How To Build Your Online Community In Seven Simple Steps

Growing your reach online is the best way for your business to succeed. The more people who see your name, read your blog posts and watch your videos, the more chances that you’ll convert some of them into paid customers or clients.

But your path to growing your audience may be considerably different from another coach’s path. There is no right or wrong way so long as you work every day to market your business and get new eyes on your content. You’ll want to pick and choose the activities that work best for your schedule and your target market.

These 7 steps are just the beginning of all the activities you can do to grow your reach and income through your community, but put into action consistently will bring you great results.

FIRST THINGS FIRST.

1. You will always need to find new prospects.
2. More prospects = more clients = more income.
3. Nurture your prospects & clients; build relationships with them.
4. Growing your reach & income requires action.

STEP #1 – MAKE SURE YOU ARE BLOGGING CORRECTLY

Blogging is still totally relevant. Content is never going away.

• Blogging drives traffic to your website from search engines.
• Blogging provides educational information to your audience.
• The more readers you find in search engines, the greater your reach.
• The greater your reach, the greater your sales.

Start developing your writing skills today and every day.

• Write every single day whether it’s on your blog or in a journal.
• Well-written blog posts catch readers’ attention.
• Readers will grow to know, like, and trust you through your blog writing.
• Focus on providing high-quality information in each post.

Give each of your blog posts a goal. Know why you are writing about the subject and how it will serve your audience.

• Does it help your audience solve a problem?
• Does it help you grow your reach?
• Does it help you generate sales from a product or service?

Always know what you’re going to write about and how it will showcase your expertise.

• Tackle a controversial issue.
• Teach your audience something new.
• Report from a live event or conference.
• Introduce your audience to a well-known or respected peer.
• Promote your products, programs, and affiliate products.

Never forget to add a call-to-action! What do you want your reader to do next?

• Sign up for your newsletter?
• Share a social media post?
• Purchase a product?
• Join a group coaching program?

STEP #2 – UTILIZE FACEBOOK’S MULTIPLE FEATURES TO KEEP YOUR PIPELINE FULL.

Follow these helpful Facebook tips.

• Start a business page and a group for your business.
• Post consistently.
• Keep your loyal followers in mind.
• Include a creative call-to-action with each post.

STEP #3 – USE LIVE OR RECORDED VIDEO TO UPLEVEL YOUR CREDIBILITY.

Why should you use video as often as possible?

• You’ll create a connection with your audience much quicker.
• Viewers can hear your voice and see your way of coaching.
• Your passion will be contagious to your audience.
• It’s the next best thing to meeting in person.

Ways to boost your credibility with video:

• Go live on Facebook and Instagram.
• Upload video to YouTube (don’t forget that it’s the 2nd largest search engine and is owned by Google).
• Embed your videos into blog posts.
• Produce video-based webinars for even more sales.

Helpful video tips for you:

• Use a creative title and call-to-action.
• Provide high-quality content over quantity.
• Host Q&A sessions.
• Discover when most of your audience is available to watch and interact with you live.

STEP #4 – EMAIL, EMAIL, EMAIL AND LEVERAGE IT FOR MASSIVE GROWTH.

Never put off staying in touch with your prospects & customers.

• People often need 7 touch-points before making a purchase.
• They have already given their permission to email, so do it.
• Talk about your new products and programs.
• Make affiliate product offers. Share what you love!
• Talk about your expertise and industry news.

Consistency is of the utmost importance.

• You want to stay top-of-mind with your audience.
• If you disappear, so will your audience.
• Not everyone will see every email.
• A “no” today can always become a “yes” in the future.

Never run out of content ideas to share.

• Think of how you can serve your audience instead of just selling to them.
• Create a content calendar with topics and promotional ideas.
• Create a publishing schedule and stick to that deadline.
• Always include a call-to-action telling them exactly what to do next.

STEP #5 – USE INSTAGRAM TO EARN LIKE AN INFLUENCER, EVEN WITH A SMALL FOLLOWING.

Choose an Instagram strategy and stick with it consistently.

• Regular posts
• IGTV
• Stories
• Direct messaging

Helpful Instagram tips:

• Research what time of day your audience is online and engaging.
• Create a list of relevant hashtags, even if you don’t use them for every post.
• Create branded hashtags for your products and program.
• Include calls-to-action on every post.

STEP #6 – TREAT YOUR CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS LIKE GOLD.

Never take clients, customers, or prospects for granted.

• These are the people who have already spent money with you.
• They are easier to sell to because they already know, like, and trust you.
• If they sing your praises, your reach will grow naturally.

How do you stay engaged with your audience?

• You post and email consistently and you share your content.
• You answer their questions and respond to their comments.
• You create a private group where they will have access to you
• You ask them questions that they want to answer.

STEP #7 – KEEP NETWORKING CONSISTENTLY WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Make time for conversations online and offline.

• Engage with your followers.
• Be active in groups and masterminds.
• Talk one-on-one with potential prospects.
• Attend local meetings or networking events.
• Networking is all about having conversations, not “closing a deal”.

Reconnect with past clients and contacts who you enjoyed working with.

• They may be ready to rehire you.
• They may have referrals for you.
• They may need a little more convincing before purchasing (remember the 7 touch-point theory).
• Organize your contacts and follow up calls by using a spreadsheet or a CRM platform.

These are my 7 steps for building your online business community. When done consistently (not perfectly) you will grow your audience, increase your credibility, and uplevel your entire business.

If you would like my help growing your community and business, schedule a free consultation call to see if we’re a good fit.