Owned Audience Playbook: Why It Matters and How To Grow Yours Quickly

Instagram recently updated its algorithm to remove unoriginal, reposted content. Over on Pinterest, accounts are suspended without any clear explanation, and, if that isn't enough, TikTok was banned overnight in India and is now on the verge of being banned in the U.S.

Every day, social media algorithms change, accounts are suspended, and discussions rise about banning social media platforms.

The uncertainty of building an audience on social media is becoming more apparent.

Spending 10 hours a week creating content  that only some of your audience sees can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to keep going, but there's a better way to ensure that you always have a direct line of communication and a close-knit community.

What Is an Owned Audience?

An owned audience is a segment of loyal followers you control through your platforms. Examples include newsletters, online communities and forums, websites, and e-learning platforms.

Unlike social media followers, who can vanish in a moment due to algorithm changes or account suspensions, an owned audience is reliable and stable.

As a content creator, while I have a total audience of over 130,000 across various platforms, what truly matters to me is my owned audience of 35,000.

My larger audience is borrowed, and the only way to engage with them is on the platform they're on. But as you can see, platforms shut down.

The Power of Ownership

When you own the platform, you can build and nurture a raving fan base on your terms. And when it costs five times more to acquire new customers than to nurture an existing relationship, customer loyalty becomes more important than ever.