5 Ways to Build Your Fanbase

Building a fanbase can be an uphill battle… especially when it has been tasked to you or your team while you are battling all the other fires that come along with your daily work life.

Never fear, here are 5 ways you can build a fanbase without an extraordinary amount of heavy lifting:

1. Define your fans

If you and I were to sit down to coffee tomorrow morning, and I asked, “Who are your organization’s fans?” How would you respond? You can’t say “our customers,” because although they do buy from you, they may not be fanatical about your product or service. The first step in building a fanbase is identifying who they are and why they are your fans. Start by brainstorming this out with your team over lunch. It won’t add to your day’s tasks, but it will at least help you identify who you are targeting.

2. Meet them where they are

Don’t wait for your fans to find you, meet them where they are! Remember the movie Field of Dreams? In that film, the classic line is “Build it and they will come.” Well, spoiler alert, no they won’t.

You need to be finding your people, and meeting them where they are. Maybe that’s social media, or maybe that’s in an email newsletter format, or even through event-based marketing. But, bottom line, don’t wait for them to do the work, do it for them.

3. Bring value

Once you’ve defined who you are targeting, and you have determined where they hang out… bring that value! Fans are fans because you do something different than your competitors. You add value to their experience. Spend some time (1 hour with team members) determining what makes you different… what makes you better. Then, go all in on it. Offer more of it, offer it to smaller groups of your customers, and keep track of what works and what doesn’t.

4. Love on them

Nothing goes further than a handwritten note. That and well, maybe a gift. So, why not do this for your fans. They show love to you and your brand, so show it back. Write notes in product boxes, or send notes to your clients who have been with you the longest. This shows them you really do appreciate them (which, you do), and that you are constantly thriving to be there for them. Oh… and ask them what they like about your brand, and what you can do better. You may learn something.

5. Rinse and repeat

Number 5 on this list may seem like a bit of a cop-out, but honestly it’s the most important one. Don’t give this a one-time effort and bail on it. Jump in with both feet, and take it seriously. Set future meetings with your team to talk about what you’ve learned from this exercise and what you can take forward. Retool and adjust where necessary. Make sure everyone is accountable and spread that responsibilities out so one person doesn’t get bogged down with all the “fanbase” tasks.

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And, as always, if you need help building your fanbase, contact our team today. We are happy to offer a no cost consultation to see if we can help.