How Olu Adedeji used audience building to engineer word of mouth for his startup

Hey friends,

One of our favorite things is seeing the impact creating a strong online presence can have on people’s lives. Not celebrities or people with tens of thousands of followers, but regular people, just like all of us. There’s something super powerful about these stories. They show us that life-changing opportunities are within reach, that perseverance often pays off and that we too can be masters of our own luck.

Today, we’re going to learn how Olu Adedeji used his Twitter to engineer the Holy Grail of startup growth: word of mouth.

Olu is the founder of Prelo, a Sales Prospecting Platform for Digital Marketers and Early Stage Startups. When he's not working on Prelo, he is often on Twitter supporting founders on their entrepreneurial journey.

Here’s his story.

Tell us about your audience building journey: how and why did you decide to do this

In May 2021, I'd just come off a failed startup. I guess I wanted to share what I'd learned. So, I never actually set out to build an audience. I was looking for a way to get over my failed business by helping others.

What impact has audience building had for you?

I've been lucky enough to have been invited on a number of podcasts, so exposure for my current Startup (Prelo) has been incredible.

I've met some amazing people who would vouch for me, and promote Prelo without me ever asking them to.

Social proof is something I'll never take for granted, it's the heartbeat of most successful early stage businesses.

Now, let’s get in the weeds. What were the tactics that helped you grow the most? Why?

I did what worked for me, since I was building Prelo at the same time, I had to manage my time effectively.

I only posted once a day and engaged a LOT with my followers.

I connected with accounts that talked about the challenges that Startup founders faced and I offered help in the comments section of these posts.

This is perhaps not for everyone, but I also had about 10 founder meetings a week. I helped tons of founders with their go to market strategies and promoted their businesses to my network.

What is one piece of advice you wish someone gave you in the beginning of your audience building journey?

You can't help absolutely everybody. It's ok to say "no" and it's ok to push back if you feel it's become overwhelming.

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