10 ridiculously simple tips I wish I knew about building an audience when I first started:

I mostly winged it 🤫

Let me share my lessons so you don't have to:

(a thread 🧵)

1/ Switch from being a consumer to a creator

If your default is opening social media and binging on updates from others, there's a problem. The world needs to know what YOU can offer, and I believe everyone can add value. So first, switch to intentionally becoming a creator.
2/ Start very small and build "Atomic habits"

Most beginner creators people aim too far high and crash. It never works for me. Instead choose tiny habits like 2 tweets a day in the morning. Or 1 video for Youtube. Or 1 short essay each day on Substack. Optimize for consistency.
3/ Pick one social platform to create and stick with it

What comes naturally to you? Writing your thoughts, choose Twitter. Editing interesting footage and layering a voice-over? Choose Youtube. Short essays? Choose Substack. Pick one and stick with it for at last 1 month.
4/ Find your niche

Don't focus on big bold segments with hundreds of active prolific creators already fishing. Find specific audiences and move towards them.

I was a no-code maker in 2018 so that niche came naturally. Later, I expanded to the community niche. Now #buildinpublic
5/ Blend two niches

If your favorite niche still feels big, combine two different ones and see if it resonates w people.

Many of my fav creators are masters at this. @5harath blends mindfulness + product, @JensLennartsson is marketing + no-code, @jackbutcher is design + mindset
6/ Learn about formats and styles

Each social platform has styles that work and formats you can be inspired by

Don't copy their content but use their style/format as a guide

Ex: @brandonthezhang @jackbutcher @shl have unique recognizable formats on Twitter
7/ Offer advice with conviction

People are scrolling so fast on all these feeds, if you sound half-ass or hesitant, they'll move on

To write with conviction, speak about things you know and have tried and have worked well (be ready to produce proof!)
8/ Consistency beats the "perfectionism" syndrome

Some people never make progress because they are trapped by trying to look flawless. I make a ton of mystakes. Typos. Bad grammar at times. Busy professionals don't care. They'll get the message.

Pride yourself in consistency
9/ Be a giver

It goes without saying but I think it's worth mentioning

There are no free lunches

If you want to build an audience, you have to give value, your time, resources you already have etc.

You can't just ask people favors without giving freely first
10/ There will be sh*tty days but then just DM someone

Some people believe they have to suffer alone and spend time questioning their self-worth

That's ridiculous. Be humble and ask someone who seems helpful very specific questions on what you are struggling with. It works.
All in all, enjoy the ride!

View followers as people at your party so it's about the quality of the people not the numbers alone.

Be helpful, engaging and curious. You'll make a ton of friends on the Internet especially Twitter.

Thanks for reading, RT to broaden the reach :)

More from Social media

So let's check in on "Newsguard," one of the Orwellian groups (e.g., The Atlantic Council) that totally reliable sites like @voxdotcom and @axios use to decide what is "Unreliable" and "fight disinformation."

One example:

OK, so "The Daily Wire" and "
https://t.co/oEa89coNak" are unreliable. Fair enough, maybe they are (I don't use either one of them).

So let's look into one of our new official arbiters of "reliability," Newsguard!

What's their advisory board look like?

https://t.co/5N8op70VE1


OK, so maybe a few names jumped out at you immediately, like, oh I don't know, (Ret.) General Michael Hayden, former Director of the CIA AND former Director of the National Security Agency in the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003! Google him, he's famous!


Newsguard is all about "seeing who's behind each site," (like how Michael Hayden is behind Newsguard?)

All they want to do is fight "misinformation." That's laudable, right?

Also, Newsguard has a "24/7 rapid response SWAT TEAM!!"

So cool!
https://t.co/EDN3UXvBR9


Ok, I'm not a journalist or a former CIA director, so I have no idea what's true or not unless someone tells me, so hey, Columbia Journalism Review - what do you think of Newsguard Advisory Board Member Michael Hayden?

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