A lot of very serious people would agree that the key to your success as a subscription maker is in an engaged digital audience. However, they don’t give you the steps that you need to take to build an engaged digital audience.

When we talk about an engaged digital audience, we are talking about an audience that will share your content with their social networks. We’re talk about an audience that will download your podcast and subscribe to your newsletter.

Where to start

The obvious place to start is with your social network. More than likely you already have over a hundred people who care about what you are doing. Numbers matter when it comes monetization. However, they don’t matter as much when it comes to finding your voice and building an engaged audience.

Where things go wrong

Most content creators think of Internet Time as the amount of time it takes to write and publish a new blog post or the time between software iterations. However, you could make the case a better way to judge effectiveness of your efforts is by using Search Engine Optimization Time.

It take months for a new blog post to make it the first page on Google. Likewise, it takes months to develop the relations that are the foundations of an engaged digital audience. You can think of relationship building as form of digital prospecting.

Don’t try to buy an engaged digital audience

Since at least the mid-20th century, the best way to build an audience has been with advertising. Some might argue about whether an ad-supported audience is really an engaged audience. You could also make the case that subscription services are changing the audience development lifecycle from an ad-supported model to a customer-supported model.

The true value of an engaged digital audience stems from their ability to tell you what works and what doesn’t. Customers drive everything when it comes to the design and development of new subscription services. This doesn’t mean that you have to be lead around by the nose. It does mean that experimentation and prototyping become the order of the day.

Where you should concentrate

You have got to show that you care about the challenges facing your audience. There is a saying in sales that you should always be closing. When it comes to subscription services, you should continuously be showing that you care.

Not everyone will be ready to buy when you first meet them. Your potential members may have their reasons for not buying your subscription services, which have absolutely nothing to do with your subscription offer.

However, members of your engaged digital audience can become advocates for your subscription services and share your content with their social networks. Especially, if you continue to show them that you care about the challenges they face even before they purchase your services.

Unlike traditional businesses, the business relationship starts with the initial sale in subscription services. From the first payment, you’ve got to be looking for ways to help. You’ve got find new ways to show you care about the challenges they face.

What have you done for me lately may come to mind when you think about your interactions with your engaged digital audience. If you haven’t come up with something new to advocate for on their behalf, then you’re giving them cause to look for another vendor who’s more engaged.

Conclusion

Building an engaged digital audience takes time. And you’ve got to always be looking for ways to show that you care about their challenges.

Zachary Alexander