Forever35 has over 16,000 members in their Facebook group versus a public page with just under 5,000 likes. People seem to be more inclined to join a group than like a page, too: beauty podcasts like Natch Beaut and Forever35 have more members in their private Facebook groups than on their public Facebook pages. Set up a Facebook group for your community - it’s free and gives your audience or customers somewhere to gather. Of course Facebook is an obvious place to build a following, but think beyond the standard public page. This establishes you as an expert or thought leader in your industry, and strengthens your ties within your own business community, too. You could start a podcast interviewing others in your industry, set up a team of like-minded creators to run a blog together, or use Instagram to highlight other business owners in your area. Then, when it comes time for the launch, you’ll have already grown a following and your audience will be eager to support you (and they’ll even be ready to drop a few dollars on your business). If you’re planning to launch a new product or business, think about how you could establish a following first, positioning yourself as an expert or resource in the space.

Hear me out: build your community first, with free stuff! To start, let’s brainstorm some clever approaches to your business, making use of online tools, and, well, providing free stuff. It’s possible to build a solid following before you even have anything to sell, so think about how to take advantage of the marketing reach of your budget, whatever it may be. Your community is made up of the people who will buy your products, because they trust you and believe in what you are doing. Think about marketing like you think about building your community.

Madame Moneypenny by Natascha Wegelin