Where is Your Audience?

Now that you have an idea of who your audience is, it is time to start interacting with them. I highly recommend reaching out to your audience well before your project begins. That way you, are part of the community and not some stranger trying to make a fast buck. Of course that’s not what you’re trying to do, but if the audience doesn’t know you, it might come off that way.

If you’re passionate about the subject matter, chances are you’re already part of an online community. If not, now is the time to start looking. Look for any blog, podcasts, online video shows, forums, or social networks related to your subject matter. Start joining these online communities and try to get a sense of what they’re all about. You don’t have to contribute right away, but you can if you want.

The important thing is to try to understand what the culture of each community is. When you feel comfortable, start interacting and talking to people about your project. You’re not trying to sell it to them, you’re just trying to get their feedback. If you want to learn more about how to reach out to online communities effectively, I recommend Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Crush It. He is one of the best online marketers and is great at interacting with communities to build an audience.

Do you know anyone off-line that is interested in your subject matter? Ask them what communities they are part of. You can also ask them if they are willing to help promote your idea. Even though Kickstarter is built to spread ideas online, don’t be afraid to reach out to people off-line. The combination can be very powerful. Off-line contacts will probably communicate very differently from online contacts. They may send private e-mails and messages to their friends. Those personal forms of communication can be very powerful when trying to recruit support for an idea.

With some projects, talking about your idea early may not be possible. For example, if you’re making a product in a very competitive space, you might not feel comfortable about telling people the details of your project. That’s okay, but you should still become part of these communities. Maybe you can help in other ways such as giving advice or posting useful links. Do whatever you can to be helpful to others, so when the time comes, they may be willing to help you.

A Kickstart’s Guide to Kickstarter TOC:

pssst…you can read all of this offline by downloading the e-book.