Ascend 101

Lessons about building a one-person business, writing, and self-improvement

“Build fans, not followers!”

You’ve probably seen dozens of people shout this platitude. Everyone seems to be regurgitating the same advice, the same feel-good platitudes, but almost nobody knows what it truly means—let alone how to do it.

I literally only know a handful of people who do.

So let’s dive into it. What does it mean to have a “fan” instead of a “follower”?

Here’s my personal definition: Someone who consumes your content no matter what you put out there. Regardless of any topic. Just because of who that person is and how they make you feel.

That’s the power of a true creator who knows how to build fans.

They’re able to teach you stuff you didn’t know about, topics you didn’t even care about before, and show you perspectives you never would’ve taught about.

All because you pay attention, regardless of the topic.

Immediately this rules out all creators who all repeat “you need to put out more value!” Because if you need to rely on tons and tons of value, then you already lost.

But don’t panic.

I’ll show you 3 techniques that help you create actual fans instead of mere followers. (you don’t even have to apply all 3 to be successful, just 1 is good enough)

1) Be a leader, not an expert

Look, I get it.

You want to prove your knowledge and your authority. You want to show you’re an expert. But being an expert isn’t actually what you need.

You want to be a leader.

Why?

Because people listen to experts, but they follow leaders.

And you don’t care about people listening to you. That doesn’t pay the bills, nor does it allow you to make a big impact. You want people to follow you—you want them to take action and improve their lives.

That’s why you want to be a leader.

2) Build a relationship based on trust

Think about this in terms of a sales context.

If someone were to knock on your door randomly and asks for $1,000 while promising you $10,000 next week. You probably won’t accept his offer.

And why would you?

You don’t know the guy. His offer sounds sketchy as hell. He doesn’t show any signs of credibility or authority.

You simply don’t trust him.

See, it’s the same with content creation.

Every tweet, every podcast, every video, every thread, every email, everything you post is making a promise one way or another.

Every piece of content is an offer.

And nobody will take you up on your offer if they don’t trust you.

That’s why it’s so important to focus on relationship-building. One single person who trusts you with every cell of his body is worth more than a million random followers who don’t know a single personal thing about you.

Invest in building trust.

If you make a promise, keep it. If you make a mistake, be transparent about it.

Be trustworthy.

3) Actively bring them into your world

This is the ultimate all-in-one solution.

But it’s also the trickiest one.

You want to build a world of your own. One in which people want to remain at all times. One in which people love to buy from you. One in which people actively look for you if you’re gone.

You do this by delivering an experience no one else can deliver.

Stay in contact with your followers at all times. This means massive volume.

Send daily emails, write 5+ tweets a day, go on podcasts, organize challenges, create communities, and engage in constant conversation and communication.

Make yourself heard at all times through different media.

The more the better, and the easier it is to be unique and stand out.

Combine this with being relatable, sincere, and entertaining, and there’s no chance you’ll fail.

One of the best examples I can give is the unique email system I use (and teach in Email Extraordinaire) to make myself stand out in the sea of creators, filled with creators whose followings are 100 times bigger than mine.

Building a world is a lifelong journey.

But there’s simply nothing else that comes even close to it.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready. Here’s how I can help you:

Hop on a Clarity Call with me: Remove all of your uncertainty. Get clear on what you have to do, when you have to do it, and how. Let’s get you on the right track to achieving the freedom you deserve.
Work 1-on-1 with me: We’ll get you up and running, ready to earn $1,000–$5,000 per month in the next 60–90 days
Check out my products: Ranging from every resource I ever read to my entire framework to land clients consistently and effortlessly. It’s all waiting for you to claim it.