It’s no secret that the internet is a big, noisy place. And even when we have much to say and valuable offerings to provide, it’s easy to feel a little lost, overlooked, or discouraged at times.

When engagement is low and our spirits threaten to follow, what should we do? Talk louder? Buy followers? Give up?

No, we try something new.

The first step in cultivating an active online audience is understanding what makes them tick, and thus, click. To do this, we need to ask ourselves a few important questions:

Where does my online audience spend their time?

Which social platforms make sense for my brand?

Who does my audience want to talk to? 

Why would my audience want to talk to me?

What issues, concerns, and information matter most to my audience?

You may think the answers to the questions are easy, but we encourage you to really dig deep and take your time answering them. Some of these questions may have more than one answer. Heck, some of your answers may even lead to more questions! But the more work you put into understanding the online behaviors and needs of your virtual audience, the better able you are to formulate a social strategy that positions your brand as a trusted authority, able to meet and exceed the expectations of your audience.