The key to audience growth: finding your voice

Hello friends,

If you’re here, you’re likely one of the first few people who have caught on a powerful new trend: audience building. You know that it’s a career accelerant like no other, no matter who you are. That’s why you’re looking for pro tips to help you grow. So, if you’ve been enjoying Story Alley, why not share it with a friend? It’s easy, all you need to do is hit the button below.

One of the biggest challenges of building an audience is standing out. The internet is saturated with content and it’s easy to get lost in the crowd, especially if you’re just getting started. That’s why it’s important to develop a voice, which is so unmistakably you people can’t help but recognize it.

Of course, this is easier said than done. When we first started writing and building audiences, it took us a lot of trial and error to find our unique voice. Tweets flopped. It was discouraging but we kept trying new things until we discovered the tone that was so uniquely us that it couldn’t get lost in the crowd.

Finding your voice is never easy and it’s often a long journey. However, there are a couple of tips that could help you get there faster. Let’s explore them.

1. Be yourself This sounds almost like a cliche at this point, but it couldn’t be more true. There are billions of people in the world but there is only one you. People will follow you and your work because you have a unique spin on things or a personality they find compelling. Don’t shy away from showing it. The more you lean into it, the more it will resonate and attract the right type of audience.

2. Find your Zone of GeniusWe all have unique experiences and knowledge we can share with the rest of the world. What is obvious to you is often a mind-blowing insight to somebody else. This is often referred to as your ‘Zone of Genius’. Don’t know what yours is? Here’s a simple 5-minute exercise to help you find out. Write down some things: The overlap of the three is your Zone of Genius. Now, you can curate your content around it and optimize for faster growth.

   1. you are passionate about

   2. you are an expert in

   3. that other people would like to learn about

3. Experiment Even after you find your Zone of Genius and lean into your authentic self, you still may feel like you’re not growing fast enough. That’s when you should experiment. We’re all complex humans with multi-faceted personalities. Try showing different sides of yourself to see what resonates best. For example, we found out that the content that resonates best on Twitter is often written in a somewhat sassy tone of voice. So, we leaned into it. You will likely not find yours overnight, so keep iterating and showing different sides of yourself until you find the one that resonates the most.

Picasso famously said that “artists copy; great artists steal”. So while it’s important to experiment and be authentic, you can always find inspiration from others. If you see a particular content format that you like and that is performing well for others, feel free to ‘steal’ it and make it your own. You can keep the backbone but tweak it to include your unique knowledge, experiences and point of view. It will still be you, just with a little outside help :)

Now, it’s time to get creative.

With love,

Team Salley

What is Salley?

Salley lets you stay accountable and earn rewards for building an audience. What if you get a free fitness class or a massage just for posting content?!