4/17/2025

Building in Public: How Vulnerability Can Lead to Greater Customer Connection

In the digital landscape we find ourselves in today, the idea of building in public is gaining traction among brands and entrepreneurs. This approach emphasizes transparency, accountability, and vulnerability—three elements that can profoundly enhance connection with customers. When businesses share their processes, learnings, and even struggles publicly, they invite their audience into a more intimate experience. Let's explore how vulnerability in this context can lead to greater customer connection.

What is Building in Public?

Building in public is a philosophy where entrepreneurs document their journey openly, sharing both wins and setbacks along the way. This trend is particularly embraced by startups and solopreneurs, but it’s valuable for businesses of all sizes. According to Mario Gabriele, when a founder unveils their business plan or shares the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journey, they create a sense of COMMUNITY and invest their audience in their success.

Why Vulnerability Matters

When brands show vulnerability, it breaks down the barriers of FORMALITY that often separate businesses from their customers. Vulnerability can manifest in many ways:

Admitting mistakes and learning from them.
Sharing authentic stories about the company's evolution.
Discussing challenges openly, rather than hiding them.

In the words of Brené Brown, vulnerability fosters TRUST. When your audience sees that you're not just a faceless corporation, but a real entity with emotions, struggles, and genuine ambitions, they begin to trust your brand more deeply. This trust translates into loyalty, advocacy, and ultimately, lasting customer relationships.

The Benefits of Building in Public

Creates Accountability: When you announce plans publicly, you set expectations not just for yourself but for your audience too. This creates a sort of accountability that propels you to meet your commitments. The pressure to deliver progress updates can encourage you to stay on track, enabling a more reliable relationship with your followers and customers. As Gabriele points out, > “Humans are psychologically inclined to fulfill goals shared with others."
Aligns Values: Building in public gives potential customers insight into your brand's VALUES and BELIEFS. By openly sharing what you stand for, customers who resonate with those ideals are more likely to engage with your brand. This alignment fosters a base of loyal advocates who feel personally connected to your mission.
Opens Doors to Feedback: In a public forum, your audience can provide feedback and suggestions, which is invaluable for refining your offerings. For example, when a product or service doesn't meet expectations, discussing these challenges openly allows for valuable customer input that can guide improvements. Sharing vulnerabilities increases receptiveness to constructive criticism, adding another layer of authenticity to your brand.
Strengthens Community Bonds: By being vulnerable and transparent, you create a sense of COMMUNITY among your followers. They become invested in your journey, celebrating your victories and supporting you during setbacks. This camaraderie turns mere observers into engaged participants who are more likely to advocate for your brand through word-of-mouth marketing.
Transforms Customers into Advocates: Vulnerability breeds empathy. When customers see their own struggles reflected in your story, they feel a connection beyond the typical buyer-seller relationship, becoming your brand ambassadors. As highlighted in the Edelman Trust Barometer, brands that demonstrate authenticity experience more significant loyalty from consumers.

How to Build in Public Effectively

If you’re ready to embrace this transparent approach, consider these strategies:

Document Your Process: Share your daily or weekly insights on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or a dedicated blog. This progression allows your audience to witness the growth the struggles firsthand and keeps them engaged in your journey.
Be Honest About Setbacks: Don’t be afraid to share your failures or lessons learned. People appreciate candor over perfection, and it humanizes your brand. For instance, sharing how you overcame a mishap in your service or product can resonate deeply with customers.
Engage with Your Audience: Use social media to interact with your followers, asking for their thoughts on your ideas and sharing content. This dialogue transforms the dynamic from a monologue to a CONVERSATION.
Share Success Stories: Alongside discussing struggles, celebrate your successes! Highlight milestones, customer shoutouts, or features in the media. This creates a balance of highs and lows, making your story all the more captivating.
Use Data and Analytics: To enhance engagement, integrate insights from user interactions to inform decisions. Tools like Arsturn can boost audience engagement and streamline operations while providing a platform to host your public journey, making the process easier for you.

Leverage Technology to Enhance Engagement

Speaking of enhancing engagement, platforms like Arsturn, allow brands to create custom AI chatbots effortlessly. With a few simple steps, you can start a chatbot that engages your audience while also delivering key insights into their interests and preferences.

Benefits of Arsturn:

No Coding Necessary: Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, Arsturn allows you to create an impactful chatbot focusing on engagement and customer satisfaction.
Real-Time Insights: Gain valuable analytics that inform your strategy and keep your audience happy.
Customization: Tailor your chatbot's tone and personality to align with your brand's voice, ensuring a seamless customer experience.

By integrating AI tools like Arsturn into your public building strategy, you can keep the lines of communication open and enhance the connections formed through vulnerability. Customers will feel valued because they’ll get instant responses to their inquiries, building their trust and loyalty.

Final Thoughts: Embrace Vulnerability to Connect

In a world where consumers crave authenticity, sharing your journey publicly can create profound connections that go beyond mere transactions. Building in public invites your audience to walk alongside you, making them feel part of the process rather than passive observers.

So, don your armor of vulnerability, share your business journey openly, and witness how your customers not only respond positively but actively rally behind your brand. As they say, transparency is the new currency of customer engagement, and embracing your imperfections might just be the key to unlocking lasting relationships.

Step into the world of vulnerability, and combine it with tools like Arsturn to create an experience that resonates and engages your audience in ways you never thought possible.