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When your community is growing, it can be exciting. But there’s also a lot to do. A long way to go. To avoid being overwhelmed, all you can really do is focus on today.

Don’t worry about yesterday and what could have been done. And especially not about tomorrow and all there is yet to do.

You don’t want to be like a deer in the head lights when looking at your to-do list.

Where to start

Making sure you’re on the path to where you would like your organisation to go is the first step. Then don’t get too distracted worrying about how much you have to do to get there.

When you think of growth as a journey rather than about reaching a destination, you embrace the process.

Narrowing your focus can help you too. You can’t do everything, but you can focus on today.

Ideally your marketing strategy will help you determine what you need to prioritise each week and each day.

It’s that daily consistency that will lead you to your goals.

Trying to come up with exciting new ideas, projects, or events is great. But what you are doing each day is what will lead to growing your audience.

Communication is the foundation

When you keep people up to date on what you’re doing and where you’re going, you’re involving them. This kind of communication is as important within your community as it is with those not yet part of it.

Quality communication is the foundation of vibrant and resilient communities. And that’s something you can prioritise daily.

So spend time thinking about what you can do each day to reach out to a wider audience. Or how you can develop better connections with those who have already shown an interest in or are part of your community?

When you are on the path to where you want to go, then focus on what you can do daily that will lead your organisation forward and grow your community.

It’s the process that counts.

You need to be consistent, not perfect when working towards your goals. So, just focus on today, and embrace the process.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the need for growth. Especially when growing your organization is a priority for you. There’s lots to do and not enough time to do it.

So, make things easier on yourself.

Prioritise what you most need to do to grow your community. Then make a list of what you need to do to sustain the community you have.

Even when maintenance of day-to-day activities takes over much of your time, keep growth always in your view.

Although it can be difficult to manage regular activities along with marketing to a larger community. It’s about balance.

To reach that balance, sustainability becomes essential. So, create ways to incorporate a growth mindset into regular maintenance activities. Integrate the two.

Being overwhelmed by the need for growth can lead to inaction. People don’t know where to start. And you can’t grow your organisation all by yourself.  

So, start by getting others on board. Get your audience on board. Make it part of their vision too.

A growing community has an active energy about it. People enjoy being part of something that is looking, planning, and moving to the future. It’s engaging.

The more you share the excitement of growth with others the more they can be a part of it. And the less it all rides on your shoulders.

If growth isn’t in the cards for you right now, that’s fine. If maintenance needs all your time, then focus there. You can revisit things again later.

Strengthening the core of your organisation needs to happen first. Then it can grow out from there.

So, try not to be overwhelmed by the need for growth. Change doesn’t have to happen all at once, it rarely does. You want sustainable growth anyway. And that happens little by little, day by day.

So, what can you do to move your organisation forward? What can you do today? Start there.

Knowing why you want to grow your community is essential. It will help you determine who your unique audience is.

Since before you can reach and engage your future community, it’s important to identify who they are first.

Once you know who your audience is, then you can develop an action plan.

A clear direction (to your unique audience) means the path to your goals becomes more attainable, rather than a vague idea.

When you know who your audience is, your communication can also become specific and intentional.

Trying to appeal to everyone often leads you to no one, or at least no one in particular. And a generalist approach isn’t a great long-term strategy.

Instead, being able to picture the audience, or audiences you are aiming for, allows you to create nuanced conversations with your community.

And when you’re growing a vibrant community, it’s all about the details.

The care and attention you take in making your audience feel seen, heard, and genuinely cared for will have a lasting effect.

By curating your communication to your unique audience, you can develop more meaningful connections. In turn, these connections can lead to longer-term relationships and a more loyal, resilient community.

The more you understand who your audience is, the easier it will be to connect with them.

So, as you begin, identify why you want to grow a community. Then, let that lead you to who you are seeking to be in community with.

Like with any goal you want to accomplish, it’s important to first know your why that motivates you.

Why do you want to grow your community? What are the main reasons you want to reach and engage more people?

Understanding the need for a why and what yours is will help keep you on track and moving towards your goals.

When you know your why it can provide you with the encouragement you need to keep going, even in difficult times.

And there will be difficult times.

Growth is a process that doesn’t happen overnight.

Creating community requires testing something out. Then seeing how people respond, learning from the experience, adjusting, and trying something a bit different. Then repeating the whole process.

When things aren’t growing as quickly as you’d hoped for, that’s when you’ll most need to know your why and remind yourself of it.

From everything you try out, though, there is always something to be learned.

So be sure to reflect, seek feedback, always be open to new ideas, and remind yourself of the powerful why that got you started in the first place. Then try something a little different and keep going.

Building a community requires communication and conversation.

Whether in person or online – communication is all the ways you connect with your audience.

But communication isn’t a one-sided thing, it’s reciprocal.

For marketing, it’s the on-going interactions you have with your viewers or customers.

The first step to a quality conversation, is to let the other party know there is one! And that they are invited into it.

You can do this by letting your audience feel seen and heard.

For example, making social media posts more personal, and less formal, really helps. It’s not so much about what you share, but how you share it.

Social media can feel impersonal, like you’re addressing the ether, but you can avoid this by remembering there is someone else on the other end.

Make the experience more personal by imagining that you’re speaking directly to one individual. This helps to draw your audience into the conversation.

That person should be someone from your audience, and someone you’d like to get to know better. Once you can picture that person in your mind, imagine they are standing in front of you.

Then, the next time you go to post on social media, speak to them.

Try it out.

Share updates with your audience as if you’re carrying on a conversation with them. Let them know they are seen, cared for, and invited into conversation with you.

See how posting on social media with a familiar tone could work for you.

A relaxed approach can lead to a more engaged audience, which is always a good thing.

Growing a healthy online audience is all about quality connection. So, start that conversation!

Welcome to Communicate to Connect.

Here you’ll find marketing and communication tips for growing vibrant and resilient communities.

If you’re looking to expand or better connect with your audience or customers, you’re in the right place!

Growing communities online and in-person can seem complicated and overwhelming, especially in this fast-paced and ever-changing world.

But whatever your goals are, however big or small, whether you feel confident or completely unsure, it’s important to pause. Then, take a step back.

What is the big picture view or direction you or your organisation want to head in? Are you moving in that direction, or do you need to make changes?

Once you have a clear idea of where you want to go, all you need is a starting place and to go forward from there.

No matter how lofty your aspirations are, they all begin with one step. Then another.

Communicate to Connect is here to simplify things for you, and journey with you, as you take those steps and grow your organisation and community.

Marketing and communications are all about relationship, about being in relationship. And they’re also about sharing purpose.

At Communicate to Connect, that’s what we explore: practical tips and integrated strategies to help you grow, connect to, and strengthen your relationships with your audience and team members. Then, through social marketing, we help you to share your purpose, so you can positively contribute to society in meaningful ways.

We also spend time helping you figure out what your needs are, as an individual or your team, and where you’re currently at.

Because the better you know yourself, the healthier your relationships with others can be, and the more realistic and attainable your goals can become.

Follow along with the blog or reach out for customised help when you’re ready!