When you’re starting out, community growth can be one of your first big challenges. Building out a following can feel like a never-ending process but there are time tested ideas you can try to jump start your engagement. Check out the ideas below to help you turbocharge your growth.
Create Exclusive Content and Rewards:
As a creator, having a dedicated and engaged fan base is essential to the success of your work. To amplify your community growth and take your relationship with your fans to the next level, consider offering exclusive content or perks that make them feel special and encourage them to spread the word about your work.
Exclusive content is a powerful tool for engaging your most dedicated fans. Offer behind-the-scenes access or sneak peeks of your work to your most loyal fans. This can be done through a private group, email newsletter, or social media. By giving your fans access to exclusive content, you are allowing your most loyal fans to increase their engagement with you as a creator.
Another way to create a sense of exclusivity is to offer early access to your work. This can be done by releasing a limited number of copies of your work before it is available to the general public, or by offering early access to your work through a private group or email newsletter. By giving your fans early access, you are creating a sense of urgency and scarcity, which can help increase their engagement and encourage them to spread the word about your work.
Offering perks and rewards is another way to create a sense of exclusivity and engage your most dedicated fans. Consider offering merchandise, access to events, or personalized shoutouts to your most dedicated fans. These perks can help make your fans feel special and valued, and they can also help increase their engagement and loyalty.
Create Tiered Membership Groups
A membership program or subscription service is a powerful tool for creating a sense of community and exclusivity around your brand.
A membership program is a service that provides exclusive content, perks, and benefits to members. Members pay a fee to access this content, and in return, they receive exclusive access to content and perks that are not available to non-members.
Creating a membership program is a great way to create a sense of community and exclusivity around your brand. By offering exclusive content and perks, you are providing your fans with a reason to join your community and become more engaged with your work. Additionally, a membership program can provide a stable source of income, which can help you grow and develop your brand.
A VIP group is another way to offer even more to your community and engage your most dedicated fans. A VIP group is a private group where members can connect with each other and access exclusive content and perks. This can be done through a social media platform, such as Facebook or Instagram, or through a dedicated platform like Patreon. By creating a VIP group, you are giving your fans a place to connect with each other and with you, and this can help increase their engagement and loyalty.
Host Contests and Challenges
Hosting giveaways and contests is a powerful tool for attracting new followers and driving community growth.
A giveaway is a promotional event where a creator gives away a prize to a randomly selected participant. A contest is an event where participants compete to win a prize by submitting entries or completing a task.
Hosting giveaways and contests is a great way to attract new followers and engage with your existing audience. Giveaways and contests create excitement and generate buzz around your brand, which can help you attract new followers. Additionally, hosting giveaways and contests is a fun way to engage with your existing audience and provide them with a reason to share your work with their friends and followers.
A challenge is a competition or activity that requires participants to complete a specific task or set of tasks. Challenges can be hosted on social media, through email, or on your website.
Hosting a challenge is another great way to increase engagement with your audience and attract new followers. By hosting a challenge related to your niche, you can tap into the competitive spirit of your audience and encourage them to participate. Additionally, challenges create a sense of community and engagement, as participants are able to connect with one another and share their progress.
Use Interactive Elements
Interactive elements are tools that allow your audience to participate and interact with your content. Some common interactive elements include polls, quizzes or surveys.
Polls allow your audience to vote on a specific topic or question. They can be used to gather opinions, opinions, or insights from your audience. Quizzes are a fun way to engage with your audience and test their knowledge on a specific topic. Surveys allow you to gather detailed information from your audience, such as demographics, opinions, or preferences.
Interactive elements are a great way to increase engagement and attract new followers because they allow your audience to participate and interact with your content. By using interactive elements, you can tap into the curiosity and competitiveness of your audience and encourage them to participate. Additionally, interactive elements drive community growth, as participants are able to connect with one another and share their results.
Leverage User-Generated Content
User-generated content refers to content created by your audience, rather than by you or your team. This type of content can include photos, videos, blog posts, reviews, or any other type of content created by your audience.
Leveraging user-generated content is a great way to attract new followers because it shows that your audience is actively engaged with your brand and interested in the topics you cover. Additionally, user-generated content can help build a sense of community and increase engagement with your existing audience, as they are able to connect with one another and share their content.
To get started, encourage your audience to create content related to your niche, such as photos, videos, or blog posts. You can do this by hosting a contest, offering incentives, or simply asking your audience to share their content with you. Once you have collected user-generated content, it’s important to showcase it on your platform.
You can share the content on social media, on your blog, or on your website. When showcasing user-generated content, don’t forget to give credit to the creators. This can help build a sense of community and encourage others to participate. Finally, engage with the user-generated content by responding to comments, answering questions, or offering feedback. This will help increase engagement with your existing audience and attract new followers.
Host a Virtual Event
To drive maximum community growth, you want to identify ways that you can help your community connect in real time. Virtual events are a great opportunity to do this, bringing together people from all over the world.
Virtual events have become increasingly popular for a number of reasons. Firstly, they allow you to connect with your community in a way that is more personal. Additionally, virtual events can be a great way to attract new followers who are interested in your niche.
Many people look to online events to learn about new topics and connect with other like-minded individuals. Schedule events on topics you are knowledgeable on and use them as an opportunity to showcase your best work to encourage participants to join your community.
Create a Newsletter
A newsletter is a regular, email-based communication that is sent to subscribers. Creating a newsletter offers several benefits for community growth and engagement. First, it keeps members informed. A newsletter keeps members informed about upcoming events and new developments within the community. This helps to create a sense of excitement and keep members connected to your brand.
Newsletters also provide an opportunity for members to engage with your content and offer feedback. This allows individuals to contribute and add to the conversation. It also builds loyalty. By consistently sending a newsletter, members will become more loyal to your brand and be more likely to share your content with others as they are aware of all your regular updates..
All of this helps boosts your visibility. Newsletters provide a platform to promote your brand and showcase your products and services. This can help to increase visibility, attract new followers and drive your community growth.
Create a Referral Program
One of the most effective ways to grow your audience is through word of mouth. By encouraging your existing audience to refer their friends and family to your content, you can tap into the power of recommendations and expand your reach.
A referral program is a marketing strategy where you offer incentives to your customers or followers for referring new customers or followers to your content. The incentives can be in the form of discounts, exclusive content, or other rewards.
Creating a referral program is a great way to grow your audience and build a strong community around your brand. By providing incentives for referrals, you can tap into the power of word of mouth and expand your reach. Additionally, referral programs create a sense of loyalty and community among your followers, as they are rewarded for sharing your content with their friends and family.
Create an Ambassador Program
Leveraging ambassadors within your community can be a great way to promote your brand and increase you community growth. An ambassador program is a win-win for both the brand and its fans. The brand benefits from having dedicated fans promote its products or services, while the fans receive exclusive perks and recognition for their loyalty and advocacy.
To create a successful ambassador program, it’s important to identify individuals within your community who are passionate about your brand and willing to spread the word. These individuals could be current customers, social media influencers, or even employees. Once you have identified your ambassadors, provide them with resources and support to help them effectively promote your brand. This could include access to exclusive content, special discounts, or early access to new products.
In addition to promoting your brand, ambassadors can also play a valuable role in increasing engagement within the community. They can participate in forums, lead discussions, and answer questions from other members. By fostering a sense of community and collaboration, ambassadors can help keep your audience engaged and interested in your brand.
Offer a Free Trial
Once you have set your strategy above, consider offering a free trial or sample which can be a powerful marketing tool. Firstly, it allows potential customers to experience your products or services before making a commitment, which can increase their likelihood of making a purchase. Secondly, a free trial or sample can help attract new followers who are interested in your niche, as it provides them with an opportunity to try out your offerings. This is a great way to allow interested parties a chance to test out your offering before making a commitment and allow them an easy access point.
Community Growth Conclusion
Overall there are many different ways to drive community growth. Take some time to think through what might be the best fit for your content and brand and make a plan to try some of the tips from this article. You can create exclusive content or perks by setting up different levels of subscriptions or memberships. Engage your audience with contests, interactive elements or encourage them to contribute content to your ecosystem. Or turn your following into your best marketing tool with a referral or ambassador program. Each of these ideas can help you increase your growth trajectory and break out as a creator. For more tips check out some of our other articles and follow us on Twitter.