Dear Friend & Subscriber,

Instead of trying to gain followers or subscribers, Digital Creators should focus on building online friendships. 

Having thousands of followers looks fancy, but it's not meaningful if those individuals don't have a deep relationship with you. 

When building a personal brand, it's more beneficial to have fewer followers that trust you and see you as a friend, not some higher-status influencer. 

Seven hours of contact. The more time we spend with someone, the more opportunity there is to bond and build a relationship. Research shows that the magic number is seven hours. As Creators, this part is easy. If we have seven hours of content published on the internet, individuals will begin to see us as their friend the more they consume our work. 

Having 11 interactions. If we just met somebody once and spent seven hours with them, that is a good starting point. But if those seven hours were spread across 11 independent interactions, it no longer feels like a one-off friendship. As Creators, we want to build a community that keeps coming back, not just one interaction. 

Four different locations. Somebody can't be called a friend if you're only talking to them in one location. Having interactions in multiple locations is an underrated technique on the internet. For Creators, interactions may start as a like or comment, but can be transitioned into DMs, Zoom calls, or interactions on multiple social platforms. This is why it’s important to interact with your audience in multiple ways. 

We achieve success through community. A community of supportive online friends is what every Creator should strive for. Using these tools, we can intentionally build one. 

Best,
Maneetpaul Singh

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