The Easiest Method New Creators Use to Grow Their Audiences
And it likely won’t cost you a cent
Whether you’re a writer, vlogger or affiliate marketer, growing an audience is the key to long-term success. It’ll keep people interested in new projects, help you build connections with your peers and start a community between you and your viewers/readers.
But growing an audience is not easy. It takes time, consistency and a little bit of hard work. Hell if anyone could do it then anyone would.
It’s especially difficult for new creators to grow their audiences. Why would I want to join an email list that proudly boasts its 52 readers? I’d likely pass on that unless it had something to draw me in. Something specific.
But what? How are new creators pulling in audiences and growing them?
Here’s one method I’ve used after noticing other people using it too. I think it works pretty well and will remain evergreen into the future.
Free sh*t
People love free stuff. I love free stuff, you love free stuff, I bet your next-door neighbor would gladly love some free stuff.
By leveraging free resources, many new creators are able to start growing their audiences.
I’ve included some examples of how I’ve used free shi*t to start growing my audiences and how I’ve watched others do the same.
One note I’d like to make before tossing out links to free stuff is that new creators should expect to give something away for free before they get something in return, like a follower. You’ve got to give first before you can receive.
With that said, let’s dive in.
Free sh*t I’ve given out
Where do I even start?
I had about 400 subscribers on the Side Hustle Club’s newsletter when I decided to do a writing competition. It was completely free to enter.
The winner won $100. Second place got their story featured in the publication for a month. Third place got some other prize that I can’t remember right now.
Did this competition help me attract new subscribers to the email list? Honestly, no not really.
But did it show readers I was willing to give out free money and host competitions? Absolutely.
Show me someone else with 400 followers who was willing to do the same thing. We only had about 2 dozen submissions so the chance of winning that $100 was high.
Besides the free competition, I also send out notifications of free copies to one of my books on Amazon periodically to my newsletter and am working on an entirely free book to offer readers.
But enough about me.
Free shi*t I’ve seen others give out
Ever sign up for a writer’s email list and get some kind of 7-day free course out of the deal? I see it happen often. That's free information a creator is giving and all they are asking in return is your email address.
Some email lists on Substack offer free versions and paid versions. The free version is an attempt to get you interested in the newsletter so hopefully one day you decide to pay for it.
I’ve even watched YouTube videos where eBay resellers offer spreadsheets that help track sales and profits. In exchange, the video’s creator just asked that I subscribe to their channel, which I did.
All of these examples are exchanges for free stuff creators are giving out. They are providing free resources to grow their audiences.
What can you provide for free that won’t break the bank or kill your time to produce? If it’s something of value, use it to leverage your audience if possible. It’s what everyone else is doing.
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