Most people who teach audience building only share half the story. They want you to pay them to learn their secrets, but they conveniently skip the real trade-offs that come with putting yourself out there consistently.
After a few years of frequently posting on LinkedIn plus building a bit on X and YouTube, I’ve got a pretty good understanding of what audience building actually costs versus what it delivers. Here’s the honest breakdown that the “audience building gurus” won’t give you.
Why Most Audience Building Advice Misses the Mark
The problem with most audience building content is simple: it’s marketing material disguised as education. Every post shows you the highlight reel—the subscriber growth, the speaking opportunities, the “I quit my job thanks to my audience” success stories.
What they don’t show you are the cruel DMs, the reputation risks, or the exhausting grind of competing for attention in an increasingly noisy marketplace. They certainly don’t mention that building an audience can actually hurt your professional reputation in some circles.
I’d much rather be known as a practitioner than a content creator, but you can’t post all the time and not be grouped in with the “creator” population. That reality comes with consequences most people don’t discuss openly.
The Real Benefits of Building an Audience (From Someone Who’s Done It)
Building an audience has three concrete benefits that directly impact your career and income. These aren’t theoretical—they’re outcomes I’ve experienced firsthand.
Recruiting becomes dramatically easier. I speak to a lot of candidates who are familiar with LaunchDarkly because they’ve seen my posts. It’s helped us earn the attention of phenomenal talent, and we are fortunate many have decided to join our team. This has likely been the most impactful benefit to my “real” job.
Here’s why this works better than traditional recruiting: when prospects already understand your company’s value proposition and your leadership style, you’re not starting from zero. They’ve seen how you think about problems, how you treat people, and what you stand for. The candidates who reach out are pre-qualified not just on skills, but on cultural fit.
You build meaningful professional relationships. I’ve been fortunate to meet some awesome people from LinkedIn and have built meaningful friendships. Yes, even introverts have (some) friends. Just don’t ask me for names—they go to a different school and you wouldn’t know them.
Additional income streams become possible. Sales Introverts has grown significantly more than I ever anticipated when it first started. Many of my subscribers became familiar with me from LinkedIn. This gives me optionality for how I provide for my family that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
The Hidden Costs No One Talks About
The hidden costs of audience building fall into three categories that no one discusses openly, and they’re more significant than most people realize.
“You are big on LinkedIn” is more likely to be used as a crippling insult than as a compliment. I have enough self-awareness to recognize that LinkedIn “influencers” don’t have a great reputation. Much of that is earned.
I’m very aware that there are people who think less of me because I’ve built an audience. I’ve received some fairly cruel messages and comments along the way. It would be dishonest for me to say “I don’t care what they think”—I do care about how I’m perceived.
Competing for attention is exhausting. I wish I could just write thoughtful, helpful content without worrying about the “hook.” I wish the great content I love to read from others wasn’t buried in a sea of dishonest claims, attention-demanding selfies, and artificial controversy.
But you have to earn attention, and that takes effort unless you go for “engagement hacks.” Which I won’t.
If you’re considering building an audience but worried about the energy drain, there are ways to approach building audiences without getting exhausted. The key is finding sustainable approaches that align with your natural energy patterns.
It’s a tough game to “win” without a big time commitment. The people who post about posting on LinkedIn will tell you how critical it is to engage with a ton of posts every day. “Block off 60 minutes and comment on posts, DM strangers and ask to meet, you gotta invest the time!”
Great advice for someone whose life is LinkedIn. Not something I’m able (or want) to do.
Should You Build an Audience? Here’s How to Decide
For now, the pros outweigh the cons—I’m happy I started posting a few years ago. But my ultimate goal is not to “become big on LinkedIn”—it’s to no longer need LinkedIn at all.
Here’s how to think through whether audience building makes sense for you:
Start with your actual goals. Don’t build an audience because someone told you that you should. Build one because you have a specific outcome you’re trying to achieve—better recruiting, business development, career opportunities, or income diversification.
Consider your risk tolerance. If your current role or industry values traditional professionalism above all else, the reputation risks might outweigh the benefits. Some audiences and some industries still view “LinkedIn influencers” negatively.
Evaluate your energy levels honestly. Audience building requires consistent effort over years, not months. If you’re already stretched thin, adding content creation to your plate might hurt your performance in your primary role.
Think about your exit strategy. The best reason to build an audience is to eventually not need one. Whether that’s building enough business relationships that referrals sustain you, or creating enough optionality that you can step away from the platforms entirely.
The reality is that audience building isn’t for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine. The people making money teaching audience building have a vested interest in convincing you otherwise. But the most honest advice I can give you is this: only start if you have a clear reason why, and only continue if the benefits consistently outweigh the costs.
