AudiencePlus' Anthony Kennada on building audience before a product
Protect the Hustle | A SaaS Podcast
The Challenges of a Media Company in a Performance Mindset
There's something buzzier about the media company thing. A lot of companies have done of acquiring existing media companies and letting them run independently, almost like this editorial arm where we have editorial here and content marketing here. The challenge when you're in a performance mindset is it's always to serve the engine you're building rather than perhaps to serve the end user. And surely part of the issue there as well when you're thinking like a media company is a greater or higher quality bar.
Just as a diligent gardener cultivates a seed into a flourishing plant that provides nourishment, so does a savvy entrepreneur nurture their audience before introducing a product. Whether you're tending to a garden or building a business in the B2B SaaS world, the principle remains the same: understand your environment, your seed (or idea), and its potential yield. In the business context, this means knowing what your customers need before planting the idea that becomes your product, thus creating a fertile ground for successful launches and enduring customer relationships.
Enter Anthony Kennada, CEO and Co-Founder of AudiencePlus, and a true connoisseur of audience cultivation. Embodying the "Audience before Product" approach, Kennada accentuates the necessity of comprehending your target persona and curating content specifically for them. With hands-on experience in discerning his audience's preferences before launching a product, Kennada's expertise in audience building across various channels is invaluable. Today's episode will probe into Kennada's unique insights on audience building and explore the benefits of prioritizing your audience before product development. Join us for this enlightening discussion and learn how to nurture your own audience garden.
High Level Overview:
- Prioritize audience building: Anthony Kennada emphasizes the importance of developing an audience before creating a product, ensuring a strong foundation for product-market fit and better customer engagement.
- Understand your target persona: Anthony suggests deeply understanding your target persona to tailor content and narratives that resonate with them, fostering a stronger connection with your audience.
- Test and learn from various channels: Anthony shares his experiences testing different channels, like LinkedIn and TikTok, and learning from the results to optimize audience engagement and growth.
- Start small and iterate: Anthony encourages starting with a small team and low-budget projects, learning from your experiences and iterating to improve your audience building efforts over time.
- Build a muscle around content creation: Anthony highlights the importance of practice and consistency in content creation to improve your skills and build a stronger connection with your audience.
Audience Building 101
Audience building is the process of cultivating a loyal and engaged following for your business, nurturing their needs and desires, and establishing strong customer relationships that pave the way for successful product launches. Throughout our interview, Anthony stresses the importance of what this means and how de-platforming your audience from social media sites is crucial. Here are some strategies to think about.
- Identify your target persona: Take the time to research and understand the demographics, psychographics, and behavior patterns of your ideal audience members. This includes their preferences, pain points, and motivations. Developing a comprehensive persona helps create a strong foundation for your audience building efforts and ensures that your messaging is relevant and impactful.
- Develop tailored content: With your target persona in mind, create content that addresses their unique needs, interests, and challenges. This could include blog articles, videos, webinars, or podcasts that provide valuable information and insights. By offering content that resonates with your audience, you'll be able to foster a stronger connection and enhance their trust in your brand.
- Experiment with various channels: Explore different platforms and media types to reach your target audience effectively. For example, try using social media platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, or Twitter to share your content, or consider launching a podcast or video series. Regularly analyze the performance of each channel and adjust your strategy accordingly to maximize engagement and reach.
- Iterate and improve: As you test different content formats and channels, pay close attention to your audience's responses, engagement levels, and feedback. Use this data to refine your approach, optimize your efforts, and continuously improve your audience building strategy. This iterative process will help you stay attuned to your audience's preferences and ensure that your messaging remains relevant and effective.
- Be consistent: Consistency is key in audience building. Establish a content schedule and stick to it, regularly producing and sharing high-quality content with your audience. Consistent engagement helps maintain a strong connection with your audience, builds trust, and positions your brand as a reliable source of valuable information.
By implementing these strategies, you'll be well on your way to building a loyal and engaged audience for your SaaS business. Remember that audience building is an ongoing process, requiring continuous learning and adaptation to stay connected with your audience and meet their evolving needs. With dedication and persistence, your audience building efforts will lay the groundwork for long-term success and growth.
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