Retaining Your Audience

The final installment in the "audience" series.

In my last two paid newsletters about audience development, I wrote about defining and connecting with your book’s audience. Today, in the final installment, we’ll discuss retaining your audience.

Retaining your audience means tending to them even when you aren’t releasing a book in the immediate future. A mistake I often see authors make is that they go quiet on their platforms after publishing their books. Once you engage an audience, you must work to keep them. Here are some tips on how to do so:

Caring is Sharing!

Use this nifty acronym to remind yourself what you need to do:

C: Consistency=Post regularly. Twice a day is sufficient.

A: Authenticity=The most authentic version of yourself. I am the same person online as I am in person.

R: Reach=Pay attention to your reach. Look at the analytics of each of your posts. If content isn’t sticking, pivot.

E: Engagement=Engage with readers AND other writers. Platforms are not for monologues; they are for dialogues.

CONSISTENCY:

• Post regularly to build a loyal following. As I mentioned above, twice a day is sufficient.

• Don’t stray too much out of your lane. Do not talk about foreign topics or add your voice to a conversation you can sit out.

• Focus on quality over quantity. It is better to create two great posts than five bad ones.

• Stick with the platform(s) where you are most comfortable. There is no need to be on every platform. Pick one or two where you feel most comfortable, and develop your audience there.