Working out how to build an audience sounds simple until you try doing it. It’s not about posting online and hoping people will show up. 

I’ve been there. I started my online journey on Medium, publishing over 350 articles and growing my follower base to 21,000 fellow subscribers. 

But to nurture the relationships with my readers even more, I’ve started my weekly newsletter on beehiiv.

In my experience, building an online audience doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, patience, and plenty of experimenting to figure out what works. But honestly, it’s one of the most fulfilling parts of growing an online business.

Building an online audience is about connecting with the right people – the ones who truly get what you’re all about, care about your message, and stick with you over time.

In this article, I’ll share what I’ve learned from growing an audience on Medium, my newsletter, and my website (which I’ve optimized to bring in users from organic search results). 

If you’re just starting out or trying to grow your audience faster, I hope these lessons will help you build a loyal audience.

Why Trust Me?

I’m an SEO specialist and content writer turned solopreneur in 2022. I’ve been growing my audience on Medium, beehiiv, my website, Quora, and Reddit. Nowadays, my content gets around 30,000 views monthly across different platforms. 

When I first started sharing my work online, I had no audience. Nevertheless, I strongly believed that my high-quality and honest content would eventually attract my users.

Let me share how I got started and the challenges I faced along the way, so you can avoid my mistakes and grow faster. 

I started writing on Medium in March 2020 with zero experience and zero clue what I was doing. All I knew was I wanted my voice to be heard. 

I had this itch to share my thoughts, especially my hands-on marketing experience, so I just went for it. I started experimenting with topics, not really knowing what would stick. 

To my surprise, my first article about Google Ads got around 3,000 views and 6 comments. That’s not bad for someone who is just figuring things out, right? 

When I read that piece now, it doesn’t sound like me anymore. It’s awkward and written by someone who didn’t know how to write, but I still feel the honesty behind it and the genuine value I was trying to share. 

That’s what I’ve held onto all these years: writing with an authentic voice and sharing helpful content. That first messy post was the start of it all.

When you’re just starting out, the consistency and frequency of when you show up matter the most. 

In the beginning, no one’s really paying attention. There’s no audience, no comments, and no likes, but that’s why showing up regularly is so important!

You need to give people a chance to find you, trust you, and eventually stick around. I know it’s not easy. I’ve been there. 

It took me 4 years and 350 articles to reach over 21,000 followers on Medium, so trust me when I say that success doesn’t happen overnight, no matter what others might promise. 

The best advice I could give my younger self is to keep going, even when it feels like no one’s watching. You’re not just posting content. Remember that you’re building a habit, learning what works, and slowly attracting the right people. Over time, you’ll start seeing what resonates.

My content creator journey has never been smooth. 

When I started, I didn’t know what niche to choose, so I kept trying different things, hoping something would work.

The hardest part was dealing with the emotions. I’d spend hours creating content, and then… nothing – no likes, no comments, no feedback. It felt like no one was even out there.

I spent so much time, late nights and weekends – and still didn’t see much progress. It was frustrating and lonely.

Now, looking back, I see how much those tough times taught me. They pushed me to stay consistent and keep going. Every piece of content, even the ones no one noticed, helped me grow.

I’ve spent the past five years building and growing an audience online.

Before I dive into ways to build an audience, I want to quickly share the main lessons I’ve picked up along the way:

These tips might sound simple. In theory, they are, but putting them into practice is a whole different story. Most people don’t get far because they never take action.

That’s why I keep sharing my journey to give you a clear picture of what it’s like to build an audience from scratch.

If you’re curious about the behind-the-scenes insights, let me walk you through it.

Everyone talks about growing big numbers, like 10k subscribers or 50k followers, but I’ve learned that what matters is building relationships with people who are already paying attention. 

In my case, I have around 1,200 subscribers on my beehiiv email list. That’s not a big list by typical marketing standards, but it’s a warm list. 

People read my newsletters, some pay for my premium newsletter, and many have bought my SEO ebook. Why? Because I’ve gained their trust over time. 

I only share tactics that I’ve personally tested and that I know work to boost organic visibility. My newsletter is honest, clear, and built for people serious about getting results. 

I’d take 1,000 engaged readers over 10,000 silent ones any day. 

At the end of the day, if your audience isn’t helping you move closer to your goals, the numbers mean nothing. 

Connection beats vanity metrics, always.

Let me confess — finding my audience took way longer than I thought it would. 

Throughout my creator journey, I deleted my email list several times and pivoted my newsletter on beehiiv twice. I couldn’t connect with my audience. And honestly, deep down, I knew I didn’t realize who they were.

I was sharing bits of my journey online, hoping it would click with someone. Sometimes it did, but not in a way that turned into a real connection. 

Later, I realized that I didn’t have a niche. I only had stories. And while that sounds fine in theory, in practice, it led to a scattered audience that wasn’t sure why they were there. 

I know it’s a bit controversial, but picking a niche finally changed everything for me. After five years, I have started growing an audience that’s genuinely interested in what I share and do. 

These days, my newsletter is about growing and monetizing a content website. For the first time, it feels like I’m building something with people who truly get it.

One thing I’ve learned from building an audience is that trust is everything. 

People don’t stick around because of your content. They come back because they believe you consistently show up for them, not just chasing clicks. 

Your audience notices when you share real value and talk honestly about the wins and the struggles.

I once spent over $1,000 on a course from a blogger I trusted, seriously! Not because they pushed me to buy, but because I genuinely believed in them.

In a world full of noise, trust isn’t just nice to have. It’s your secret weapon. 

When I started creating content, I had no idea it would lead to building a loyal, engaged audience. 

But over time, I figured out a few key strategies that made a real difference, like how to tell stories that stick, how to connect with people (not just talk to them), and how to create content that doesn’t blend into the noise. 

Below, I’ll break down audience building strategies that worked for me. 

Storytelling is the art of sharing relatable content that sticks with people. It works so well because we’re naturally drawn to stories. They help us connect, feel, and remember, but I didn’t always see it that way. When I started writing, terms like “storytelling” and “tone of voice” felt like marketing fluff. 

It took me years to realize how much the way you write matters. The tone you use, the details you choose to highlight, and the emotion behind your message all play a role in whether someone connects with what you say or chooses to scroll right past. 

I've realized that storytelling works best when it comes from a person, not a brand. 

People follow people. That’s why companies like beehiiv are doing so well online. Their team members regularly share personal stories – some fun, some business-related – and always find a way to tie them back to beehiiv. Those posts feel real. When people see a part of themselves in those stories, they’re more likely to check out the brand.  

Just look at Tyler Denk, the CEO of beehiiv. He doesn’t just talk about hitting 100k users with beehiiv. He shows how he did it on YouTube. It’s a goldmine for beginners who want to grow their audience. 

That’s the power of storytelling: it makes people pause, feel, and sometimes even take action.

Attracting an audience is easy, but keeping them is the real challenge. 

I’ve learned that the only way to retain people is to share something they’re interested in. If readers lose interest, they’ll likely unsubscribe.  Honestly, I don’t blame them. That’s why I focus on providing value first, always. 

I regularly share what I have learned about search engine optimization (SEO), the results of my marketing experiments, and strategies that have helped grow websites. I don’t ask for anything in return upfront. 

In my welcome emails, I’m super straightforward: everything I share is free. Occasionally, I might mention paid offers, but there’s zero pressure. 

If readers decide my newsletter is not for them, they can unsubscribe anytime. However, most people stay because they find real value in what I share. That’s the power of giving first without expecting anything in return.

When your audience is engaged, it means they care about what you say. They open your emails, which positively impacts your newsletter open rates, and they click your links and look forward to hearing from you. 

For me, engagement is about showing up consistently, being helpful, and sharing the real, behind-the-scenes stuff. 

Here’s how I keep my email audience engaged:

Last but not least, I don’t try to sound like a know-it-all. I share stuff from my life, behind-the-scenes moments; and, yeah, I mess up words sometimes. 

More than anything, I just want to be helpful, honest, and maybe even a bit fun to follow.

I started using beehiiv because it was built to help creators like me grow faster. Unlike other platforms, beehiiv feels like it wants you to win. 

beehiiv comes with powerful features:

Plus, beehiiv’s 3D Analytics helps me see what works, including top-performing emails, best traffic sources, open and click rates, and more. It’s way easier to make smart decisions when you have real data in front of you. 

If you want to grow your audience faster, give beehiiv a shot. Try beehiiv free for 30 days!

When I started growing my audience on Medium and beehiiv, I had no idea what I was doing. I definitely made some avoidable mistakes. 

If you are trying to grow faster and want to skip the messy trial-and-error phase, I highly recommend that you keep reading. This paragraph is packed with lessons I wish I had known earlier.

Starting without experience is like going in blind. You have no idea what’s ahead or if your next move is the right one. 

When I first started building an audience, I wish I knew how much consistency, effort, discipline, and budget it takes. It might not even pay off for a long time or at all.  

Some newsletters, like Milk Road, grow fast and get acquired, while others stay unprofitable even with thousands of subscribers. 

Building an audience is full of uncertainty. You never know which post, article, or connection might open a door. 

When I first started building my audience online, I got distracted by all those quick-win strategies, like going viral or chasing likes and shares instead of focusing on real growth.

Those strategies seemed like a fast track to success, but they never worked out the way I wanted. 

Over time, I realized that growing a loyal, engaged audience takes patience and showing up consistently. Once I stopped stressing about instant results and started thinking long-term, everything changed.

Instead of chasing those vanity metrics or trying to copy viral trends, here’s what I do now:

Sure, quick tests have their place, but this way, I avoid jumping around and stay focused on a strategy that works.

If I were starting to grow my audience today, I’d do things a lot smarter. I’d focus less on trying to be everywhere and more on what works. 

Here’s what I’d change:

And one more lesson — I’d stick with beehiiv from day one. I wasted time bouncing between platforms that didn’t work. beehiiv was built by creators for creators. In my opinion, it’s probably one of the best email marketing services for growing and monetizing your audience.

If you’re thinking about trying beehiiv, there’s a 30-day, free trial. Give it a shot and see if it’s the right fit for you.

Building my audience didn’t happen overnight. It took time, experimentation, and the right tools to support my efforts. 

Here are a few platforms and resources that helped me build my audience: 

All of these tools worked together to help me grow, one step at a time.

To me, building an audience means connecting with people who care about what you have to say. 

When you consistently share helpful, honest content, especially from your experience, people start showing up for you, not just the topic. 

Over time, that connection grows into a loyal community that supports and shares your work with others. I’ve seen this firsthand on platforms like Medium and beehiiv. 

I recommend starting by sharing what you know: your experiences, wins, and lessons. 

People connect with stories, not just tips. You can pick one platform where your audience hangs out (for me, it’s been Medium) and show up there consistently. 

Don’t worry about being perfect. Instead, just be helpful, honest, and a little vulnerable. Over time, your audience will grow naturally because they’ll trust you, and trust is what keeps people coming back.

Attracting an audience starts with understanding who they are and what they need.

Instead of talking about yourself and what you do, I suggest focusing on sharing your stories and tips that will help people solve their problems. 

Depending on your preferred user acquisition channel, you can show up consistently through blog posts, LinkedIn updates, or newsletters. This will help you build trust over time and attract your target audience. 

Building a larger audience is about consistent effort and connecting with the right people. 

What’s helped me is using beehiiv for my newsletter growth. beehiiv is easy to use and allows you to get more subscribers faster with its numerous growth features. 

With a powerful audience growth platform, you can focus more on being creative and helpful instead of worrying about the tech side.

Additionally, be sure to talk to your audience. Reply to comments, ask questions, and be yourself. That’s the best way to build connections and keep people coming back.

Give beehiiv a try with their free, 30-day trial and see how easy growing your newsletter can be!