SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE BEST PLATFORM TO BUILD AN ONLINE COMMUNITY?
Jai Stone: Your platform depends on your target audience. It all boils down to where they hang out and how they engage. For example, Millenials are on Instagram while Corporate Leadership is on Linkedin. But I will admit that I am partial to Facebook Groups. Most people have a Facebook account and the groups allow so many ways to communicate with and engage your community.
SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU ATTRACT PEOPLE TO YOUR BRAND?
Jai Stone: You attract a following by not being like everyone else. Unique gets you noticed, and imitation gets you ignored. Most folks online are cheap imitations of originals because they are too afraid to stand out. They would rather do what is popular, and that mindset gets them ignored. Don’t be afraid to be an oddball. People will admire your courage and follow you. I have a reputation for crazy hair color, which makes me more memorable in the marketplace.
SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GROW YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY?
Jai Stone: Consistently create relevant and engaging content. Blogs, videos, podcasts are all great ways to deliver your content, just make sure you’re not boring. But it is live streaming platforms like Periscope.TV that are making the biggest splash in the pool of online marketing tools.
SmallBizLady: WHAT IF I DONT LIKE MYSELF ON VIDEO OR LIVE STREAM?
Jai Stone: I’m going to say in the most polite way possible “GET OVER YOURSELF!” Don’t let silly self-judgments keep you from embracing your greatness. People only do business with folks they like, trust and feel connected to. Video is the fastest way to accomplish all three.
SmallBizLady: HOW LONG BEFORE YOU START MAKING MONEY ONLINE?
Jai Stone: I recommend waiting at least 60 days before you ask your audience to buy from you. Your audience needs time to build trust, and it is a progressive process. Start with lower price offers first, then as trust builds introduce more expensive offers. I also use the 20 to 1 Rule. For every one time, I ask for something (or make an offer), post 20 tips, quotes, insights or freebies. You must have far give than taking as a perceived value.
SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE BEST TOOLS TO UTILIZE?
Jai Stone: You need tools that will direct traffic to your online community or purchase options. For example, landing pages work great to direct folks where you need them to be. Ex: join a group, buy a product, join an e-mail list, or attend an event. Also, easy payment gateways like PayPal allow you to take quickly online payments.
SmallBizLady: WHAT IS A LANDING PAGE?
Jai Stone: A landing page is a single web page with only basic information about what you are promoting. The single page only has one action, so readers don’t get distracted.
SmallBizLady: HOW FREQUENTLY SHOULD I ENGAGE MY ONLINE COMMUNITY?
Jai Stone: You should engage them several times per day depending on the platform. That means 8-10 on Facebook but maybe 30 times per day on Twitter. But three times per day is plenty on Periscope.
SmallBizLady: HOW DO I KEEP THE COMMUNITY ACTIVELY ENGAGED?
Jai Stone: Any community can become disengaged. To avoid this, consistently introduce new tools, experts, and new members. There is nothing like energetic newbies that keep your community morale up. Another option is community challenges and giveaways.
SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU MOVE YOUR ONLINE AUDIENCE OFFLINE?
Jai Stone: People love being part of a community comprised of like-minded folks. Live events are a great way to allow your online community to interact in person. These offline events will get your online community to spend more money with you and each other. All this working together creates a self-sustaining financial eco-system. My annual event PeriCON Live is coming up April 21-22, 2016 in Atlanta, GA. Use discount code: SMALLBIZCHAT to get $50 off your ticket.
SmallBizLady: WHAT OF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE COMMUNITY YOU WANT TO REACH?
Jai Stone: You can only cater to one audience at a time. Anything more starts to confuse people in the marketplace. Focus on the community that is the most lucrative first then infuse elements or your other passions. Example: You make organic soap and you want to build a community for soap lovers, but your MAIN business is printing hats. Then your focus should be creating a hat lovers community but you can also create a couple of hats for soap lovers too. Remember, what you focus on is what will grow. If you aren’t earning money then you will just have a really big, broke brand!
SmallBizLady: CAN I RE-BRAND MY CURRENT COMMUNITY?
Jai Stone: You certainly can. The important thing is to communicate with your audience about your vision and the new direction of your community. Create cools graphics to give the message visual stimulation with your audience.
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For more tips on how to start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.