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Hey, this is Sharan Srivatha. Welcome back to the Business School podcast. And in this episode, I'm going to break down for you the one simple, boring strategy that can make you so much money and give you so much joy. And all of this happened because I realized that we can easily lose our brand or lose social media, and suddenly would our business be okay. And I realized that the power of a community is insanely important. Now, most people talk about communities. Some have 10 people in it, some have 10,000 people in. But no one really has given people the blueprint, the formula on how to break it down and build one for you so that it work works for you. I have taken these strategies and implemented them in multiple aspects of my life, built multiple communities that have created seven plus figures for me over the years, and I want to share them with you. And all starts right now.

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One thing is for certain, just because it's tried and true doesn't mean it's working right now. So the big question is this.

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Where can you learn what is working right now?

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The strategies, the tactics, the psychology, and.

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The exact how to. How to grow your business, how to blow up your personal brand and supercharge your personal growth.

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That is the question and this podcast will give you the answer. My name is Sharon Srivatta and welcome to Business School.

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What if tomorrow your favorite social media app just disappeared, TikTok got banned, Instagram shut down, you wake up and your audience is just gone. Would your business survive? That's the big question. But here's the truth. Views today aren't enough. If you want something that lasts, you need to build a loyal community. That's what scales over time. In this episode, I'm going to share with you six proven strategies to build a super strong community that sticks with you no matter what happens. And here's what nobody talks about. One, why depending on social media is risky and how to fix it. Two, how just 1,000 true fans can create a real lasting success for you. And three, in strategy number five, I'm going to share with you something that my coach taught me that completely changed how I build connections. By the end, you're going to have a crystal clear plan to build an awesome community that pays you, even if you're just starting with 10 people. So let's dive right in right now. Now, this isn't about getting more views or followers. And if you can just fix that, everything will change. This is about creating a group of people who support you, cheer for you, stick with you, and maybe pay you a Ton of cash. And the key here is how to stop relying on social media and building something you control. The ways to connect with your audience so they feel valued, and how to empower your audience so that they grow your community for you. Now, stick with me here, especially because on strategy number five, that one is a total true game changer where everything shifted for me. So let's jump right into strategy number one, why relying on social media is dangerous. So in 1983, Harley Davidson was in trouble. They were losing money, they were losing customers, and of course, as a matter of fact, their reputation. So what they did is that they created the hog, the Harley Owners club. Now, this wasn't just a fan club. It was like a family. The members got crazy perks like invitations to rallies, including the legendary ride home event where thousands of bikers gathered exclusive merchandise like jackets and helmets and that only HOG members could buy. And a monthly magazine filled with stories from fellow writers. That's what you call a community. And here's exactly what Harley Davidson did. They used the events to create these emotional connections. They gave these writers exclusive perks to make them feel valued. They shared member stories to build a sense of belonging. Now, how could this work for you and for your business? Say, for example, you're a real estate agent. You could host a private VIP open house tour with early access to listings coming up based on how they're working in your market. Or say you're a fitness coach. You could organize a bunch of live events and workout and brunch events to celebrate your client's success. Small things go a long way in building this belonging. Now let's jump to strategy number two. The power of 1,000 true fans. Now, if you don't know Kevin Kelly, the founder of Wired magazine, he says that you don't need millions of followers. You just need 1000 true fans who will buy everything that you create. Now think about it. Air Jordans. When Nike launched Jordans, they just didn't sell sneakers. They built a culture. Maybe accidentally crazy smart, right? First, they partnering with Michael Jordan to tie the shoes to his story of excellence. Then they're holding exclusive limited edition drops that often sold out in just minutes. Now you're building a resale market where the rare Jordans became a status symbol. Now here's exactly what Nike did that no one will tell you. Number one, they made the product a symbol of greatness. Think about that. They made a product a symbol of greatness. They created excitement with exclusive launches. And they turned their shoes into a badge of identity. Their Fans. Now, how could this work for you? Say you're a real estate agent. You could run a real estate dream home club process giving members free consultations or exclusive first access to listings. A VIP list if you have followed my content for a while. Or if you're a fitness coach, you could start a loyalty program where clients earn the rewards for hitting milestones like a free workout plan after 10 sessions. The crazy part is you don't need to chase a million followers. You just need 1000 true fans. Now let's skip to strategy number three is how to build a shared vision. Now I'm not talking about mission and vision and values. I'm talking about something very specific. Nike didn't just sell shoes. With Nike plus, they built a global movement. The app helped runners feel a part of something much bigger by hosting challenges like run 100k in 30 days where people would compete with others worldwide on their Nike shoes. Then you reward these users with badges and progress charts for consistency. They built the community together. And then you encourage runners to share their achievements online to inspire others. That's how they created a movement. This is exactly what they did by the way. They gamified running with challenges and rewards. They then celebrated these small wins with public recognition. They then built a global community of like minded people. Now you may say, well Sharon, how do we make this work for me? Well say you're a real estate agent and you could run a 30 day first time home buyer challenge with a weekly task to help renters save for a down payment. Or if you're a fitness coach, you could organize a build your strength challenge with daily workouts and weekly check ins. Small little things that get them to connect with you. They love you more because you shared your vision with them. Just mind blowingly amazing. Let me tell you about strategy number four is how to make people feel special. So the greatest gift you can give someone is to make them feel important. Right? That's it. The greatest gift you can give someone is make them feel important. Marvel is a perfect example. I love Marvel. Marvel fans aren't just viewers, they are total insiders. And here's how Marvel does it. They host exclusive Comic Con panels where fans get the first looks at trailers, interact with actors and the whole shebang. Then they release these limited edition collectibles like autographed comics or rare figurines that fans can't get anywhere else. They then directly engage with their fans on social media and the forums, answering questions and teasing the future products insanely connected to their fan base. Here's exactly what Marvel did that no one will tell you about. They reward their fans with exclusive experiences. Then they offer rare, valuable items that make their fans feel insanely proud to be connected to Marvel. They then engage directly with their audience to build a personal connection. Small things go a long way. Now you may say, well, how do I make this work for me? For example, if you're a real estate agent, you could create a closing gift box with personalized items like branded keychains or gift cards to local spot. But pro tip put the client's name on it. That's the ultimate personalization. Or you're a fitness coach. You could reward loyal clients with limited edition gear like T shirts or water bottles celebrating their achievements. All right, let's jump to strategy number five. And I told you that you should be ready for this one. It's contrary to what you think, but you want to build smaller groups. This is a section that my coach taught me that changed everything for me. Even in big communities, people crave smaller, more personal groups. That is why Peloton thrives as a community. Take Moms who Ride or the Power Zone Pack. These groups help members connect by doing a few things. Number one, hosting themed rides and challenges like the 20 minute lunchtime rides for busy moms. Or offering tailored tips and encouragement within small communities. Or providing group chats where members share wins and struggles and advice. My coach told me this and kind of blew my mind. She said, if you make people feel like they belong to a tight knit community, a tight knit group, they will stay forever. And this is exactly how Peloton did it. Number one, they created smaller communities based on shared interests. Two, they tailored content and challenges for each of those groups. And number three, they fostered the interaction and support within the smaller subgroups. Something that we never think about. So how do we make this work for you? Say, for example, again, you're a real estate agent. You could create small subgroups of buyers like first time homebuyers or vacation club investors and only give them exactly what they want. Or maybe you're a fitness coach and you could divide your clients into beginner, intermediate and advanced group with specific goals for each so they feel like they're not stuck within the wrong group. It's okay if that group is small. It is by design. This brings us to the strategy number six. Let your audience help. Think about this. Wikipedia works because people feel a sense of ownership. Volunteers. Volunteers write, edit and maintain the platform, which thrives on their contributions. Now here's how Wikipedia empowers its Contributors. They provide tools and very clear guidelines to make editing easy. They recognize top contributors by highlighting their work and they let users take responsibility for specific subtopics. Here's exactly what Wikipedia did that no one will really tell you. They gave users clear ways to contribute. Number two, they recognize the contributors efforts publicly. And three, they let people take charge of the areas that they individually care about. Now here's exactly what you can do right As a real estate agent, you could invite your clients to share testimonials or home buying tips in the group. Now you have other people contributing to your group. Or a fitness coach could let loyal clients run the warmups or the many challenges, giving the people a way to help grow the community together. This is where all the magic is. And this is where you really let your community help build your community. Now here's what I want you to do next as you're listening to this. If you already have a community, share this video in that community. If you already have a community, drop this. Drop the link below so that in the comments so that others can find it and join you. If you want to join the community, join my 5am club for growth and Consistency because we meet every day at 5am for five minutes. And if you're in real estate, by the way, check out my free community called Future Proof where I give away thousands of dollars of free training. All from the lessons learned and what I shared with you today. So here's the day. At the end of the day, it is not about going viral. The world has changed. Yes, going viral is great, but the world has changed. It's about building a table where you and your people can sit together. People who support you, people who cheer for you, who grow with you. Stop chasing these big numbers of views. Use the platforms as a tools to build a community of believers. Hey, by the way, if you like this, can you do me a favor? Can you screenshot this episode and can you tag me? That way I know you like this and I can make more like this for you. So please screenshot this episode, tag me and I'll make more like this for you. Hey Tron, I have a cool gift.