Building an online audience is key to growing your small business. This blog breaks down the process into simple steps, from defining your target audience to creating consistent, valuable content. With the right strategy, you can move beyond one-off interactions to build lasting customer relationships that drive growth.

Human-to-human communication is becoming more essential as consumers are increasingly skeptical of the corporate world. People connect more with their peers than a logo or a mission statement. Telling your brand’s story is a tactic that can help you connect personally with your audience to share your vision. Telling a story, as opposed to pushing a message, simply has a different impact on your audience. Storytelling will draw people in and allow them to connect with your message. When people connect with and relate to a story, they will want to share it. Engaging with your consumers through storytelling affects them on a more personal level and will encourage customer loyalty to your brand. Proof Eyewear, started by three brothers in an Idaho garage in 2010, can attribute much of its success to having a great story and doing a good job telling it.