Fans and rock stars go together like peanut butter and jelly. Batman and Robin. Lindsay Lohan, house arrest… You get the idea.
Why don’t they have more rock star fans in companies? You’d be correct if you said “because “music is something that everyone enjoys.” Rock st” rs create products that people are drawn to. It’s not. It’s the product. We have brands that make “boring” “tems l”ke industrial lubricants and diapers.
What is their secret? Why do companies have customers, but rock stars don’t? Bodon’tck stars and businesses want customers.
Rock stars are focusing their marketing efforts on connecting with fans. This is not a surprise. This approach is based on sound business principles. In a 2010 Satmetrix survey, evangelists – fancy business speak for fans – spend 13% more than the average customer and refer businesses worth 45% of their spending!
If the average customer spends $100, then the fan will pay $113 — plus $51 in referral business! Which sounds better: $100 per customer or $164 from every fan?
You would be wrong if you said that most marketers prefer to have $100 per customer than $164 per fan. This is the top goal of US marketers. It’s true that other than prioritizing their most loyal customers, brands are looking to expand their customer base through acquiring new customers.
This approach has two problems: it results in less revenue per customer and costs more to acquire this business. It is 6-7 times more expensive to acquire a customer than to retain an existing one. If the choice is marketing to an audience that spends MORE and costs LESS or marketing to a group that spends LESS and costs MORE to reach, then there is no choice.
Here are four steps to help you build a fan base for your brand.
1. Find out why you have fans and how to relate to them.
What are the traits, characteristics, etc. of your fans? What are the traits, characteristics, etc. of your advocates?
It may take a lot more time and effort to understand why your fans love you, but this is a crucial step. Brains on Fire, for example, had to learn about Fiskar’s advocates and the reasons that they advocated on Fiskar’s behalf before it could begin working with them. The firm found a community of scrapbookers who were passionate about Fiskar’s orange-handled scissors. Fiskars advocates came together to share a passion: scrapbooking. Brains on Fire worked with Fiskars on a plan to bring together these advocates based on their shared love of scrapbooking. The Fiskateers Movement then was born.
Understanding your advocates better will help you determine the context of your relationship. Do you want to connect with your advocates so that they can help other customers? Do you want to get their ideas for product design or marketing? Fans and brands must understand each other’s relationships and the foundation of them.
Point of Action: Research to find out who your fans are and what ties they share. What is their brand identity? Online monitoring of brand mentions can be very useful, but you should not rely on it. You should pay close attention to the feedback you receive from your customers. What do they send you in terms of feedback about your brand? You should check emails, letters, and any results from customer surveys.
Assuming that you know the reasons why your customers love your brand is the worst thing you can do. Do some digging instead and get dirty. Getting accurate information about your fans and why they advocate on your behalf is crucial to cultivating an army for your brand.
2. Give your fans control and empower them
Once you have identified your customers and understand why they are advocating for your brand, find ways to empower them so that they can connect with others. Give them tools and the opportunity to “share lo”e.”
You fan” already share their love for your brand. (Remember the study on how they spent more and referred business to you?) It’s yourIt’s to make it easier for them to share their love.
You could create a formal Brand Ambassador Program. It is often enough to connect with your fans and tell them,” Here’s what you can do for us.” Give your fans more power. After all, they are loyal customers who want to see you succeed.
Action point: Find ways to give fans more control and input over existing marketing and communications processes.
Dell, for example, has offered to let some of its most passionate users write a blog post on one of the many blogs it hosts. Guest posts lighten the load on Dell’s blDell’sile, giving its most ardent fans a voice. This makes Dell’s coDell’srelevant and interesting to other customers.
You could also publicly recognize those customers who are helping others in your online forum. This will not only let them know that you value their work, but it will also show your other customers that they are being listened to. Never hesitate to give your customers a voice.
3. Marketing and communication efforts should be based on the “bigger .”ea”.
It’s a” aIt’sld marketing maxim: “Sell the”benefit, don’t thedon’tuct.” Your fa”s love your brand not just for the product but also for other reasons. Consider how your customers use your product and what is important to them. Do you have any beliefs, ideas, or thoughts that influenced your customers to choose your product instead of that of a rival?
Patagonia, for example, does a fantastic job of leveraging The Bigger Idea through its blog, The Clearest Line. PatagoniaPatagonia’sm recently wrote about the recent legislation passed by the Obama administration that bans new Uranium mining within a one-million-acre zone immediately surrounding Grand Canyon National Park for 20 years.
How does this help Patagonia to sell more clothing? Some of you are asking. PatagoniaPatagonia’sfor The Cleanest Line is based on topics and ideas about which its customers are passionate.
Patagonia describes the purpose of the blog on its About Page: “The Clea”est Line’s going to advance PatagoniaPatagonia by encouraging dialog about the products that we build, sports we enjoy, and environmental issues we care about. PatagoniaPatagonia’ sn helps us improve the quality and functionality of our products by talking openly about them. We can take immediate action by spreading the word on specific environmental issues. We can encourage each other to explore the wonders of nature by sharing field reports.
Patagonia discusses its products in a larger context (and one that is more relevant to its customers) that includes issues such as sustainability, outdoor activities, and protecting the environment. The content of PatagoniaPatagonia’sfocuses on the WHY and HOW customers use its products, making the content more relevant and valuable to its biggest fans.
Action Point: Understand what ideas/thoughts/beliefs are shared by your biggest fans about your brand, and create communications/marketing/content that focuses on those Bigger Ideas. Consider why your customers buy your products and how they use them.