I originally started the post with the title “The purpose of a listening audience” but I want to take it up a notch and explore how one’s reach grows and develops over time and space, starting of course with the potential audience. Shortly after entering the social media sphere, companies, individuals and brands alike started praising the concept of community.

Everyone wants to get that community, but only a few actually follow the correct steps to get there. There are some that even try to grab a community, which is particularly unhealthy.

Usually the phrase If you build it, they will come is particularly true. Or it was at least until this year. It’s insanely hard to come up with something new so that masses of people with flock to you. Chances are your product or service, innovative as it may be, already exists in one way or another and it already has an established user base.

What do you need to do in this case is to listen. Listening is a virtue. Listen to what their clients are saying, the good chatter and the bad chatter, find out what they praise and hate but most of all, listen to their problems. Only then you’re allowed to talk. Not a shy introduction but an educated one: Excuse me, but I might be able to help you

Do this often enough and you have yourself and audience, willing to return the favor of listening.  I listen quite a lot and talk much less; a good ratio would be around 9:1

Once you have your audience the real work starts. You need to be convincing, fast. These people gave you permission to talk to them so you’d better make it really worth their time. If you’re really good, you’ll convince most of them to stick around for later. I for one am happy with an audience conversion rate of 30%. When 3 out of 10 people stick around and listen to what you have to say you’re almost half way to building a community.  They will want to find out more and will be the ones that are really passionate with your brand, product or service.

These people will be your first tribe members. I’m not particularly fond with the term (for quite a few reasons) but Seth Godin pretty much encapsulates its essence and basics and the term tribe is already a classic one in the new marketing era. They are passionate about your product and they will spread the word. They will evangelize your service and fiercely defend it. They will praise your brand wherever they go. And these are the people you need to take care of at whatever cost.

Because these people will build your community*, that ideal customer base you were so longing for in the beginning. And by all means you need to focus on the community, because that’s where all the money is. These great people will make your wildest dreams come true if you deliver everything you promised & more.

So to sum it up, sort out your audience, take extra care of your tribe and be grateful for your community.

*There are people that debate the fact that tribes ARE communities. The two are completely separate entities in terms of specific bonds that form between the members.