Cliff Ravenscraft<\/a> has a brilliant exercise for anyone asking how to get more listeners or followers. He tells them to learn two things about 50 of their current audience members — their name, where they work, what they are struggling with — and write it down. Then come back for more advice.<\/p>\nNo one ever comes back. Either they are unwilling to do the work, or they discover that the process of genuine engagement works so well that no further advice is needed.<\/p>\n
This applies to every social media platform. Answer questions. Reply to comments. Ask follow-up questions, just like you would in a coffee shop conversation. Do not pass up the opportunity to deepen a connection.<\/p>\n
Pat Flynn's Example<\/h2>\n
Look at Pat Flynn's approach. Early in his career, he replied to nearly every blog comment personally. As his audience grew into the millions, he could no longer respond to everything, but engagement remained central to his brand. As Pat wrote in 2011: engagement is part of the reason his blog grew as fast as it did.<\/p>\n
The lesson is clear. When your audience is small, you have a massive advantage: you can personally engage with almost everyone. Use that advantage. Do not skip it in pursuit of some automation hack.<\/p>\n
The Challenge<\/h2>\n
Commit to one week — or better, one month — of seeking genuine engagement with every audience member you can reach. Be curious. Ask questions. Measure the results. I guarantee you will have more followers at the end, and the followers you have will be higher quality because they have a real connection with you.<\/p>\n
If you invest in your audience, good things will happen, and you will like the results.<\/p>\n
What's Changed Since This Post<\/h2>\n
The social media landscape has expanded enormously since 2015. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky have joined the conversation. Algorithm-driven discovery has replaced chronological feeds on most platforms. But the core principle Mark described — genuine engagement builds loyal audiences — has become even more valuable because it is so rare. Most creators chase viral moments and algorithmic hacks. The ones who build lasting businesses are still doing what Cliff recommended: learning about their audience one person at a time.<\/p>\n
Tools like community platforms (Circle, Skool, Discord) have made it easier to create spaces for deeper engagement beyond the social media feed. The entrepreneurs who are thriving in 2026 are the ones who own their audience relationships rather than renting them from social media algorithms.<\/p>\n