Baby steps into building a profitable online brand.

The easiest way to build loyal customers is to build an online brand. Of course, followers do not equate to customers. But if pay attention to how you build your brand, at least 10% of your followers will be customers. If you have 1,000 followers and 100 of them buy something specific from you and no one else, you are already off to a flying start in your online business journey.

So, what is the most important thing in building that first 1,000 followers (where 10% will be your customers)? It is rooted in what you decide to talk about. I shared all 7 principles here, but let’s go deeper on the most important thing.

Deciding What to Talk About 🔗

There are two angles to building a brand online. The first one is more challenging where you have nothing to sell yet and you just want to get famous first. Nothing is wrong with that, but transitioning that into what to sell has to be a careful art. You must choose what you decide to sell with a lot of wisdom and insight.

The second angle is much easier. This is when you already have something to sell. So, you are just looking for the right branding that will sell the product or service. People in this category are easier to help. This is because mistakes are less costly and there is a lot of room to explore and grow.

The focus here will be on the second angle. And that is people who already have something to sell. But there is a caution.

You must believe in what you are selling. If it is just something you do to make money, you will not be able to build a brand around it. If you accidentally do, you will grow to detest the brand.

The key to having that first 1,000 people excited about what you do is to talk about the right thing. This is not talking about your product or service.

Be a Hero 🔗

You have to be a hero to a group of people. Not like a superhero kind of thing, but you have to come out to champion something that your target audience are already emotionally invested in.

Most people make the mistake of trying to convince others of what they have to offer. In building a loyal customer base (which is a brand), you confirm and affirm people’s notions, ideas, or beliefs. You don’t try to convince a doubter.

But we all fall into that trap most times. We are trying to persuade people who are on the other side of the fence. But to ace branding, you talk to people who agree with you.

What you choose to talk about must be related to what you offer. But it must not be about your offer. For example, if you have a solution, talk about the problem. If you have a deep and intimate understanding of the problem, people will assume you have a solution.

You know you have aced branding when people who have listened to you for a while can make a pitch on your behalf. When they get it like that, you have won.

Niche 🔗

This is hard for most people, but it is very powerful. To talk about one thing and talk about nothing else. Some of us are “divergent” and feel the impulse to talk about a variety of things. But when you have an offer that you believe in, and you pick the right thing to talk about, and you stick with it, you print money.

The most important part of getting your first 1,000 followers is deciding your niche. It is deciding what you are going to be talking about. The idea of a niche here is not the usual idea of subjects or topics. For example, you can’t say your niche is entrepreneurship. It has to be something like “e-commerce is the easiest way for anyone with little or no schooling to make 6-figures”. Maybe you sell e-commerce courses, but your focus is on being a hero to people who have little or zero schooling. And you stick with that (at least, for 5 years).

Niche is sometimes something we are blind to. It takes other people to make us see it. I speak to my clients often to avoid branching off into something else. This is because there is always the temptation of the new cool thing. There is a way to jump on trending news or events, but that is another principle entirely.

Marketing VS Branding 🔗

Marketing will get you new customers, but branding will get you customer loyalty. If you get both right at the start of your business, the sky becomes your starting point.

If you follow the principle here and get things right, you will have at least 100 people from your first 1,000 followers as loyal customers. And scaling up will be easier.

I strongly believe you can get your first 1,000 followers on any online platform in 90 days or less. You only have to be willing to follow the principles. Don’t act like you know everything. In fact, discard what you already know and just follow the principles.

Conclusion 🔗

The most important principle in getting your first 1,000 followers is deciding what to talk about. If you make that choice right, your business will surge like no other.

I hope you have learned something. Cheers!