I wrote the following in Issue 4 of The School of Design newsletter, when I was exploring the second (third, fourth, fifth…?) rise of communities and community-building tools:
I’m beginning to wonder if tools like Slack (frequent, ongoing contact) might supplant tools like Mailchimp (occasional, periodical content) for audience engagement.
I think the direction of travel is: investing in communities first and building deep bonds with your true fans +/ tribe 1; then using your email newsletter to share content that might resonate with others who are orbiting your brand.
I also think, for both of these channels, consistency trumps content. There’s no substitute for showing up, week in, week out. That’s what separates the wheat from the chaff. Showing up – even when you’re questioning your whole endeavour 2 – is what will get you over the finish line, it just takes time. There are no shortcuts.
- I find both these words frustratingly overused: if I could think of a better word for fans, I would (supporters, perhaps?); as for tribes, I enjoyed Godin’s book, which obviously led to the explosion of entrepreneurs, etc., using the term, but I can’t help but roll my eyes when I hear it in conversation. [return]
There are many days over the last nine months (never mind the last week!) when I’ve questioned the whole endeavour. The journey of an entrepreneur is one of highs and lows and pushing through the lows is what sets the successful apart.
Talk to any seasoned founder and you’ll certainy hear stories of facing the abyss. When you dive into the abyss and you surface, able to tell the tale, you emerge stronger (but that’s a story for another post).
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