Show Up. Speak Up. Give, Give, Give.

Today’s Blog Challenge: What three steps can you take to build trust and credibility online for you, your brand and your business?

Show Up

On August 1, 2013, I started writing 1,000 words a day. Shortly thereafter, I joined the 30 Day Blogging Challenge.

The result? I have written more than 22,000 words in 22 days, posted 17 times on my new blog, including this post, and learned a lot more about myself in the process.

The key, at least for me, is that I keep showing up. Even without many readers, I keep showing up.

In time, people will start to notice. My writing will get better every day. And I will identify a tribe of people – however small it may be – who enjoy my writing and who find that what I write can help them change their own lives.

As my tribe grows, so will my opportunity to write more for them and less for me. In other words, I will glean from my actual readers what they need so I can focus on filling the need instead of just filling lines on (virtual) paper.

Step #1 – Show Up 

Speak Up

For much of my life I have tried to be a people pleaser. A person who tries not to make waves. Someone who tries to keep everyone happy and not ruffle any feathers. Someone who doesn’t make a ruckus, as Seth Godin would put it.

That’s a pretty boring way to live your life, and an excellent way of hiding your true self. Plus, it’s not a very effective business plan if you want to grow a tribe of loyal followers.

The key is to speak your mind so people know you are. They know if you are someone they want to follow. It gives your tribe the choice to follow you, or not . . . which is the best part. If they choose to follow, you can cultivate a relationship based on the truth of who you really are.

If they choose not to follow, you are better off anyway. Yes, your audience may be smaller – at least in the beginning – but you won’t have to live a watered-down life, trying to please all of the people all of the time. Not only is that not possible, it literally sucks the life out of you.

1,000 True Fans

A few years back, Kevin Kelly wrote a now-rather-famous piece about 1,000 True Fans. Here is his definition of a “True Fan,” in Mr. Kelly’s own words:

A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author – in other words, anyone producing works of art – needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.” Whether the number 1,000 is high, low or somewhere in between is irrelevant, at least to me. The key is to recognize that a small, focused group of loyal fans can support the work you do – if – you focus on serving them.

In Kelly’s words, “The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans.”

That is the beauty of a blog, of online video, of an email list and of every other free option available in our connected world. There are no longer any gatekeepers. Anyone can do it. And the barrier to entry is very low.

Natalie Sisson is a master at this. She gives several examples in this post about how here true fans treat her. Allowing a “total stranger” to stay in your home seems ludicrous, but many people have done so with Natalie.

Actually, Natalie is no longer a “stranger” to her fans, even though she has never met most of them. Why? Because she Shows Up and she Speaks Up often enough that her fans get to know her without ever meeting her in person. Then she shows up at their home to spend the night or a few days with people who are no longer strangers.

Step #2 – Speak Up

Give, Give, Give

What would happen if you decided to give away 90% of what you made? Would you go broke? Would you water down the value of your product, message or art? On the surface, it would seem so. But this just isn’t true.

Pointing back to Natalie’s post from today, she freely and generously gives away 90% of her “good stuff” without any expectation of payment or quid pro quo. Why? To cultivate a relationship with her tribe and, “so that you can learn and apply and start building a business and life you love.”

That’s generosity. And a great model for success.

The final key for me – the Give, Give, Give part – is to create and give away so much valuable content that people can’t help but notice. Beyond content, the giving model extends even further to include the “intangibles” that you can’t touch or feel, like advice, encouragement and feedback.

Show Up. Speak Up. Give, Give, Give.

Three simple actions that anyone can take, regardless of their station in life or their financial or material resources.

Start here. That’s what I have done and I’m excited to see where it leads.