Working in my job my focus is relating to the people - the desired action we want them to take I'm always trying to make them relate and it's nice when I see advocates quoting back words I wrote. I couldn't quite explain how I did this, but your post explaining how Evanscence relate to their audience by having songs with personal meaning to individuals has made something click - in my writing I need to aim towards this personal connection.
Really look forward to reading your Johnny Cash piece.
Thank you James for reading! The personal connection really opens so many doors, it makes it easier for your audience to understand you (and vice versa), and it also makes it easier for your audience to trust you ( and vice versa). And understanding and trust is the prerequisite for advocacy, so it works out perfectly! BTW I apologize, I thought I had already replied to your comment, not sure how I missed it. Have a great day!
Really interesting perspective Mack! I do like the contrast between fans and customers. However - and this isn't a leading question - do you think there's an underlying difference insofar as fans are also 'buying' into entertainment, lifestyle, and identity? So for example, whilst I might appreciate my favourite band getting in touch with me, I kinda don't care if my internet provider does, as long as their service is reliable.
Some brands transcend this of course (e.g. Apple) but those are the ones where the brand has become synonymous with identity in many ways.
So I guess the question then becomes: Is it possible to turn customers into fans for every business? If so, what might be the pathway for that?
Hey Scott, thanks for a great comment, as always. I think a lot of creating fans/brand advocates is tied up in elements beyond the product or service. Yes, a good product/service is a big part of it, but the people/values/execution of the brand plays a big role as well.
Here’s a personal example. For years, I had no affinity to computer brands. When it was time to buy a new desktop or laptop, I would pick the one that had the features I needed, at the best price.
Then around 2007, I started connecting with Dell’s social media team via my blog. Over the next 4 years I got to know personally dozens of people at Dell. Even got to do a few projects with Dell, including going to Austin and meeting Michael Dell.
As I got to know and like the people that worked at Dell, that changed my perception of Dell and made me a fan of the brand. This is why I think engaging directly with customers helps create fans/advocates across all businesses and industries. If I had gotten to know Lenovo’s social media team and had worked with them and connected with them, I likely would have had the same levels of affinity for that brand that I did Dell.
This is also why I stress the importance of customer engagement. The more the customer understand’s the brand’s POV and Vice versa, the easier it is to create fans/advocates. Will be writing more about this on Tuesday. Thanks again Scott for a thoughtful comment.
Yeah, love that example! That makes a lot of sense. Whilst our relationship with Dell will be markedly different to that with Evanescence, that doesn't mean businesses should neglect the engagement. And perhaps, going further down that road, it might also be about discovering what type of engagement makes sense for the customers that a business has.
Brilliant piece Mack! A great reminder to focus on building relationships rather than selling. Giving rather than taking. It's a great long term strategy and more fulfilling too I would imagine
Thank you Hege! I love that you picked up on the rewarding aspect of this marketing approach. That’s such a good point, rock stars are engaging every day with people who love them, while the average company is dealing with strangers who have no interest in hearing from them. No wonder most companies hate engaging with their customers as much as we hate hearing from them! Thank you for a very thoughtful comment!
I love how you break down that Loyalty Graph. It's such a simple concept, but it explains so much. Companies are out here chasing new customers like it's a game of whack-a-mole, while rock stars are nurturing their die hard fans. And those fans? They're doing all the heavy lifting, spreading the word for free. It's genius, really.
Thank you sis! The focus on New Customers almost exclusively also explains why advertising budgets are so massive for companies. It costs a lot of money to get people to pay attention to you when they don't care about you LOL Another reason why I think rock stars are brilliant marketers, they only market to the people who have come to THEM expressing interest.
When is the last time you saw a Rock Star buying a Super Bowl ad? Different world, and different results. Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment and share, Neela! Have a wonderful weekend
This is a bloody useful post Mack - it may seem obvious to you but I’ve never considered the issue from this perspective .. brand advocates .. love it!
Thank you Mark! This is honestly why I love this topic of how rock stars market themselves and generate fans. As soon as you explain it, everyone immediately gets it! It can't be that hard to grasp, otherwise I never would have figured it out :) Appreciate you reading and Liking, have a great day!
Thank you this was a really insightful post Mack.
Working in my job my focus is relating to the people - the desired action we want them to take I'm always trying to make them relate and it's nice when I see advocates quoting back words I wrote. I couldn't quite explain how I did this, but your post explaining how Evanscence relate to their audience by having songs with personal meaning to individuals has made something click - in my writing I need to aim towards this personal connection.
Really look forward to reading your Johnny Cash piece.
Thank you James for reading! The personal connection really opens so many doors, it makes it easier for your audience to understand you (and vice versa), and it also makes it easier for your audience to trust you ( and vice versa). And understanding and trust is the prerequisite for advocacy, so it works out perfectly! BTW I apologize, I thought I had already replied to your comment, not sure how I missed it. Have a great day!
Really interesting perspective Mack! I do like the contrast between fans and customers. However - and this isn't a leading question - do you think there's an underlying difference insofar as fans are also 'buying' into entertainment, lifestyle, and identity? So for example, whilst I might appreciate my favourite band getting in touch with me, I kinda don't care if my internet provider does, as long as their service is reliable.
Some brands transcend this of course (e.g. Apple) but those are the ones where the brand has become synonymous with identity in many ways.
So I guess the question then becomes: Is it possible to turn customers into fans for every business? If so, what might be the pathway for that?
Hey Scott, thanks for a great comment, as always. I think a lot of creating fans/brand advocates is tied up in elements beyond the product or service. Yes, a good product/service is a big part of it, but the people/values/execution of the brand plays a big role as well.
Here’s a personal example. For years, I had no affinity to computer brands. When it was time to buy a new desktop or laptop, I would pick the one that had the features I needed, at the best price.
Then around 2007, I started connecting with Dell’s social media team via my blog. Over the next 4 years I got to know personally dozens of people at Dell. Even got to do a few projects with Dell, including going to Austin and meeting Michael Dell.
As I got to know and like the people that worked at Dell, that changed my perception of Dell and made me a fan of the brand. This is why I think engaging directly with customers helps create fans/advocates across all businesses and industries. If I had gotten to know Lenovo’s social media team and had worked with them and connected with them, I likely would have had the same levels of affinity for that brand that I did Dell.
This is also why I stress the importance of customer engagement. The more the customer understand’s the brand’s POV and Vice versa, the easier it is to create fans/advocates. Will be writing more about this on Tuesday. Thanks again Scott for a thoughtful comment.
Yeah, love that example! That makes a lot of sense. Whilst our relationship with Dell will be markedly different to that with Evanescence, that doesn't mean businesses should neglect the engagement. And perhaps, going further down that road, it might also be about discovering what type of engagement makes sense for the customers that a business has.
Brilliant piece Mack! A great reminder to focus on building relationships rather than selling. Giving rather than taking. It's a great long term strategy and more fulfilling too I would imagine
Thank you Hege! I love that you picked up on the rewarding aspect of this marketing approach. That’s such a good point, rock stars are engaging every day with people who love them, while the average company is dealing with strangers who have no interest in hearing from them. No wonder most companies hate engaging with their customers as much as we hate hearing from them! Thank you for a very thoughtful comment!
I love how you break down that Loyalty Graph. It's such a simple concept, but it explains so much. Companies are out here chasing new customers like it's a game of whack-a-mole, while rock stars are nurturing their die hard fans. And those fans? They're doing all the heavy lifting, spreading the word for free. It's genius, really.
Happy Friday Mack - another great article.
Thank you sis! The focus on New Customers almost exclusively also explains why advertising budgets are so massive for companies. It costs a lot of money to get people to pay attention to you when they don't care about you LOL Another reason why I think rock stars are brilliant marketers, they only market to the people who have come to THEM expressing interest.
When is the last time you saw a Rock Star buying a Super Bowl ad? Different world, and different results. Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment and share, Neela! Have a wonderful weekend
Great post - engaging with brand advocates is really important - these are your new customers and leaders in your business, they set the trend
Thank you Kevan, they are your best salespeople!
This is a bloody useful post Mack - it may seem obvious to you but I’ve never considered the issue from this perspective .. brand advocates .. love it!
Thank you Mark! This is honestly why I love this topic of how rock stars market themselves and generate fans. As soon as you explain it, everyone immediately gets it! It can't be that hard to grasp, otherwise I never would have figured it out :) Appreciate you reading and Liking, have a great day!
You too buddy .. as ever, the ability to explain the complex, as if it’s simple, is an art form 🤘🏻