps at your own pace and reap the rewards!