How to Monetize a Small Audience (And Why You Don’t Need 100K Followers to Win)

Let me guess.

You’ve probably been told—or silently assumed—that to build a successful business online, you need to have thousands upon thousands of followers. That you need to go viral. That you need likes, comments, and followers pouring in by the minute.

But here’s the truth I’ve learned firsthand:

The size of your audience doesn’t matter nearly as much as how you treat, serve, and lead the audience you already have.

I’ve coached influencers in the health and fitness space with over 200,000 followers... who are barely scraping by with $5–10K/month.

And I’ve worked with online coaches who have less than 5,000 followers—some as few as 2,000—who are consistently pulling in $30K–$50K/month.

So today, I’m pulling back the curtain and showing you exactly how to monetize a small audience without chasing vanity metrics.

Let’s dive in.

Why You Don’t Need a Big Audience to Make Big Money

I’ve never had a huge following.

At any given time, I’ve had between 1,000 to maybe 3,000 people paying attention to my content.

And yet…

• I’ve built a gym from the ground up to 300+ members.

• I’ve launched a multi-six-figure online fitness business.

• I’ve grown my marketing and consulting business into a high-profit company helping coaches thrive.

All without ever being internet-famous.

"Big following doesn’t equal big income. Connection does."

If you’ve never read 1000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly, go look it up. It’s short—but powerful.

The gist? You don’t need millions of followers to make a great living. You just need a tribe of loyal fans who actually care about what you’re doing.

Now, in our coaching and consulting world, we’re not selling $10 music tracks. We’re offering higher-ticket transformations.

So realistically?

You don’t even need 1,000 true fans.

If you had 100–300 loyal buyers, you could easily build a six or even seven-figure business.

But to do that… you need three key ingredients:

Ingredient #1: A Deeper Purpose That People Can Feel

You’ve heard the phrase:

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

And it’s true.

Everyone online has some version of: “I help [niche] achieve [result].” But that’s not enough.

What people really want… is to buy into a movement. A mission. A story that makes them feel something.

So let me ask you:

What’s the deeper reason behind what you do?

For me, it’s this:

I want to help end prolonged human suffering.

Everyone suffers. It’s part of life. But prolonged suffering—months, years, even decades of being stuck—that’s the part I want to help people move through.

And I believe coaches and entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to help.

Because when you learn how to communicate your message—the story inside you—in a way that influences and converts...

You don’t just build a profitable business.

You change lives.

You break generational cycles.

You reclaim your time, freedom, and fulfillment.

My Deeper Purpose: The School of Impact

I’ve been building something called the School of Impact.

Think of it like Professor X’s school from X-Men.

Except instead of mutants learning to harness their powers…

We help coaches and entrepreneurs master their message, so they can lead with impact.

Your message is your weapon of influence. Your story is your superpower. Your unique perspective is your differentiator.

And when you learn how to communicate it effectively, people don’t just listen. They transform.

Now, some people hear this and say: “Nah bro, I just wanna make money.”

Cool. They’re not my people.

But others hear it and go: “Hell yeah—that’s exactly what I want to do.”

That’s resonance.

And that’s how you attract a loyal, aligned tribe.

Ingredient #2: A Unique Message That Cuts Through the Noise

There are 4 invisible sales you have to make before anyone buys from you:

1. Sell a New Belief (AKA Your Big Idea)

This is your flag in the ground statement. The thing you believe so deeply, you could preach it for years.

Mine?

Messaging is the 5% that produces 95% of your results.

Whether you’re running ads, doing DMs, creating content, or speaking on stages...

If you’re not saying the right words, in the right way, to the right people?

Nothing converts.

It all starts with what you say.

2. Sell a New Identity

Most people don’t just want a result. They want to become someone new.

I help my clients become sought-after authorities in their niche.

That’s the identity they step into.

What identity are you helping your people adopt?

Is it “Fit Mom 2.0”? “Limitless Leader”? “Pain-Free Lifter”?

Paint that picture clearly.

3. Sell a Unique Mechanism

This is the how. Your signature system. The thing that bridges the gap.

If your big idea is the belief... And your identity is the aspiration...

Your mechanism is the path.

For example:

• My big idea: Messaging is everything.

• My mechanism: The Magic Messaging Makeover.

In my fitness business, my big idea was: “It’s not about eating healthy—it’s about eating right.”

My mechanism? Flex Fuel Nutrition.

What’s yours?

Name it. Own it. Teach it.

4. Back It Up With Social Proof

Let’s talk results.

I run a co-creation offer where I literally help build people’s marketing with them over Zoom. We script the messaging, build the campaigns—then they go close the deals.

One of my clients, Rachel, had 2,800 friends on Facebook.

We launched a 90-day challenge using the strategy I gave her.

Result?

• 197 leads in 2 weeks

• 13 high-ticket sales

That’s proof.

And when you share stories like that—authentically—it makes people believe it’s possible for them too.

"Social proof isn’t just about credibility—it’s about belief transfer."

So if you want your small audience to buy, ask yourself:

• What’s the belief they need to adopt?

• Who do they want to become?

• What’s the unique path you offer?

• Where’s the proof it works?

Ingredient #3: Build an Invisible Funnel that Nurtures

Now let’s talk strategy.

Most people are still stuck in the old school way of doing funnels:

• Opt-in

• Email sequence

• Offer

• Crickets…

That doesn’t work anymore.

The modern buyer doesn’t move in a straight line.

They bounce around. They click, lurk, scroll, binge, and decide on their timeline.

That’s why I don’t run a linear funnel.

I use what I call an Invisible Funnel.

It’s an ecosystem—made up of a few key channels:

• Facebook (personal profile)

• Email (daily or 3x/week)

• YouTube (for deeper content)

Each one plays a role.

Together, they create an ongoing loop where:

• People get nurtured by value content

• They see stories that shift beliefs

• They get invites to conversion events or offers

And the best part?

It’s not about manipulation. It’s about care.

The word nurture literally means:

“To care for and encourage the development of.”

When you genuinely help your people grow...

They stick around. They share your stuff. They become clients. They refer friends.

That’s the magic.

And by the way—I’ve had people message me saying:

“Dude, I’ve made $20K just from your free content.”

That’s the kind of influence you want to create.

Not just marketing. Movement.

Real Talk: Popularity Is Not the Goal

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably not chasing likes.

You want to:

• Build a real business.

• Create real impact.

• Earn real freedom.

And that starts with letting go of the popularity contest.

You don’t need 100K followers.

You need:

• A message that moves people.

• A system that converts attention into income.

• A mission that inspires loyalty and trust.

That’s it.

I’ve seen it play out with dozens of clients.

One client, Alex Solomon, had about 3,000 Facebook friends when we started.

He used these exact strategies and exploded his audience to nearly a million followers.

But here’s the kicker:

Even with that huge audience now…

It’s still the same loyal few thousand who drive the bulk of his business.

So remember:

You don’t need everyone. You just need the right ones.

Your Message Matters Now More Than Ever

We’re living in a world where people are:

• Overstimulated

• Overweight

• Overwhelmed

They’re consuming too much and creating too little.

And they’re stuck.

But you?

You have a message. A story. A truth.

And if you learn how to communicate it clearly and powerfully...

You can become a light in the dark.

You can:

• Transform lives

• Build a business that serves you

• Help others reach their full potential

Don’t let your message go unheard.

Speak it. Share it. Shape the world with it.

As always...

Be seen. Be heard. Be impactful.

Let me know in the comments below:

• What was your biggest takeaway?

• What’s your deeper purpose?

• What’s the unique message you want to be known for?

And if this resonated, make sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss any upcoming drops.

Talk soon. 👊

Who Is Jason Meland?

I am a value creator, mentor, and entrepreneur. I help online coaches master their messaging, attract dream clients, and build thriving high profit, high impact businesses.

When You’re Ready, Here’s How I Can Help You:

1. Grab a copy for the 5 posts responsible for 7 figures in online fitness sales: https://www.indemandcoach.com/5-posts-ebook-2505 

2. Join the waitlist to get an invite to join the Client Attraction Accelerator https://www.indemandcoach.com/in-demand-waitlist 

3. Work with me personally 1:1 to build a high profit, high impact online coaching business. DM me "mentorship" here for details