Hub and spoke
When I’m talking to a therapist about how to grow their audience online, I like to use the analogy of a bicycle wheel.
A bicycle wheel has a hub in the center with spokes coming out in all directions. The same “hub and spoke” concept applies to marketing.
Here’s what I mean. One of the best ways to grow your audience online, especially when you’re just getting started, is to build relationships with people who already have an audience. They are the “hub” in this analogy and their followers are the “spokes.”
The key is to be interested, not self-interested. If you reach out to people with an agenda, it will usually turn them off. But if you engage with them and build a relationship, they’ll naturally engage back and share your content, which enables you to reach more people.
My audience on Twitter grew significantly after I connected with therapists like Hayden Dawes, Jesse Dice, and Dr. Amy Marschall. I’m grateful to call them friends today.
Who are your hubs?