How to “listen to your audience” when you DON’T HAVE an audience

Jun 22

Some of the most frustrating advice I've ever received has got to be to “listen to my audience.”

Experts told me this was the secret to creating products that would fly off the digital shelves and content that would go viral.

“Answer the questions your audience is asking.”
“Pay attention to what your audience is struggling with.”
“Give them what they're asking for.”

Great! Except… I didn't have an audience. At all.

My circle of family and friends was small and they were completely uninterested in what I was doing (at least, that's what I assumed).

And as for online followers… I had a few. Literally. 🙄

And if you have ever had a “few” social media followers, then you know… they're so silent it seems more like there are ZERO.

Here are a few practical ideas for what to do if you can relate to my struggle:

Try telling people about your idea, even if you KNOW they won't be interested. It can still be helpful to get their feedback, and it's good practice, and… you might be surprised!
Identify your competitors or online mentors who have similar businesses to what you want to create and listen to their audiences. Interact in the comments below their content (IG posts, YT videos, blog posts, FB groups, etc.). This is a great way to find out what questions people are asking and what they're struggling with!
Brainstorm people you know who might be interested and… just ask them what they think of your idea! (I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!)
Try beta launching your product (or your “coming soon” product) and see what happens. This can be a good way to test the waters and start building up hype for future launches.
Get connected! Networking with other entrepreneurs is a valuable way to get more feedback. Entrepreneurs love to help each other because we know… we're all in this together!
Join a mastermind. A mastermind is a small group of people with a similar goal (such as building online businesses) who meet together regularly to offer feedback, create accountability, and provide a sounding board. Finding a mastermind that's the right fit can both “upgrade your circle of influence” and be the start of valuable word-of-mouth connections (which often prove to be MORE valuable than an “audience”).

I know it's tough when you're starting out and nobody's listening to you… or responding! You can feel directionless because there are so many options and you don't know what people will really be interested in.

But I also KNOW you can figure this out. There are alternative ways you can get the feedback you need.

P.S. Interested in a mastermind, but not sure how to find one? I'd love to invite you to join ours! Let me know if you're interested. 🙂 You can email me at contact@gillianperkins.com.