One of the core resources you can get in is Influence, which can help you press Claims for more land and negotiate with other settlements through Diplomacy.
Having high Influence gives you a better chance to expand and let your settlement grow. However, you need to gather enough of the right resources to raise this aspect of your community through specific locations.
While the most Influence is gained from actions taken in your own community, you can gain it quickly by conquering Bandit camps around the world.
These are fast, one-time boosts to your Influence when you take out hostile areas run by Bandits on the map. However, the combat of can be tricky to understand at first and risks you losing multiple people or materials by committing to fights.
The best way to farm Influence is to build a Church within your town and create a Manor whose Tithe adjustments affect your overall Influence gained at the end of every month.