It’s one thing to entice someone to follow you. It’s another for them to stay engaged.

Engagement on Instagram is more important than ever, largely due to the new algorithm. There’s a lot of talk about how to use the best filter for your brand photos or how to style your flat lay, but there are many more variables that factor into a post’s engagement.

Let’s break it down.

First, what is engagement, really? It’s a buzzword that is often thrown around but rarely defined. Think of it as an action your audience takes regarding your post. This could be in the form of double tapping a photo to like it, leaving a thoughtful comment, or even clicking the link in your bio.

Have a call-to-action (CTA) in every post

This does not mean changing your website link and saying ‘link in bio’ at the end of every. single. caption. It’s important to change up your CTA to keep things fresh, unique, and unpredictable. The most overlooked CTA is asking your audience a relevant question. It’s the most simple way to start a conversation.

Adding a question at the end of your caption gives your followers a quick, clear way to share their thoughts rather than having to mentally search for something to say on their own. Once you’ve got your audience’s attention, keep it until the end with an engaging question.

Tell a story in your caption

Every now and then it’s okay to have a witty one-liner, but people are following you on Instagram because they want to get to know you. The more you open up (see buzzword: transparency) and share your heart along with your work, the more you’ll make a lasting impact.

Match the story in your caption to the story in your photo

The stories in your caption and photo don’t have to match up perfectly but they should be similar enough to make sense when blended together. When they have a similar mood, vibe, and sentiment, you’ll be able to share a variety of stories within your brand.

For example, if you have a picture of a beautiful sunset you are dying to share but your primary goal with Instagram is promoting your handmade goods, you can post the photo and talk about a recent highlight or “ah-ha” moment that changed your approach to business or a new sales or subscribers goal that you reached with the help of Instagram friends.

Include *relevant* hashtags

You’ve probably heard a lot about how important hashtags are to your Instagram’s success because it’s true. When you use relevant hashtags, you’re able to find and attract dreamy clients, buyers, and readers who are already interested in the subject matter of your post. I chat a bit more about hashtags in my Instagram captions post.

Make the most of the characters you have in your caption before ‘Read More’

Remember when Instagram showed the entirety of post captions in our home feeds? Oh, those were the days. Now the tool gives you about three lines before it hides the rest of your caption behind a ‘read more’ link.

Think of it like Twitter. You only have a few dozen characters to make an impact so your first sentence should act as a hook to entice your audience to take action. The action, in this case, is reading more. Keep this in mind when you’re crafting your captions.

Optimize your time for engagement

One of the best ways to increase your engagement is to free up more time for it. You can plan your content (photos, hashtags, CTAs, and captions) all in one sitting so posting every day becomes a simple task.

My favorite tool for this is Later, formally Latergramme, which allows you to schedule and plan your Instagram posts from your mobile or desktop. It even sends reminders to your phone if you have a tendency to forget like me. (Oops!)

The post 6 Steps to Higher Engagement on Instagram appeared first on Sindie.

Anyway, you probably have heard about the effectiveness of Twitter chats in community building, partly because I talk about it all the time like here and here.

While hosting my #createlounge Twitter chat has been the biggest game-changer for my brand, I realize hosting a consistent weekly Twitter chat isn’t for everyone, but it’s not the only way to utilize Twitter chats.

Say whaaaaa?

Let me explain.

Although you may initially think the only way to build an audience is through a consistent chat, hosting a one-time chat or chat series can produce incredible community results while not having to commit to hosting an ongoing weekly chat.

This is done best when it’s around the launch of a specific product or service. Not only does it increase the visibility of the product or service, but it also gives you and your target audience some other real benefits.

You create a natural conversation around your product or service

Emphasis on the word ‘natural’. Gone are the days when people thought they could just schedule a few tweets pointing to their product or service with a link that says ‘buy now!’ and expect it to convert well. You’re a smart cookie and know there’s a better way to serve your audience through social media.

Live Twitter chats help you create a dialogue around the subject matter of your product or service in a non-icky way. This is most naturally done with an educational topic.

Let’s say you’re pre-selling an ebook that covers a 5-day approach to building a new brand and website. To keep it highly actionable, you could center the conversation around one of the foundational topics from the ebook and break it down into questions that will get your audience thinking about what they could learn even further by investing in a copy of your ebook.

This conversation will also give incredible value to the people participating who can learn from not only your advice but from others who join in too. This helps your credibility and authority while building a super-engaged community.

It optimizes your time during a launch

We’re all looking for ways to best utilize the time we have, especially during a big launch. Often times we find ourselves having to answer several emails, sometimes regarding the same questions, in order to help potential buyers understand our product or service.

Instead, you could direct your audience to the Twitter chat so you can answer their questions live as well as connect them instantly with your community. #winning

Which would you choose: a one-hour public Twitter chat creating an additional valuable conversation or 4-5 collective hours spent in your inbox, feeling like you have to give template responses to keep up? It’s a no-brainer.

You give your potential buyers access to you

This is a HUGE deal. Like a webinar or workshop, a Twitter chat allows you to easily interact with people who are interested in your product or service all in one place.

Who would you rather invest in: someone who creates good content but can’t be reached during the launching process OR someone who creates good content but takes the time to answer your questions?

When you make yourself available to answer questions and have conversations with your audience around a launch, you’re giving them special access. Then they think Hey, if I get this value for free, it must be over-the-top *amazing* when I work with them.

Besides, you’re never too big to talk to your audience.

So what all goes into hosting a one-time Twitter chat?

Luckily, the process is fairly simple if you have a strong foundation that can take you from strategy to prep to launch.

My course #CHATBOSS takes you from building a Twitter chat strategy including finding your niche and honing in on your target audience all the way, to doing the prep work of scripting your chat questions, creating enticing visuals, announcing your chat the right way, to what it looks like to put a Twitter chat into action and give value after.

The post 3 BIG Reasons Why Hosting a One-Time Twitter Chat Can Be a Game-Changer for Your Launch appeared first on Sindie.

If there’s even some small part of you that have thought about chat hosting, whether on a consistent weekly basis or as a one-time event around your product or service launch, these insights will hopefully be ultra helpful.

The real value of Twitter is in real-time conversations

I’ve used Twitter in countless ways. I’ve used it as a personal brand in order to secure internship and post-grad job opportunities, as a PR and social media blogger, and as the voice of various companies I’ve worked for. Through each application, I’ve seen how invaluable real-time conversations are.

While it’s great to use Twitter as a way to introduce yourself to someone new or quickly catch up, it often leads to building surface-level relationships of one-off conversations. Where Twitter holds the most value is in its live chats where like-minded people can all gather in one shared place. That’s where deep connections are made and advice is spread like wildfire.

You will reach your target audience and beyond

Of course knowing your target audience is important before starting your chat, which is something we cover in #CHATBOSS, but what about the people who join that are outside of your target audience? This is bound to happen since Twitter is a public forum and chat hashtags catch on quickly, but this can provide an interesting learning opportunity.

For example, if you’re hosting a chat for branding and graphic designers, you may see some web designers or even photographers come to chat depending on the topic. While your target audience continues to be those branding and graphic designers, you will still learn a lot from the other creatives who join. You can learn from how your target audience interacts with other creative types as they share their own unique perspectives.

Your position is to facilitate the space, not dictate the conversation

I even want to give myself an a-freaking-men for this. *insert crying laughing emoji*

Your job is not to fiercely direct the conversation to exactly where you want it to go. Your job is to create a space, determine a topic, and let the conversation flow and happen on its own. The quality of the conversation is much better that way anyway.

No matter what, own your process

In my conversation with Ashley Beaudin, the host behind the #fireandwindco chat, in my 10 episode audio series on community building, I discovered how differently we both run our Twitter chats. While I create and share the questions before the chat, she creates the questions as she goes. While I prioritize welcoming each participant to the chat, she prioritizes speaking truth over participants who need it most.

Neither Ashley nor I am wrong in how we approach our Twitter chats. Different communities call for different leadership styles so determining what your process is from the get-go helps everything run more smoothly. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, just like in any other area of your blog or business.

You’re ultimately building more than a Twitter chat

You’re not just building a Twitter chat. In essence, you’re building a hub for your community, a place for them to support and rally around one another. That’s a really special thing.

If you’re ready to grow your brand’s community by hosting your own Twitter chat, I created the #CHATBOSS course just for you. Along with learning how to be an epic chat host, you’ll also learn how to narrow in your focus, find your purpose, and connect with your people. It’ll have you like WHOA, trust me.

The post 5 Things I Learned From Hosting My Own Twitter Chat appeared first on Sindie.

Sitting on a patio during a local mini-mastermind meeting with Sarah and Anthony, they asked me how my business was doing now that I had taken the leap.

I was excited to tell them I had a consistent flow of coaching clients coming in, was working on a few new products I was particularly jazzed about, and that the #createlounge expansions were in full swing, but then I shared something I had yet to say out loud: I was starting to feel one-dimensional.

Feeling one-dimensional is a problem for me since I’ve always been multi-passionate. It’s just how I’m wired. While others stick to the mastery of one craft, I yearn to explore all facets of my creativity.

Luckily, there’s a way to niche down without feeling one-dimensional.

These actions are helping me along the way and I hope they can help you too if you’re starting niching down is feeling constricting.

Find a new creative outlet

Bonus points if it is unrelated to your business! Sharpening a new skill and finding a new place to pour your creative energy into doesn’t have to take energy away from your business. It can instead restore your creativity so you can come back to your work with a fresh perspective and new ideas.

That thing you’ve been meaning to do? You should go do that. For me, it’s watercolor painting, something I never thought I’d try after bad art class experiences with paper mache and sculpting clay. (Don’t ask!) Will I ever start a blog about painting or sell one of my canvas pieces? All signs point to no, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of my time to explore that ache.

Give a behind-the-scenes look into your life

One of the best ways I’ve found to combat feeling one-dimensional is to share something else that is happening in my life. It not only better connects me with my audience, but also gives me more freedom to be who I really am and show up in a bigger way. I do this primarily through Twitter and Instagram, but feel free to choose the platform that fits you best.

Sharing these updates are also a great reminder that there is a real person behind your brand, a person with many interests, perspectives, and values.

Don’t put your everything into one thing

You’ve heard the phrase ‘Don’t put your eggs all in one basket’. The same is true for your business and life. No single facet of your life should make up your full identity. I say this as someone who is recovering from making work my everything. Your title should never stop you from exploring a new facet of your creativity.

Give yourself some space

Listen to cues from your body and mind. Are you feeling stressed, anxious, uninspired? First, know that your feelings are valid. Second, you may need to give yourself a break. If you need to take a small hiatus or take a creative retreat, do that! You’ll come back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to tackle your upcoming tasks.

The post How to Stop Feeling One-Dimensional in Your Niche appeared first on Sindie.

I have been waiting months to not only write but share this post with you all. The time has come to tell you all about where #createlounge is growing in our new, exciting season.

Before I unveil the details, let’s back up a bit. For over a year, #createlounge has been an inviting space for intimate conversations with fierce creatives. We’ve done this primarily through hosting regular Twitter chats on Wednesdays at 7 PM CT. We’ve covered everything from Cultivating Your Voice to Redefining Success to Photography Styling to Conquering Self Doubt and beyond.

Once we hit #createlounge’s first birthday last January, I knew it was time for our community to have its own space, its own home. This community is so much bigger than me so I decided a new website was in order. Enter createlounge.com (official launch on May 12!)

Truth is, I never set out for #createlounge to be its own brand, per se. At the time I first hosted these chats, I had already rebranded my blog name two times and happily decided to build my personal brand because my name was future proof. Little did I know that the minute I stopped trying to find my “next big thing”, it found me.

I started the Twitter chat right after I graduated college as an excuse to consistently connect with inspiring creatives and encourage them in their own creative work. I remember being worried five minutes before the chat that no one would come, but I did it anyway. We had a great turn out for the first chat, but what I didn’t expect was how many of those people would come back every single week.

We’ve seen our community members launch their words into the world through new blogs, bravely share and sell their artwork, and launch fulfilling businesses, all while making true friends along the way.

We are keeping our weekly Twitter chats at the center of our community, but we have some new extensions to help continue the motivating conversations and grow our community in an intentional direction.

#createlounge podcast

To all of those who asked for a podcast after I launched The Power of We audio series, thank you for encouraging me to continue pursuing audio content. I finally made the decision to create a podcast with an extra nudge from one of my dreamiest client, Katie of Designer Guidebook. Then it was time to plan.

This podcast is an extra special passion project for me as I have taken on my brother, Zach (but you’ll hear me refer to him as Z from here on out), as our audio producer! He’s been hard at work composing intro and outro music and editing all the episodes.

We will be launching new podcast episodes with special guests from our very own community every Thursday starting on May 12. Then the following Wednesday we will discuss the topic through our Twitter chat with our podcast guests joining in. This is meant to keep the intimacy of these transparent conversations while creating an open discussion in the process.

#createlounge monthly book club

Because our community seems to trade book recommendations in every chat, I’ll be co-hosting a monthly book club with #createlounge regular, Douglas Humphries. We will be announcing more details when the website goes live but as a teaser, our first book in June will be Big Magic, one of our community’s favorites.

#createlounge Instagram challenges

So many of our community members document their creative process on Instagram so we thought this platform would be a great place to grow. We will be starting our first Instagram challenge, #30daysofcreating, TODAY through our new community account, @createloungehq. It will include daily prompts to help us create something new every day, but of course, you can share anything you’re working on. This will lead up to our website launch!

#createlounge dedicated website

I know I teased this throughout the post, but I want to talk more about the people who are helping to bring this to life. Everything about my own website has been done in a DIY-fashion, but I knew I wanted to collaborate with creatives from the community for our new online space.

I’ve been working with Christina Conrad on the visual storytelling aspect of the site through swoon-worthy brand photography. Allison from Painted Summers has been working hard on the beautifully hand-crafted logo for #createlounge since I naturally wanted something handmade for the site. While Alyssa Mopia was in town recently, she shot some photos of me that really capture the essence of my passion for this community. It’s been incredible collaborating with each of these ladies to bring the website to life.

It’s been incredible to see multiple hands on this project, proving that we can create bigger and better things together than we can apart. While I have many dreams for where this community can continue to grow beyond these new extensions, I am rooted in my gratitude for where we are now and where we will grow in this new season.

The post #createlounge: State of the Union appeared first on Sindie.

Brands are flocking to Instagram and rightfully so. The power of visual marketing on Instagram is like no other social platform we’ve seen to date.

While some brands are putting their entire focus on hitting the next thousand follower mark as quickly as possible, you’re smart and know that engagement is the most important metric on Instagram. Luckily, we’re not the only ones who think so.

Instagram recently updated their Top Posts algorithm to highlight photos with the highest engagement rates, meaning it compares the ratio of interactions (such as likes and comments) to the number of followers. This is why you’ll see photos in the Top Posts section with a wide range of likes from an even wider range of follower counts.

No matter if you are just starting your online business Instagram account or ramping up your Instagram game, engagement should be your primary focus. One of the best ways to inspire engagement is through your Instagram captions.

You’re already investing time into shooting and editing photos for your eye-catching Instagram feed. Now it’s time to seal the deal with your captions and start a conversation with your target audience.

Let’s break it down!

Include only one CTA

Every photo in your Instagram feed should serve one purpose. That purpose is to get your audience to take an action. Giving your audience several options at once actually discourages them from taking action on any one of them.

Instead, include one CTA, which is an abbreviation for “call-to-action.” Here are some common CTAs you’ll find in Instagram captions:

• Click the link in the bio
• Answer a question
• Tag your friends in the comment section
• Poll your audience for their vote
• Repost an image

The list goes on. Remember, do not distract your audience from the real action you want them to take. If it’s to give you feedback on something specific, don’t reference a link in your bio and ask people to tag their friends. Focus in for your best results.

Choose the right hashtags

Hashtags are one of the best and worst things about Instagram. They are great for helping you build your reach but are often abused by users who fill them with irrelevant photos. You only want to use the hashtags that will help you reach your dreamy clients and buyers.

To find hashtags that are relevant to you, look at other professionals in your niche to see which hashtags they’re using, especially if they have a highly engaging feed. You can also look for people on Instagram who fit your ideal client/buyer/reader profile and look at which hashtags they use on a regular basis.

Tell a story

Sure, you could write a quick one-liner, but it’s not as engaging as a story would be. Of course, the story doesn’t have to be a novel, but in order to start a conversation in your comment section, you’ll want to spend some time crafting an interesting story. This especially works well for personal brands.

It’s important that your caption adds real value to your photo. After all, your main goal is to inspire your audience enough to hit the Read More button so they can continue connecting with you. The comments that follow are priceless.

Not sure which story to tell or even how to tell your story? These questions might help you get started:

• If your photo could talk, what would it say?
• What story is most relevant to your life right now?
• Can a past memory be paired with a recently captured photo?
• How does this story help me tell my bigger brand story?

Infuse your personality

People want to connect with people, not logos. Humanize your Instagram captions by cultivating your own unique voice. The more approachable and authentic your written voice feels, the more you’ll be able to build loyalty and trust.

Another way to showcase your personality and add a little pizazz is through emojis! One way to discover your emoji style (if that’s not a thing, let’s make it one!) is to look at the Frequently Used emoji keyboard on your photo. Which ones feel on-brand? Consider it your new emoji dictionary.

The post The Anatomy of an Effective Instagram Caption appeared first on Sindie.

Note: I wanted to name this post “How to Kick Your Fears to the Curb, Punch Doubt in the Face, and Do Your First Scope” but it seemed a tad long.

It’s no secret that video has become an insanely effective platform for growing your business. While true, getting in front of a camera can be downright terrifying for many of us.

The scariest of all: live video.

While the thought of creating unedited video content may make you shift uncomfortably in your seat, I’m a firm believer that if you’re scared while doing something, it probably means you’re onto something big.

I’ve been scoping since last August but I remember my first scope like it was yesterday. It felt like my nerves were having a go-kart race with how quickly I was talking myself in and out of broadcasting.

Imagine my surprise when two months later, my first community coaching client came from Periscope. I know Periscope can be a game changer for your brand too.

The great thing about Periscope is that it:

• allows your audience to connect with the (literal) face of your brand
• helps you rapidly build your thought leadership in your niche
• builds community rather quickly and in an authentic way
• takes less time than planning and editing a YouTube video/webinar/workshop (Can I get an amen?!)

Eminem said it best: Guts > Fear.

Here are a few tips to get you more comfortable:

Write a few talking points on a note card

Are you nervous about freezing up on camera and not knowing what to say? Outlining a few of your thoughts on a note card may help. Jotting down some quick bullet points to reference during your scope can give you that extra dose of security before starting your broadcast. Heck, I used a note card for my first month of broadcasts. Do what makes you feel most comfortable.

Even though you have some talking points, give yourself some wiggle room to explore your topic. Periscope is about interacting with your audience, not just being a talking head. It’s much more casual than a webinar presentation so let your hair down and be yourself. You can do it!

Cover something you know inside and out

I cannot stress this enough. You’ll already have a few nerves when scoping (hey, it’s normal!) so choosing a topic you know like the back of your hand will help you feel more at ease.

Ask yourself: What is my expertise? What is my edge? What could I talk to someone else about and never run out of new things to say? That’s what you should scope about for your first time.

Try a private scope with a few blogging besties (BBFFs)

If you’re worried about the smaller things like how to flip the camera or end a broadcast, a private scope can help you work out the tech issues and kinks so you are focused solely on creating engaging content when you do your first scope. Your besties can also comment during your private scope so you can get a feel for answering comments at the same time as teaching your content.

Ask your community to join in

Want your people to watch your first scope? Just ask! Really, it’s as simple as that. Whether you decide to give them days, weeks, or just a few minutes notice, tell them that you’ll be jumping on to talk about the topic you’ve chosen. If you’ve been investing in your community, you’ll find many will be more than happy join in and cheer you on.

Okay, so now you’ve got the nerves out. Here are a few things to keep in mind while scoping to keep things in perspective.

Don’t get hung up on the number of people tuning in

The most common fear I hear from bloggers and entrepreneurs who haven’t jumped on the Periscope train yet is “what if no one tunes in?” I want to start by saying I have never heard of anyone scoping without anyone joining in. It’s time to put that fear to bed and scope anyway.

As an extra tip, if you put “first time scoping” or another variation of this in your broadcast title, many people will hop in just to say hello and encourage you in your first broadcast. Periscope is cool like that.

Don’t worry about your heart count either

You do not need X amount of hearts for your scope to be seen as valuable. Repeat that until you believe it. Forget about this vanity metric for your first scope and focus more on creating an engaging conversation around the comments you receive during the broadcast.

*Everyone* flubs

No one, I repeat, NO ONE expects your broadcast to be perfect. Perfect is boring to watch anyway. Flubbing does not equal failure, friends. Is the fear of saying “um” or “like” one too many times keeping you from interacting with your audience? Don’t let it.

Don’t hit delete after you stop your broadcast

When you hit the ‘end broadcast’ button, I’m willing to bet a part of you will be tempted to hit the delete button on your replay. I know because I heard this little voice after my first few scopes too. Whatever you do, don’t delete it!

There’s no right or wrong way to scope, so have fun with it!

The post The Non-Scary Guide to Your First Periscope Broadcast appeared first on Sindie.

It’s no secret that Twitter chats are my jam.

I’ve been participating in them for almost three years. Heck, I even host one, but earlier this week it occurred to me that there are still bloggers and entrepreneurs who haven’t been introduced to the wonderful world of Twitter chats.

I’m a little embarrassed it took me a year of hosting #createlounge before I wrote a post on the basics of how and why to join a Twitter chat, but no time like the present, eh?

Let’s start at the very beginning.

What is a Twitter chat and how do I join one?

Essentially, it’s a group of like-minded people who gather on Twitter on a consistent day and time to discuss specific themes. To join, you simply search for the chat’s dedicated hashtag on Twitter or a third-party platform (I recommend TweetDeck) and voila! You’re ready to start chatting.

When you’re participating in a chat, remember to:

• say hello and introduce yourself (we’ll touch on this later in the post)
• state that it’s your first time at the chat so the host can welcome you
• use the hashtag in ALL of your tweets so everyone can see your tweets/replies
• have a different tab open for your notifications and the live hashtag feed so you can switch between the two tabs for efficient browsing and interacting

Why join a Twitter chat?

You can connect with like-minded creatives
Instead of having to spend hours scrolling through your news feed and hunting for cool people to follow, you can simply join a Twitter chat and quickly meet those people all in one place.

It’s arguably the best way to build a community on Twitter
Regularly posting and interacting on Twitter is great, but people pop in and out of the platform so much that it can be hard to have an actual conversation. Twitter chats allow you other incredible creatives who are all dedicating the same hour of their day to the same gathering. It’s real-time engagement gold.

You can listen to your audience and discover what they really want
When I first started participating in Twitter chats, I naturally used them as a way to connect with new friends, but chats became a total game changer when I treated them as a research platform.

Just think about it, you’re able to regularly get an inside look into what your people need because they share it through their answers and interactions. This can especially help new bloggers and entrepreneurs who don’t feel they have a big enough audience to survey quite yet.

Twitter chats are for talking, yes, but when you listen for these cues, magic happens.

Which Twitter chats are worth participating in?

There are hundreds of Twitter chats that have been developed from a wide array of interests, but don’t let that overwhelm you. I’ve already done some of the heavy-lifting for you by putting together a list of great Twitter chats for creativepreneurs, but there may be others you want to participate in.

You’ll want to participate in chats that:

• have participants that fit your ideal reader profile (aka your target audience)
• feature topics you can show your expertise in
• work with your schedule (darn international time zones)
• are consistent, whether that means weekly, biweekly, or monthly
• are hosted by someone you want to connect more with

What can I prepare for a Twitter chat?

An intro
This is one of the most important elements to have nailed down before participating in chats. People want to know (1) who you are, (2) what you do, and (3) who you help.

Yes, there is a way to package all of that up in an 140 character friendly way. Not sure where to begin? Here are a few thought starters to help you craft your intro.

• “I help [target audience] with [what you do] by [how you help them]”
• “I’m a [your title] who helps [target audience] do [what you do]”
• “I believe in helping [target audience] to [what you do] through [core values]”

If you’re not sure what fits, try various intros in different chats. See which intro people reply to the most and say they want to learn more about what you do. You’ll also find what feels right to you.

Answers
Some chats allow you to preview the chat questions before the chat starts. You can use this opportunity to prep your answers so you can use more time engaging during the chat rather than staring at your blinking cursor trying to come up with something to say on the spot. We’ve all been there.

A full hour of your time AND attention
In order to get the most of Twitter chats, it’s important to dedicate your full attention to the conversation. If you’re trying to write a blog post and schedule social media posts at the same time as participating in a Twitter chat, it will not yield the best results.

Instead, leave your phone on silent, shut off app notifications for the hour, and just immerse yourself in the Twitter chat community. Use your time to craft epic answers and, more importantly, have conversations with people you really connect with.

Ready to participate in a Twitter chat?
See you around Twitter!

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any additional questions as I’m happy to answer them. 

Additional reading on Twitter chats: 

• How to Make a High Volume Twitter Chat Feel More Intimate. Click here to read.
• Best Twitter Chats for Creativepreneurs. Click here to read.
• Twitter Bios: Describing What You Do in 140 Characters. Click here to read.
• Twitter Chats: To Host or Not To Host? Click here to read.
• One Year of #createlounge: The Stats and The Stories. Click here to read.

The post How and Why to Join a Twitter Chat appeared first on Sindie.

Remember that #EpiphanyScope where I promised I’d write a post about the difference between building an audience and community? Well, today I’m delivering.

I often see the terms “audience” and “community” used synonymously, but the process that goes into building both couldn’t be more different.

Although I specialize in helping creative entrepreneurs build sustainable, organic communities, I also know the importance of building an audience that supports your community efforts.

That’s why we are going to cover the difference between audience and community building and a few tips to help you grow both, but let’s start with definitions.

What is an audience?

Your audience is comprised of people who consume your content and even buy your products but with little to no interaction with you.

These people are commonly known as “lurkers”. They come to your website for the goods but don’t take a community action like commenting on your blog post or following up with you on social.

Your audience is often reflected in your pageviews as they can account for a large portion of your traffic. While you’re able to easily track your traffic analytics, it’s hard to determine if those pageviews are coming from your ideal clients with just audience-building techniques. This is one instance where having a community can be extremely beneficial.

What is a community?

Your community is comprised of people who not only regularly consume your content and buy your products but also take action by sharing it and regularly interacting with you. I like to call your community the “feel-good” side of business.

Community breeds die-hard supporters, those who are willing to shout how much they love you from the rooftops. Okay, maybe not exactly, but I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic.

Your community is often reflected in the engagement on your blog, social media, and even in your inbox (hello fun newsletter replies!) The higher the engagement, the more you’re pouring into your people. *high five*

Now that you’re clear on the differences between an audience and a community, how do you go about growing them?

Ways to build your audience:

Designing a stellar user experience

Put yourself in the shoes of a first-time visitor of your website. What catches their eye first? Are all of the visuals on-brand? Is there ample white space and breathing room?

If a visitor can’t navigate your website, they will navigate away from it. A big reason why I migrated from Blogger to Squarespace was to provide a more user-friendly navigation.

Beautiful things happen when you prioritize the user journey. Use your analytics to see which pages your visitors are staying on and which they are leaving from (commonly known as your bounce rate). Analytics don’t paint the whole picture but can reveal some areas for optimization.

Creating a top-level content strategy

What is something a lurker can’t peel their eyes away from? An actionable, I-can’t-believe-this-advice-is-free piece of content.

While one piece of valuable content is great, a full archive of them is even better. This comes from having a consistent content strategy in place that wows your target audience.

Here’s the fun part: creating content so memorable that the lurkers may opt-in for your content upgrade (aka extra juicy piece of content created solely for your mailing list subscribers) or comment on your blog post to tell you how much it helped them. This simple action gives you the opportunity of turning them from an audience member to a community member.

Posting pin-worthy graphics

Pinterest can be one of the best, if not the best social platform to grow your traffic. It’s where many lurkers go to hang out.

Even spending as little as 15 minutes a day pinning new content from your blog and other relevant sources can yield great results. The first step to upping your Pinterest game is by creating images that are:

• Branded (includes your brand’s fonts, color palette, and logo)
• Vertical
• Fitting your audience’s aesthetic
• Clean and minimal

While Pinterest may not be built for community building, it can raise your brand awareness in a big way. This will help your brand become memorable, both visually and through your written, audio, or video content.

Ways to build your community:

Showing an interest in what your community members do

I cannot stress the importance of this step in community building. Nothing makes a person feel more fuzzy and warm inside than someone taking an interest in getting to know them. The more genuine the action is, the more genuine the reaction is.

You may be thinking it’s impossible to reach out to each and every one of your readers. I hear you. Let’s try a super simple weekly activity to help you get in the habit of making these one-on-one connections.

To start, look through your new followers each week and choose 5-10. Carve out 30 minutes to visit each of their websites to learn more about what they do.

Then spend another 30 minutes reaching out to them on your platform of choice. I’d suggest Twitter or Instagram because of its quick but effective nature.

Don’t forget to add a personalized detail! We’ve all gotten the “hey, love your blog” comments but a comment that says “I really enjoyed your post on X and it helped me do Y so I’m looking forward to more content from you” is much more powerful.

Taking just an hour a week to do this can help you feel more connected to your community members and reveal more about your target audience. The person could even be a business bestie in the making. It’s all about showing you care.

Replying to comments, tweets, and emails

Never underestimate the power of one-on-one conversations. When your community members write you a comment, tweet, or email, you should reply back. You’re never too big to talk to your people.

If you’ve ever talked yourself out of replying back to your community because it takes too much time, remember that they understand when it’s not instantaneous. Receiving a reply a few days later is always better than radio silence.

Consistently showing up on social media

Social media is often the place where readers go to reach out to you. These are people who are inviting you into their feed so it’s important to show up and provide value on a daily basis.

A regular schedule shows consistency. *mic drop*

Showing up on social may look different depending on your brand. Maybe you’ll host regular office hours in Periscope where your community members can join you live and ask you questions on the spot. Maybe hosting a weekly Twitter chat is more your thing.

Whatever the platform may be, you’re consistently making yourself available for your community which is a huge deal. This may also be the step where some of your audience members become full-fledged community members.

Sharing their relevant content on social

Who doesn’t like to see their content has been given a shout out on social? It’s an awesome feeling, but social is a two-way street.

When someone in your community shares your content:

• First, say thank you like our momma’s taught us to do.
• Then visit their website to see what they do and who they help.
• If relevant, check out their blog and read a few posts to find your favorite.
• Finally, share it with your POV (point-of-view) rather than just link dropping.

When you use your influence (yes, you have influence, friends!) to give back, you show how important community is to your brand.

The post The Difference Between Growing an Audience and Community (and Why Both Matter!) appeared first on Sindie.

When people ask “what is the first step in building a community?”, my answer often is to become a community member first.

All great leaders who have built something bigger than themselves have been a part of something bigger first.

Before starting #createlounge, I participated in various PR and social-focused Twitter chats for over a year and a half, even before launching my blog. While participating, I found there was a big gap: no one was talking to creative bloggers and entrepreneurs, my people. I set out to fill that gap with #createlounge and now almost a year later, our community is still going strong and making an impact.

I started as a community member and transitioned into a community leader with ease because of how long I had been active in other communities. Here are a few benefits of starting as a community member first:

You’ll either strengthen or shift your mission

Have you ever been a part of a community that changes how you approach something? They can offer enlightenment and show what your audience needs more of. When you go where your audience already is and listen to what they need, you will have more direction when you start to build your own community platform.

For example, you may initially have wanted to start a Twitter chat for professional travel photographers but after being a part of a travel Facebook group with an audience who is craving photo tips, you may be inspired to start a Facebook group that aims to help anyone traveling capture their memories on camera like a pro.

Keep your eyes and ears open!

You’ll learn quickly how you want to make your community different

There are things you can’t learn about building your own community until you’re a part of a similar one that already exists. That way, you can identify what that group may be missing so you can fill your audience with extra value when you start your own.

After participating in several Twitter chats, I noticed a few things I would do differently if I was the host. Some of them included:

• sending the questions the morning of so people could prepare their answers
• summarizing the chat with Storify highlight recaps
• creating a Spotify playlist for our chat participants (so fun!)
• basing the timing of the questions on the flow of chat interaction vs. scheduling them
• doing things beyond the Twitter chat (like video calls, local meetups, and more!)

Of course, these characteristics aren’t a fit for everyone, but they were for me and guided my strategy and process when I first started. Ask yourself “what is nobody else in my niche currently doing that needs be done?” and go do that! It’s the best way to stand out from the get-go.

You’ll have visibility in your niche before starting

One of the most common fears any of us have when launching something new is that we’ll hear crickets. When you are a member of another community first, you’ll already be making connections within your niche while building the visibility of your thought leadership platform.

And yes, there are non-icky ways to showcase your expertise. Your thoughtful responses to members in the group will be enough to raise your credibility and authority without the need to feel spammy with self-promotion. *Phew*.

The audience in that community will then associate you with your blend of expertise, the niche you identify with, and your unique traits (in a combination that I call “your edge“) and will be more apt to join the community you build because of it.

You’ll see the importance of sharing the community love

A confident community leader is one who is willing to give shout-outs to other communities. We are all here to be a resource, a way to connect like-minded people with one another for a bigger purpose.

We don’t “own” any of our members, so it’s important to beat the comparison game and remember why ALL of our communities are needed in this digital space.

You can still be a raving fan of someone else’s community while still feeling the need to build one of your own.

This post wouldn’t be complete without sharing some of the communities I’m active in and totally love:

• The Creative’s Corner
• #GoIndependent
• The Badass Solopreneur Society
• #nectarchat
• #creativecoffeehour
• Full list of Twitter chats I recommend

Are your wheels starting to turn? Awesome! Get out there and start connecting, and keep a notebook by your side while you brainstorm.

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