Why Networking is a Must for Building an Audience
Let’s be honest: most of us are not very sociable. In fact, many of us will have been attracted to the idea of working online because we thought it would mean we didn’t need colleagues or business partners. Instead, we could just throw on a set of headphones and type away from a café.
But here’s the thing: success in any kind of business is often partly down to who you know. If you reach out to the right people and make meaningful, useful connections, then this can change your fortunes for the better in a way that is truly huge.
In this post, we’ll see why networking is a must for building your audience and how you can do it.
A Case Study
Consider the case of Jack Septiceye. No, that’s not his real name… The point is that this guy was a YouTube ‘Let’s Player’ who had been posting videos for years. Very, very slowly, he grew an audience of around 2,000 meaning that after years of regularly posting content, he had about 100-300 views on each video. In Google Ad earnings that is around .05 cents per month.
But then something amazing happened – he got a shoutout from Pewdiepie (because he contacted him) who is the biggest YouTuber in history. Overnight, Jack became a sensation and was able to quit his job and go full time.
Wow.
Of course, the world of YouTube let’s players is very different to the niche you’re in most likely. But the same exact principles hold true. If you can find a big audience on a related blog, website or social media channel and they give a shoutout to you, this can literally transform your fortunes overnight.
Imagine if you got a link from someone like Tim Ferriss. The SEO benefits alone would be life changing, let alone the incredible endorsement and all that direct traffic. So how do you get there?
Getting a Response
Getting the big players to answer is nigh impossible. The solution then is to start with smaller player: ideally ones that are around the same size as your brand right now. With cross promotional activities you can then nearly double your followers and then you can approach someone a tier up.
Other tips: network in person. Go to networking events and make a bigger impression.
And pester. If you don’t get a response right away, send one or two more after waiting a reasonable amount of time. Be polite!
