Notes and Takeaways from The Audience Revolution
Source: Amazon.
When I read it: June 2019
Why I read it: After I read 1,000 copies, I realized I needed to create an audience to ensure the success of my next book. I bought this book to learn how to build an online audience. I chose it due the 100+ 5-star reviews on Amazon.
Go to the Amazon page for details and reviews.
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My notes
CORE IDEA —> Be an audience-first organization.
Audience-first is a philosophy. It’s about putting the needs of your audience above all else, and seeking to be of service to them as much as is possible.
The most successful people and businesses in the modern age achieve their results by making the world a better place —> they do this by putting the audience first.
There are four main categories of businesses that can benefit from a captive audience:
Selling Products —> physical goods, e-books, membership sites, etc.
Selling Services —> coaching, training, consulting, freelancing, writing, design, etc.
Selling Content —> articles, books, videos, etc.
Selling speaking — speaking at conferences, keynoting, workshops, etc.
Focus on growing your audience versus selling some product or service —> this allows you to focus on what the audience actually wants
This does not = giving everything away for free.
Free is not good for the audience for two reasons:
Free does not commit you to anything —> Paying a fee is a signal to yourself that “yes, this is something I’ve committed to”
Sales create sustainability of impact —> The only way for us to make a real impact is to do it sustainably.
Free stuff should serve your audience and demonstrate your expertise…
Anything that is quick and easy to digest is a good thing to give away for free —> articles, e-books, short videos.
Sustainability = any impact you make must have a net positive effect on your ability to create further impact.
Business = finding sustainable ways to accomplish whatever you want to accomplish, and make whatever impact you want to make.
Sales allow you to create a sustainable impact through your business.
This doesn’t mean charge more than you need (sustainability and gouging are not the same thing).
Sustainability is in the best interest of your audience; gouging is not.
Always focus on what’s best for each audience member and your audience as a whole.
Identify your audience.
Start by identifying the audience you want to serve (and who have a problem you can solve).
Focus on your unique abilities —> things that are hard for others, but easy for you.
Create a website.
Create an online presence (a simple website about who you are and what you are going to share, with an opportunity for visitors to give you a name and email address to receive more from you).
Then start driving traffic to your website.
Go where the people you want to reach already are and share your ideas with them and invite them to learn more from you site:
Blogs
Forums
Social media groups
Q&A sites
etc.
Once you have an audience, start selling something.
Focus on co-creation —> Involve your audience in the process of creating and marketing your offer.
Co-creation turns an audience member into an active partner.
3 steps:
Share your idea (and the story of how it came to you from the audience) and ask your audience if they want it.
Offer a minimum viable product for sale at a discounted price (but only for a limited number of beta customers who promise to give you feedback on how you can make things even better)
Leverage feedback from your beta customers to create full product (and offer it the world).
Repeat until you break through.
James Altucher is a good example of an audience-first writer (he published his personal phone number and invited readers to call him with their problems).
Questions for Startup to Last
Who's our ideal listener?
What are the things that are difficult for other people but easy for us -- what are our unique abilities? What groups find these difficult and want to learn how?
How can we invite more interaction for the audience we already have?