How to create a loyal fan base as a content creator
By Meg Dowell
There are seemingly endless options when it comes to choosing whose content we engage with on the internet. What makes people choose your content to dedicate their time and interest to? And once you have people's attention, how do you convince them to keep coming back for more?
Make it all about them
Your audience wants to feel important. Paid attention to. Before they begin to show an interest in the person behind the content, they need to be made to feel like they're the main focus of your content.
Whether that means you're teaching them something they don't already know or letting them in on a secret, make your audience the focus of your work. People are naturally self-centered -- we worry about ourselves and are curious about things that pertain to us. It's not always a bad thing. Capitalize on it.
Be authentic
More and more, online audiences are finding value in authenticity. People watch reality TV because they know it isn't real, but if you create the types of content that make people feel connected to you as a real person, you shouldn't fool them into thinking you are someone that you aren't.
The "internet" version of you will always vary slightly from the "IRL" you -- that's sort of how the internet works. But as much as possible, you should try to be a real, relatable version of yourself. People are drawn to that, even when you do maintain boundaries.
Make content about things you care about
Audiences are drawn to people who are genuinely passionate about their content or expertise. Even though content creation's success is largely dependent on making content that is popular or highly searchable, if there is no heart behind your work, it's not going to catch people's attention.
People care that you care about things they care about. But they also want to see that you're not creating content just because it gets you views. This goes along with the concept of authenticity. If you truly love the content you are creating, it will shine through in your work, and people will notice.