She is the author of “Unboxing Success,” a book that chronicles her entrepreneurial journey and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Juhee is a respected and influential thought leader in her field. She has over 200 regular attendees who benefit from her monthly ‘6C Blueprint’ webinars, where she shares her expertise and insights on the industry.

In my previous article I talked about the importance of regularly communicating with your target audience.

You might be thinking, “Great, but what if nobody’s listening?” Let’s be honest, talking into a void is about as exciting as watching paint dry on the wall.

But here’s the good news: building an audience is no longer reserved for big businesses and celebrities. Forget buying followers or renting email lists – the digital age has given even the smallest entrepreneur the tools to become a magnet for loyal customers.

Think back to the “olden days” – if you weren’t Amitabh Bachchan or Ratan Tata, your message had limited reach. Newspapers and radio were expensive, not always effective, and definitely out of reach for most businesses.

Enter the digital revolution! Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and even simple email newsletters have empowered ordinary people to build massive followings. Now, I’m not saying you need to become the next social media superstar, but building an audience who trusts you enough to buy from you? That’s definitely achievable.

You can use the following digital tools and platforms to build an audience for your business:

• Mailing list (for email marketing).
• Company blog.
• Social networking platforms.
• Digital media platforms like -YouTube & Facebook

Let’s have a deeper look into the above-mentioned tools and platforms you can tap into.

Building a mailing list

Email marketing delivers impressive returns – over Rs. 32 for every rupee spent. It’s a powerhouse strategy, with 89% of businesses relying on it to generate leads. With the average person checking email 15 times daily, it’s no wonder why.

Cultivating an engaged mailing list takes time and effort, but it can become one of your most powerful digital marketing tools. With a base of opt-in subscribers who want to hear from you, you have a direct line to their inbox to deliver targeted messages when they matter most.

Tactics for list-building include capturing emails from visiting cards, encouraging sign-ups during purchases, and offering incentives like e-books in exchange for email sign-ups on your website.

It takes time – sometimes over a year – to build an effective subscriber list. But the investment pays dividends in the long run.

Company blog

Your company blog is a powerful platform. Firstly, it serves as a potent tool for increasing website traffic by providing fresh, relevant content that attracts visitors and encourages them to explore further. Additionally, a well-maintained blog enhances brand visibility by consistently showcasing your expertise. Your blog also helps you establish you as an industry authority. It attract new visitors and establishes credibility among existing visitors. Once you build traffic, it is a perfect channel for your business.

Social networking platforms

Grabbing attention with your content comes down to three key strategies: choosing the right platform, staying relevant, and being consistent.

Rather than spreading yourself thin across every social network, focus your efforts on the one or two platforms where your target audience is most active. If your research shows your customers hang out on Instagram, make that your social media home base.Once you’ve chosen a platform, stay relevant to your industry and audience. For a jewelry business, for instance, share content centered on jewelry – new trends, materials, celebrity endorsements, care tips, etc. Essentially, stick to topics your followers care about.

Finally, consistency is critical. Post on a regular schedule, whether it’s daily, a few times a week, etc. It takes time before people take notice of your content. Persistently publishing valuable material is what will ultimately grab their attention.

Digital media platforms

These are like YouTube or Instagram reels or YouTube Shorts. Among businesses that spend money on digital marketing, 85% use video. 81% marketers admit increased leads and sales through videos.

The objective here is to gain subscribers for your channel. Publish consistently. Focus on quality and not on quantity. Upload meaningful videos that are relevant to your audience.

Don’t have much time? You don’t need to focus on all the platforms at once. Focus on a single platform and be persistent. My suggestion would be, using your mailing list. It is because these are the people who have already interacted with you. For example, most of the email ids in your database would be from your existing customers or people who have already made queries. They will be more eager to listen to you.

My key point here is: Start building your audience from this very minute. Take at least one step. Every day.