Did you have an existing audience before Ness Labs?
Yes, I had a few thousand followers on Twitter.
What specific moves have helped you build an audience for Ness Labs?
Twitter has been instrumental in building an audience for Ness Labs. I always share my content there, I engage with the community, I ask questions. I have learned so much thanks to Twitter, and a big part of my traffic comes from there.
How did you maintain a tight feedback loop with your audience?
15,000 people have my email address, and they do reply to my newsletter. My DMs are open on Twitter. Just by letting it be known that I appreciate feedback, I get lots of constructive messages.
What specific tactics/strategies have helped you in turning a newsletter audience into a global community of Ness Labs?
It’s important not to just broadcast to your audience. We now have
an online forum where people can discuss articles and start their own conversations, as well as virtual meetups which are a great opportunity for people to have real-time conversations. Another way we help people connect is
Mind Match, a matching service for Ness Labs members to grab a 1:1 virtual coffee.
Was building an audience for your newsletter any different than for your community? What were some noticeable differences if any?
I don’t consider these two separate audiences. It’s the same audience at different levels of engagement. Some people may like a tweet, others may subscribe to the newsletter, and yet others may join the private community—but ultimately, they’re all part of the same audience.