5 Ways To Turn Fans Into Superfans

There are a number of lists available for developing fans, increasing fan engagement, and taking casual fans to the next level of superfan or "tribe" (in master marketer Seth Godin parlance), but a post from merch packager United Manufacturing has some good ones that I've not seen before.

You can read the entire list on the UM site, but I've singled out the ones that I really like below:

1. Always have cheap merch handy as a free giveaway. Stickers, patches, guitar picks, necklaces, wristbands are all less than a buck but reap a lot of goodwill. 

2. Share some dark secrets on your blog. Fans can relate when things get tough, and if the post is done well, it can quickly increase their goodwill with you. As a good example, check out Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's site where he outlines his pain at not being able to do the upcoming tour because of some "unpleasant" contract negotiations. 

3. Conduct a live webcast with the fans. There's nothing better than a live shoutout to your fans, especially when they can give you a shoutout right back. 

4. Showcase fans in your music videos. What better way to make fans a part of your tribe than to feature them in a video. 

5. Post photos of their gifts to you on your website and social networks. Fans are always sending gifts to the artist they love. Show your appreciation right back by featuring photos of those gifts, or reprinting their emails, on your site, blog, and social network feeds.

There are a lot more tips that you can read in the original article, but the ones above that I singled out you don't often see on many lists, and they can be the most effective of all.

-----------------------------------

Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.