It’s tough enough to build a business from scratch, but it’s even harder when you don’t have control over your own marketing. When you rely on social media platforms or other third-party channels to reach your audience, you are at their mercy. If they make a change that doesn’t benefit you, you cannot do much about it. That’s why it’s so necessary for marketers to own their audience.
What does Owning Your Audience Mean?
The first step to owning your audience is understanding what it means. Owning your audience means having a direct relationship with them. This could be through an email list, a social media following, or even a group of customers that you’ve built up over time. It’s essential to have a way to reach them that doesn’t rely on a third-party platform.
Why is Owning Your Audience Important?
There are a few reasons why owning your audience is vital for marketers. The first reason is that you have more control over the relationship. When you own your audience, you can talk to them directly. You’re not reliant on a third-party platform.
When you own your audience, you control the messages you send out into the world. You are no longer at the mercy of the algorithms or platforms that determine what people see.
Instead, you have the power to connect with your audience and build relationships with them directly. This allows you to create a loyal following of customers or fans who will support you and your business.
Additionally, owning your audience allows you to collect data about them. This information can improve your products or services and effectively target your marketing campaigns.
In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, owning your audience is a distinct advantage to help you succeed.
How to Own Your Audience
There are a few different ways you can own your audience. The most common and effective method is to build a mailing list.
Social Media
Another way to own your audience is to create a social media following. This can be done by posting interesting and engaging content that people will want to share with their friends and followers.
For example, if you have a blog, you can share your posts on social media and include a call-to-action telling people to sign up for your mailing list. You can also run social media ads that promote your products or services and link to your website or landing page.
Paid Advertising
You can also use paid advertising on social media to reach a wider audience and promote your content. However, it’s important to remember that you don’t own your social media following. The platforms can change their algorithms at any time, which could impact the reach of your content.
For example, you could create a Facebook ad campaign and reach many people. But, if Facebook changes its algorithm, your content might not be seen by as many people. This is why you should focus on building an audience you own, such as an email list.
While paid advertising can be a great way to reach a wider audience, you need to make sure that you’re also focusing on building an owned audience.
Email Marketing
One of the best ways to build an owned audience is email marketing. This allows you to reach people who have already opted-in to receive communications from you.
You can send out updates about your latest content, product launches, or special offers with email marketing. You can also use email to build relationships with your subscribers by sending them valuable content or offering discounts.
For example, if you have a new blog post, you can send an email to your list letting them know about it. You can also use your mailing list to segment your audience and send targeted emails.
Another example if you have a product that you want to promote, you can send an email to your list letting them know about it. You can also use your mailing list to build relationships with your subscribers by sending them valuable content or offering discounts.
Tips for Growing and Nurturing your Audience
Now that you know why it’s important to own your audience, here are a few tips for growing and nurturing your audience:
1. Offer Value
When creating content, always think about what value you’re offering to your audience. Your content should be interesting, informative, or entertaining. It should also be relevant to your audience and their interests.
2. Be Consistent
Be consistent with your content. People will forget about you and your business if you only post sporadically. Try to post new content regularly, such as once a week.
3. Engage with Your Audience
Make sure to engage with your audience. If someone leaves a comment on your blog post, respond. If someone tweets at you, make sure to tweet back. By engaging with your audience, you’ll build relationships and trust.
4. Offer Incentives
Offer incentives for people to join your mailing list or follow you on social media. For example, you could offer a discount code or a free ebook. You could also run a contest or giveaway.
5. Promote Your Content
Make sure to promote your content. Don’t just rely on social media algorithms to give you reach. Share your content on your own social media channels and in relevant online communities.
By following these tips, you can start to grow and nurture your audience. And, as you grow your audience, you’ll be able to achieve great results for your business.
The Bottom Line
Owning your audience is essential for marketers because it gives you more control over the relationship, allows you to directly connect with your audience, and allows you to collect data about them. There are a few different ways you can own your audience, such as building a mailing list, creating a social media following, or using paid advertising.
