Lessons on how to create a fan base
I went to the Jake Scott concert last night and the fans were singing/screaming at the top of their lungs.
What are the elements that create a devoted fan base?
1. Tell a story
Are you not entertained?
People want to get wrapped up in a great story. Look at how many stories Star Wars or Harry Potter has created.
The story is the vehicle you will give to your fans.
Give you audience a great story and the fans will find you.
2. Tap into the emotion
Fans are humans with lives and problems and feelings.
The emotions that you tap into are the connection between the story and reader. They will see themselves in the story or they will relate to the emotions in the story. Positive and negative.
The bigger the emotion that you can tap into the greater the fan you will create.
You want your fan to think: "This person is reading my mind. That is exactly how I felt in my situation."
3. Be catchy and memorable
Every insurance company is dying to be Geico.
Geico created this Gecko character that was strange and humorous, but worked. It was catchy and memorable.
Taylor Swift does not have the voice of Adele, but she has just as many if not more fans. Taylor Swift has catchy and memorable songs that tell a story and tap into generations of fans.
4. Put on a good show - bring the energy
I went to the Elton John concert this past month and the arena was sold out. He is as popular today as he was 30 years ago.
At 75 he played that piano for 2.5+ hours. It was a great show.
He gave every fan in that arena a great performance and fun show. It was high energy, he played all the hits and new music. He has a great, unique voice. It was high energy and had different visuals.
He continues to bring in new fans because he keeps playing shows that are fun.
5. Be visually memorable
Women and men are visual creatures. I would argue women as much as men.
HGTV is popular because the images are startling in both good and bad ways. A person walks into a house with animal feces in every room and all kinds of trash. When it is finished the owners walk into a space with a contemporary chandelier and marble countertops.
The imagery is extreme.
If you are good looking people will be drawn to you. If you create a visually appealing story people will remember it.
I do not really love the story of Alice in Wonderland, but there is a reason that it remade over and over for the next 100 years. The visuals are unique and people can see themselves getting lost in a strange world.
6. Do your thing over and over again, but change it up
A cup of black coffee is great, but what if you added syrup. And then at the holidays brought out different kinds of syrup.
And then added sprinkles.
And then found different coffees from around the world.
Keep creating.
Picasso created over 50,000 works of art in his lifetime. Every time he did it a little bit different.
Keep giving your current fans what they want while also bringing in new fans.
7. Start and grow the community
I wonder how many locations Elton John has played music at?
Start your community and then geographically grow that community. Do it both through the radio/online and live in person.
People will connect with each other because of you and create a deeper connection with you.
8. It's a business
Life is all about money.
If you want to create biggest possible community you will need a good amount of money.
Look at the biggest fan base of all. Disney.
It takes a lot of money to create and run the Happiest Place on Earth.
You should work on your business as much as you work on your art.
9. Be careful
Michael Jackson.
Fans are a great thing. But when you fanbase gets large enough it can become dangerous in many different ways.
- You have to protect yourself physically from harmful fans
- You have to protect your loved ones.
- Too much love can distort your reality. Only one person was ever known to walk on water and you are not that person.
- Draining. It can exhausting always giving value to your fans.
- Priorities. This should be first on the list. Fans are great, but they are not your family or close relationships. Authentic relationships are more important chasing more fans.
- FOMO. Everyone is missing out on something don't let your happiness be determined by your current circumstance. Easier written than done.
10. Be approachable/likable/friendly
Tom Cruise.
He has had his strange moments. Jumping on the couch. Scientology. But the vast majority of people that have met him or worked with him have nothing but great things to say about him.
If you are an A-hole you probably will not have fan base over the long haul.
Be appreciative for the fans that you do have and treat everyone with respect.
No comments.