All this month, we’ve been talking about building an audience here on the podcast—and we’ve been asking members of The What Works Network, well, what’s working for them when it comes to audience-building and marketing their businesses.

Some people have told us that keeping it simple and focusing on just one technique has paid a lot more dividends than trying to be everywhere and do everything.

Others have told us that video, like showing up on Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, or YouTube, has helped them reach new people.

Plenty of folks told us that the most important thing they do to build their audiences is reaching out to new contacts one at a time.

Still others told us Facebook groups, guest teaching, virtual coffee dates, in-person events, or asking for referrals and recommendations are their sweet spot.

Clearly, there is no right way to build an audience today.

That can be comforting for sure.

Those of us who are naturally questioners, rebels, and skeptics don’t have to mold ourselves into something we’re not or fit our businesses into someone else’s formula to get ahead.

And… at the same time, all of that open-ended possibility can be daunting.

As much as we want to do things our own way, it would be nice if there was a clear, well-maintained trail for our hike to the top of the audience-building mountain.

Make no mistake: I’m not suggesting that we all need to blaze our own trails when it comes to marketing our businesses.

Far from it.

But we do need to decide on a plan and stick to it.

“How?” you ask.

Earlier this month, friend of the pod Bonnie Gillespie shared 5 things that have worked for her over the last 20 years of building her Self-Management For Actors audience with What Works Network members. I want to focus on the first three for the sake of brevity:

Time. Trust in the long-haul.

Consistency. Never stop showing up.

Treating everything I do as if it’s the only thing they’ll ever see. And being sure my links roll deep for those who’d like to follow ’em to other things I’ve created from there.

I can’t agree more with these points.

Plus, I think they’re useful constraints for finding the audience-building plan that’s going to work for you.

Consider each of these points as questions:

* What can you stick with for the long haul? What could you do week in and week out for the next 10, 15, or 20 years?* What can you deliver on consistently so that your traction grows and grows?* What can you work towards mastery of? What are you willing to get better at every single day?

The answers to these questions might not be as sexy as a technique promising to be the secret to finding 10,000 true fans in 10 days. But, in my experience, these answers will serve you much better.

Like the small business owners you’ll hear from today, my own audience-building strategy has evolved over time. And like Bonnie, it’s required trust in the long haul, leaning towards mastery, and—as Dr. Michelle Mazur calls it—radical consistency.