E.B. White --one half of the Strunk & White behind that specter of a book, The Elements of Style-- once said in an interview...
“I admire anyone who has the guts to write anything at all.”
The same could be said for anyone who makes an album, film, a body of art, or frankly anyone who starts a small business. It takes singular vision, extraordinary discipline, and guts to create your own thing in the world.
It’s no surprise then that many creatives have neither the appetite nor bandwidth for proactively building their audience. I remember having coffee with a fairly successful author one afternoon. We were talking about his current book project. “What’re your plans for publicity?” I asked. He smiled at me the way a parent smiles at a child who asks how babies are made -- with that mixture of amusement and impatience. I knew I’d asked the wrong question. “I’m still writing,” he said.
That was it.
The vast majority of people devoted to a craft don’t have the luxury of hiring professional publicists to build their audience. It used to be that this was a death knell to 99% of budding careers, but increasing the reach of a book, film, or small business isn’t nearly as time-consuming or expensive as it used to be. Most importantly, you don't need gatekeepers' permission to build your own audience. It still takes real effort and planning, but as these creatives demonstrate, it’s a totally worthwhile endeavor. Learn from their simple but effective ideas:
THUG KITCHEN: The irreverent cookbook authors who're feeding a fast-growing community
Lesson: Content is king, but always provide paths for your audience to go deeper with events and contests. Thug Kitchen collects user-submitted recipes and photos and rewards fans with free cookbooks.
#WERNEON: Neon Hitch's fan-powered record label that's become a hub for 'the tribe'
Lesson: If you appreciate fans, actually lift them up! #WeRNeon uses a customized social currency to find its top fans then highlights them on a dedicated page that automatically updates.
BRAVE NEW FILMS: The progressive filmmakers that put grassroots participation at the center
Lesson: Encourage ownership with user-submitted events. A trailblazer in independent film distribution, Brave New Films consistently calls on supporters to host film screenings at their organization, on campus, and in their homes.
GELATERIA ULI: The artisanal gelato shop that's crowdsourcing flavor suggestions
Lesson: Grow a loyal customer base by incentivizing user-submitted content and social sharing. In this case Gelateria Uli is sweetening the deal by rewarding winning flavor suggestions with a free pint.
LUIS RODRIGUEZ: The poet laureate who's out meeting people in their own neighborhoods
Lesson: Publishing your up-to-date event calendar is a no-brainer, but so few people do it. As Los Angeles' official poet laureate, Luis Rodriguez makes it really easy for people to connect with him and hear his poetry IRL.
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