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Build Your Social Media Audience

In this lesson, you’ll get an overview of the fundamentals, including what social media marketing is, why it’s profitable, best practices, and need-to-know channels.

Created by
Main Street Collective
Estimated time
About 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Level
Beginner-friendly
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Tip: Open the Action Guide before beginning and complete each action step as you go.

1

Lesson 1

Let's Begin!

5 minutes

Welcome to Social Media Growth for Makers and Small Businesses

No matter what you sell, whether you are a maker, a product based small business, or a coach or service provider, building an audience is not optional anymore. Social media helps you reach more potential customers, engage the right people, and grow your business, but only if you approach it with a clear strategy and provide content your audience actually wants. 

The goal of this course is simple: help you define who you want in your audience, find them, attract them into your social following and email list, and build trust and credibility so they are ready to buy.

Just keep one expectation in mind up front: relationship building does not happen overnight. Results come from proven tactics plus consistent action.

What you will be able to do by the end

By the time you complete this course, you will be able to:

  • Set audience growth goals and build the mindset to follow through
  • Evaluate what you already have in place and identify gaps
  • Get to know your audience so your content and offers resonate
  • Attract your ideal audience and start building relationships
  • Grow your email list intentionally, so you are not dependent on a platform
  • Nurture and engage so followers become customers

How to use this course (so you get results)

This course is organized into 6 modules that walk you step by step through building an engaged audience that can become a profitable customer base. The modules follow a logical order, so it is best to work through them

Before you begin

Download the Course Resources below.

Course downloads

Course resources

Keep these guides and worksheets handy while you work through the lessons.

Module 1

Get Ready to Grow Your Audience

1.1

Module 1 · Lesson 1

Why Grow an Audience Using Social Media

10 minutes

In this lesson, you’ll lock in why you’re building an audience and set goals that keep you focused instead of overwhelmed.

Before you watch

Open your Action Guide and be ready to write:

  • What you sell (products/services/coaching)
  • Who you want to reach
  • What you want social media to do for your business

As you watch

Listen for the core mindset shift: audience-building is a process, and consistency matters more than quick wins. 

After you watch (Action Steps)

Complete these in your Action Guide:

  1. What do you need an audience for? (Be specific.)
  2. Set an initial audience size goal on social media.
  3. Identify negative thoughts and reframe them into positives.
  4. Write 3 daily affirmations you will use to stay consistent.

You’re done when: you have a written goal + 3 affirmations you can reuse daily.

1.2

Module 1 · Lesson 2

Set up for Audience Growth

10 minutes

This lesson makes sure you’re prepared before you start serious growth so you don’t build the wrong audience or miss key setup pieces.

Before you watch

Download/open the Audience Building Checklist (you’ll complete it today).

As you watch

Focus on your “foundation” items:

  • Your ideal customer
  • Your offer (product line / service package / program)
  • Your UVP (why someone should choose you)
  • Your email system + lead magnet basics

After you watch (Action Steps)

  1. Complete the Audience Building Checklist to identify gaps.
  2. Write a description of your ideal customer.
  3. Outline your offer.
  4. Update your social profiles so descriptions match your offer/UVP and include your opt-in link.
  5. If you don’t have this yet: set up an email provider + opt-in + a simple one-page lead magnet.

You’re done when: your profiles are consistent and you can clearly state your customer + offer + UVP.

Module 2

 Step 1: Get to Know Your Audience

2.1

Module 2 · Lesson 1

Get to Know Your Audience

10 minutes

This module is about listening and researching so your content and offers match what your ideal customers actually want.

Before you watch

Open your Action Guide to a fresh page titled: Audience Research + Competitor Notes.

As you watch

Pay attention to:

  • Where your people hang out (platform selection)
  • What they say (their exact words matter)
  • What competitors do that works (and what doesn’t)

Action Steps

1. Research your audience:

  • biggest challenges
  • language they use
  • who they follow
  • how they consume info (video/podcast/blog/etc.)
  • then revise messaging/offers if needed

2. Competitor research:

  • platforms they use most
  • content types
  • engagement levels
  • posting frequency

3. Choose two platforms to focus on and write why they fit your business, then test two tactics from the lesson and capture what you learn. 

You’re done when: you’ve selected your 2 platforms with evidence and you have audience language you can use in posts.

Module 3

Step 2: Attract Your Ideal Audience

3.1

Module 3 · Lesson 1

Build Your Audience

10 minutes

Now that you know who you’re targeting and where to find them, this lesson is about attraction tactics that bring in the right people.

Before you watch

Write your two chosen platforms at the top of your notes. (Everything in this lesson is applied to those two.)

As you watch

Look for tactics you can implement immediately (without overcomplicating your content).

Action Steps

  1. Choose three tactics for each of your 2 platforms:
  • what you hope to achieve
  • how you’ll measure success
  • implement + record results

2. Build your “guest opportunity” plan:

  • define what makes you an attractive guest
  • find 2 guest speaking/blogging/interview opportunities
  • connect + submit requests
  • keep before/after stats to measure impact

You’re done when: you have 6 total tactics selected (3 per platform) and at least 2 guest opportunities identified.

3.2

Module 3 · Lesson 2

Use Social Media to Build Your Email List

10 minutes

Followers are great. Email subscribers are better—because you can communicate with them directly and consistently.

Before you watch

Make sure you have (or plan) a simple lead magnet/opt-in link ready to share across your platforms.

As you watch

Focus on:

  • how to move people from “liking” to “subscribing”
  • how to post opt-in links without sounding spammy
  • what metrics to track so you stay motivated

Action Steps

  1. Create and post the two recommended content pieces to drive opt-ins, including:
  • a problem-solving post pointing to your lead magnet
  • a “Top Experts” style post and @mention experts over time

2. Track simple metrics:

  • likes/shares/comments
  • audience growth
  • credibility…and note how numbers changed because of your actions.

You’re done when: you’ve posted the content and started tracking your baseline metrics.

Module 4

Step 3: Engage and Nurture Relationships Before You Sell

4.1

Module 4 · Lesson 1

Step 3: Engage and Nurture Relationships Before You Sell

10 minutes

This module is where you turn followers into relationships, because trust is what creates sales.

Before you watch

Download/open the Social Media Content Planner (you’ll use it after the video).

As you watch

Pay attention to:

  • daily engagement habits that keep you visible
  • conversation-style social media (two-way interaction)
  • planning a schedule that’s sustainable (especially if you’re busy)

Action Steps

  1. Create 2 follow-up emails your subscribers receive after downloading your lead magnet.
  2. Use the Social Media Content Planner to plan content + engagement activities, including best posting times and scheduling ahead.
  3. Optional: plan a short Facebook Group challenge (plan steps 1–6 now; complete 7–10 as you run it).

You’re done when: you have a planned schedule and your follow-up emails drafted.

Module 5

Optimize Your Audience Growth

5.1

Module 5 · Lesson 1

Advanced Growth and Preparing to Sell

10 minutes

Once you’ve built momentum, this module helps you expand reach with more advanced approaches—without wasting time or money.

Before you watch

Decide what “satisfactory engagement” looks like for you (so you know when to apply advanced tactics).

As you watch

Listen for:

  • how to customize opt-ins by platform
  • when paid ads make sense (and when they don’t)
  • what must be in place before you launch an offer

Action Steps

  1. Write 3 ways to customize opt-in pages for your platforms.
  2. Decide if paid advertising fits now; if yes, choose platform(s) + budget.
  3. Confirm your sales essentials are ready:
  • sales page
  • shopping cart
  • payment methods
  • Maker Academy-Build Your Social…

You’re done when: you have a platform-specific opt-in plan and a basic “ready to sell” checklist complete.

Module 6

Next Steps

6.1

Module 6 · Lesson 1

Review and Refine Your Strategy

5 minutes

This final module helps you tighten what’s working, measure smarter, and plan what comes next, so you don’t lose momentum after the course.

Before you watch

Open your Action Guide to your “Course Wrap-Up / Next Steps” page.

As you watch

Pay attention to:

  • choosing metrics based on goals (brand vs sales)
  • building beyond social media with referrals and affiliate partnerships

Action Steps

  1. Write your current policy on referrals and affiliates, and how you could incorporate them to build your audience.
  2. Review the course and complete your action plan (goals + what happens next) in your Action Guide.

You’re done when: you have a written next-steps plan you can follow for the next 30–90 days.

Keep building your business

Explore another free Maker's Academy course when you are ready for the next step.

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