customer loyalty

Can Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans Strategy Really Build Me a Six-Figure Business?

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Can Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans Strategy-blog

Recently, a colleague cited the research of Kevin Kelly and an article titled 1,000 True Fans. The premise of his research is very simple: If you develop a business based on 1,000 people who buy only $100 / year from you, you will earn $100,000 / year from these fans.

Could this marketing strategy work? What if I multiplied it by, say, 5,000 people?

A true fan was described as someone who gave their full support; they purchased everything that you created. There would also be a second tier of supporters that purchased some of your products.

And while this strategy could never work for large enterprises, like Nike, it’s certainly a viable option for the coaching industry, with proven case studies for musicians like Jill Sobule (he mentions her results in the article) also making a case for creative professionals.

How would I successfully execute the 1,000 True Fans Strategy?

“The Riches Are In the Niches” & Your Ideal Audience Will Sense Your Focus

A recent Blogging Tips article discussed the top 10 new blogging topics entering the market. In 2013 alone, 328,763 photography blogs popped up on the internet.

To be candid, niches are absolutely necessary to differentiate you from the competition. It’s not enough to simply have a photography blog these days. It’s imperative to have an “Animals Photography Blog,” etc.

When you consider your 1,000 true fans:

  • What is the glue that will draw your community together?
  • Where do they hang out? How can I reach this community?
  • What’s missing for them that you can solve with your product / service?
  • How do you speak specifically to them & what language do you use?
  • Who do they know that could be a second-tier connection for you?

Your Outreach Strategy Is Everything: Be Aware of the Best Ways to Implement Your Marketing Initiatives.

Kevin Kelly went on in his research to express the real differentiator of having true fans; you are required to reach out personally and touch them.

In a fast-paced digital world, we’re all being bombarded by marketing messages. What will make your messages special?

  • Speak directly to your audience Let fans into your world with insider stories and pictures. While it seems shallow, people enjoy knowing about your life; it makes you relatable. Advice in Action: Oprah’s Favorite Things list is a coveted prize for many retailers. Google a few of the successes she’s created over the years.
  • Get vulnerable (while staying authentic to who you are) Opening up about painful, frustrating, or highly emotional journeys let your fans rally together to support you. Advice in Action: Gerald Rogers Facebook post about his divorce quickly went viral – earning him a spot on the Today show and a coveted pedestal as a relationship expert.
  • Give away special offers, like a signed copy of your book or tuition discounts The better the offer the more likely fans are to tell others that they won. Don’t forget to highlight the winner.  Advice in Action: Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love recently raised thousands of dollars for a charity by having lunch with one lucky silent auction winner.
  • Make your marketing something people have to open You’ll want to make these offers valuable and time-sensitive. Don’t do them too often, or the buzz will wear off. Advice in Action: “The first five people to email me get an exclusive VIP virtual lunch meeting with me.”

You Can Go Deeper or Wider with Your Niche When Building a Community of Fans.

First, let’s discuss going deeper. The best way to picture this concept is as a funnel. At the top, you have the most superficial topic, narrowing down into specific niches:

  • What is Facebook & Why You Need It
  • Facebook Business Pages: Design & Strategy
  • How to Increase Your List by 1,000 Using Facebook
  • 25 Facebook Experts Give You Their Best Advice on Facebook
  • 38 Buttons on Facebook You Didn’t Even Know Existed
  • Exactly How to Create a Targeted Custom Audience Step by Step

At the top of our funnel, we’re giving basic information within a niche. We will build a highly targeted audience of fans who want to become experts in Facebook. This is the only targeted group we will attract since we have dug into advanced concepts very deeply.

Now, how can we go wider? Instead of being Facebook experts, we could be social media experts and choose to have a varied offering of multiple social media teachings.

In this instance, we’d teach Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ (while it’s still around), YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter, for example The net goes to a larger audience of social media folks.

How Does This Research Resonate With YOU?

As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read this blog. As you know, our business mindset is one of the most difficult pieces of success for us to conquer.

What do you think about Kevin Kelly’s idea? Do you think this concept would, or would not, work for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

7 Benefits of Podcasting for Small Businesses

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Listening

If you’re not familiar with the term “Podcasting,” it is the use of audio or video to broadcast a message.  Though experts disagree on where the term came from (some say it came from a combination of the Apple iPod and the term “broadcast,” while others say it comes from “Public on Demand” + “Cast”), the medium is growing exponentially as a tool businesses use to communicate with customers and potential customers.

Think of it as an audio blog or an audio e-newsletter.  Like both of those tools, podcasts are an excellent and cost effective way to reach your target market in a personal and informative way.  Additionally, podcasts can be distributed through RSS format, which is a subscription service that announces and delivers the podcast to your subscribers like a blog or a newsletter.

One of the reasons for the popularity of podcasts is that users, your customers and your target market, are able to easily access the information and listen to it on their computer, phone, tablet or just about anywhere.

 

How you benefit from podcasting or adding audio/video to your website:

online marketing

1. Podcasts increase your marketing reach and online visibility.  You will expand your target market because different people prefer different mediums. Some customers like to read company information, others prefer videos or live communication and still others like to download your information and listen to it when they have time.  Many podcast users listen to downloaded podcasts on their way to work or while they’re working out.

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2. Podcasts can improve your sales and conversion rates.  Podcasts are yet another way to reach your customers, and the one-on-one communication provides the kind of personal touch that customers crave.  People are more likely to buy from someone that they feel they have communicated with directly, and podcasts enable you to do just that.

email marketing

3. Podcasts provide a consistent line of communication with subscribed listeners.  It has been proven that regular communication with your customers improves both your overall relationship with them and their buying frequency.  A regularly distributed podcast can strengthen your relationship with your buyers and help to build a community with your customers.

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4. Podcasts provide beneficial and value added content, which increases customer loyalty.  Podcasts can offer a different kind of content to what you can provide with a blog or an e-newsletter.  This kind of content can be extremely beneficial to your customers.

customer loyalty

5. Podcasts allow you to distribute industry news and trends, which sets you apart from your competition and establishes you as a respected leader in your niche or industry.  One of the best ways to get repeat purchases and loyal customers is to become the “expert” in your industry.  Once your business is established as the place to go for quality information, services or products, your profits will grow.

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6.  Podcasting, or adding audio or video to your website and email messages, enables customers and prospects to access information in a more personal way.  You can add video or audio testimonials, quick “how to” segments, and even a special promotional message.  Adding audio or video is a unique way to add a personal touch to your website.

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7.  A podcast or an audio file can be used as a giveaway to build your opt-in list.  Consider recording either an interview with an industry expert or a seminar or workshop, and then offering the audio file as a free download.  In return, you get their email address for future mailings.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]