What would you rather have—a light connection with wide audience, or a deep connection with a smaller group?
Digital is biased towards the former. The power of the Web lies in its unlimited scope. A wide audience means a lot of readers, a lot of “likes,” and maybe a better chance at monetizing what you’re doing, right? You might have a chance at those things if your content is good enough.
Traditional marketing used to be about making as many light connections as possible, hoping that you’d “catch” someone and convert them into a deep connection. The problem with this model is that a light connection does not impel an action.
You’ve seen other content creators building deeper, better connections with their respective audiences—those who have created lasting relationships with real people through their content. Attention is scarce, and you won’t break through the noise, not unless what you are doing is:
- high quality;
- directly valuable to your reader/recipient;
- fostering a connection with your audience.
You write because you want to make an impact. You want to connect. You want to communicate something. With the Web, you have a direct delivery system, so you don’t need to wait to get selected by a Gatekeeper. You can find your own audience. They are out there, and for the first time in history you have direct access to them. Almost.
How do you achieve this? The rules are somewhat different now. First, create good content that connects. Create something remarkable—something compelling enough that people will want to share it. This is absolutely required under the New Rules.
Then do it again. Consistently. Build your authority. You can write about the narrowest of topics. It doesn’t matter, as long as what you’re writing is compelling to someone. When you start to find new readers, talk to them via social channels. Respond to their comments. Ask them additional questions. Content is about communicating something and communication is best when it’s bi-directional.
Keep going until your audience can’t wait for your next piece, your next post, your next performance. You are cultivating a deep connection with a core group. As you iterate, this core group will grow. Your audience will create more audience. You don’t need to worry about promoting your content. Others will do that for you. You’re not the best marketer for your content anyway. After all, you are not a trusted source, are you? You’re biased, with good reason.
Your audience doesn’t suffer from the perception of bias. Your core group will have a much easier time creating new connections for you. They carry more credibility than you, and you just need to motivate these individuals to spend some of their social capital on you and your work. No amount of self-promotion will equal the power of honest, peer-to-peer, networked growth.
Consistently excellent content, bi-directional conversations, deep connections. It’s the best path to earning a wide readership.