Winning the Future, Audience is the Key to the Attention Economy, Here's What You Need to Know.

Forty years ago, at the dawning of the information age, it was discovered that, with information becoming less and less scarce, the economy would eventually need to be based on something other than the exchange of information. The thing that would become scarce, it was reasoned, as information became more and more readily available and easier to consume, was the attention to actually consume it. Attention would be the building block of the next economy. That day has come.

Platforms like Steemit are the fulfilment of this prophecy

While attention has been exchanged for money in the abstract, for a long time, never has it been so immediate and direct.

• • Create content
• • Serve it to an audience
• • Get paid for their attention

We no longer even have to “launder” their attention through intermediary products or services, their eyeballs actually bring us cash as they watch, read and upvote our content. In the past, advertisers made revenue from the sale of goods and services, but we’ve almost eliminated the middle man from the transaction here.

We’re witnessing the birth of a brand new economic model

While others bemoan the loss of traditional jobs to automation and developing countries, we are experiencing what comes next. We are winning the future, right here, right now. Soon, the masses will be joining us, and those of us who manage to carve out a niche, will be set for life!

• • Crypto currencies are already creating the next wave of “dot com” millionaires
• • Steemit is the first of its kind and is situated to be the gate keeper into the new economy
• • You’re in on the ground floor, be sure you recognize this

Platforms like Steemit don’t just provide new opportunities. They are actually creating brand new wealth, something that excites me no end! That means, we don’t have to rely on shaking some loose from the old, 1% own 98% of everything economy to get a piece! It’s actually growing on trees!

So, what do you need to succeed here?

In the attention economy, only one thing matters. From celebrities, to political figures, to the cook in the corner restaurant, anyone who can build an audience can succeed at almost anything they try in this new world we’re building! Why?

• • Profit from attention directly, through platforms like steemit
• • Leverage your audience to promote other ventures
• • Connect with the right people to find even more opportunities.

It’s been true for as long as I’ve been around, if you have an audience, you can sell pretty much anything your audience is interested in for a profit. If you don’t have an audience, you might have the best product ever, but it just won’t matter.

There are some rules to this audience thing

As a professional theater director, with over a hundred live stage productions on my resume, I know a thing or two about audiences and you have to respect the part they have to play in your success. Without them, you’re nothing!

• • It’s not that hard to catch people’s attention, but you have to be prepared to know what to do with it!
• • Stay true to yourself and your audience will follow you. It won’t be hard to keep their attention.
• • Lose their attention, even for an instant, by acting out of character, or offering lesser quality and you’ll have hell to pay getting it back!

It requires a level of honesty and transparency to build an audience. Let them see the real you and don’t make the mistake of hiding important things about yourself, then springing them on the audience later. If you’re genuine and passionate about what you share, people who share that passion will be loyal followers.

Consistent, quality engagement is the key to building community

Once you have an audience, the next phase is building them into a community. A community is an audience that has become larger than the sum of its parts. If you’re fortunate enough to be at the center of one, don’t screw it up.

• • It happens when your audience communicates with each other as much as with you
• • If you engage at this stage, content and next steps will present themselves through your audience, they will actually tell you what they want to buy, or experience next
• • Be consistent and encourage a free and open exchange among your audience, attempts at control, often end poorly.

Remember, without them, your product, service, or content is useless. Their attention is the lifeblood of your existence in this new economy. Respect the community you’ve built and they, in turn, will help you build an even greater audience.

There’s always another audience to join

If you’ve paid much attention to pop culture in your life, you’ll know, nothing lasts forever. I was just reminded of this today, as I passed a sign touting both Dennis Miller and David Spade in a comedy concert. Either of these heavy hitters would have been solo twenty years ago, but tastes change. Respect your audience.

• • There’s going to be others sharing similar content. Your connection to your audience will be the only thing keeping them engaged with you.
• • Don’t trash the competition. Always respect them. One of them will likely eventually take your place. You can remain a part of your community and profit from it, or you can be the bitter has been, your choice.
• • Assume the intelligence of your audience, after all, they chose you, right? Pay attention to what they like and engage with. Staying in tune with the audience is a key factor here.

I’m not saying sell out. If you change yourself drastically to make them happy, you’d better make sure you’re really sold on the new you. If not, it’s going to crash and burn. Better to remain consistent and find your audience, than try to find an audience and create yourself to fit.