If you’ve got a good business, then creating a (healthy) cult following is a great way to take it to the next level. This usually requires a lot of work, and some money. However, the rewards are great when you do it effectively. Here’s how to get started.
Know Your Customer
What are they into? Where do they hang out? What are their likes and dislikes? To which groups do they belong? Do you know their geographic, sociographic, psychographic, demographic, and behavioral attributes? Do you know their opinions, attitudes, activities, behaviors, values, and interests? Learn the answers to these questions and you’ll be closer to determining the best strategy for building a tribe around your business.
Anchor Your Business to Other Niches
Once you’ve identified your target audience, start hanging out with them. Sponsor events that they attend, even if those events are outside of your industry. Promote the things they’re into, even if those things aren’t related to the products that you sell. Your tribe will follow you because you get them. Do that, and they’ll see your product as an integral part of their lives.
Anchor Your Business to Things That Matter
Good health is important to everybody. So is the environment. Are you getting placements in blogs like Mind Body Green? If not, why not? If the answer is because it’s too expensive or too difficult, then try other blogs. A quick Google search will reveal lots of them, and you may find that it’s easier to strike a deal with a newer website like 1AND1 or StoicMeaning.com than it would be to get placement on a site like Daily Burn or The Minimalists.
Engage Your Audience
The first touch is just the beginning. If you want people to follow you, then you need to lead. Engage your audience, and make them feel accepted. Let them know that you want them in your tribe. Remind them in fact, that they are part of your tribe. Do this, and they will stay.