6 Benefits of A Loyal Fan Base and How to Cultivate One

Nowadays, brands are encouraged to create a strong following of superfans that support the business wholeheartedly and are always first in line to buy any products they release as soon as they hit the shelves.

A true fan is somebody that’s enthusiastic about your brand persona, follows your social media closely, and they’re pre-ordering anything you announce. Since you’re dealing with somebody that cares deeply about your success, you shouldn’t be shy to give them perks that get you connected with them even further.

However, creating a cult of superfans is easier said than done. You’ll need something bigger than a corporation, better than a fire product, and a more universal presence for your product or service.

You’ll need something that people are able to stand behind, an umbrella of sorts. That’s because people are always looking for a community to fit in, and your brand can actually be that community. We’ve all seen that guy who bases his entire personality on whatever he buys, haven’t we?

This article isn’t just focusing on the benefits of getting a community of fans that support your business, we’re going to give you a little nugget of wisdom on what you should not do if you’re looking to cultivate your loyal fanbase.

Don’t just think about how much money you can get from your customers.

If your business only cares about profit and nothing else, it becomes clearer than you think to your fanbase where your priorities lie. The #1 thing you should keep in mind when marketing your product is that people never buy what you sell, they buy a feeling you give them.

What Does A Loyal Fan Base Depend on?

Your fans need to know what your values are in order to commit to being superfans for your brand. If they feel like you offer representation that they couldn’t find anywhere else, then you know you hit the jackpot.

The thing is, keeping a loyal fanbase is much harder than cultivating one, and that’s why we say it’s going to be apparent where your priorities lie when it comes to your consumer base.

Since these fans are watching your every move like a hawk, they can identify any problems you make. The difference between a concerned report and a disgruntled announcement is thin enough that you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference online.

However, the benefits far outweigh the pressure you’ll be facing, and you’re about to find out by how much.

How Can You Avoid Being Generic?

We get it, loyalty programs give your customers a reason to come back, and the more rewards or points they win, the higher they’ll be invested in your brand. However, that’s not a way to cultivate a true fanbase.

That’s because a true fan base relies more on just a dopamine hit from using your product, it needs to have a community to fall back on, and as mentioned above, they need someone to represent their morals and views to everyone.

So you need to offer meaningful loyalty programs, they work wonders if you know what you’re doing.

Instead of giving your fans points and prizes like 10% discount coupons for 100 hours invested in your business. Why don’t you give more meaningful rewards such as rewarding them for giving an honest review, or showing commitment to your brand, instead of how much they visit your app in order to get their points.

Now that you’re in the right mindset, let’s take a deeper look at what benefits your loyal fanbase will give you, besides an increase in sales.

Can A Loyal Fan Base Guarantee Brand Loyalty?

A lot of the time, your loyal fan base will not just be first in line to get your newest product. They sometimes will be literally unable to think about using any other competitor you might have on the market.

Think how the apple consumer base is so in love with i-products that they feel like using any other mac, iPhone, or iWatch is so weird that they’d rather rent a mac than use the windows laptop their friend lent them for the day.

If you’re looking to strengthen your fans’ loyalty further, why not create a beta testing program that they can apply to help you check whether your software is bug-free? If you’re selling a physical product, you can offer them free samples that aren’t in the market yet.

How many loyal fans do you realistically need to be successful?

Kevin Kelly wrote an article back in 2008 claiming that you really only need 1000 true fans if you’re starting your business, or are looking for a sustainable income while you’re working on your entrepreneurial skills.

The article goes on to claim that you don’t need millions of passive followers, you really only need 1000 true fans that buy your $100 product at every release. Going further to say that you can shorten that number to 500 true fans if you’re selling a $200 product.

So your loyal fan base is definitely more than a way to make more sales, they offer a chance to be able to improve on your skill set, and enhance your product without having to worry about your next meal, or how you’re going to pay your bills.

Can loyal customers help guide your business?

A loyal fan base that’s knowledgeable about your product can help guide your business to new directions. Have you ever heard about that one guy that got hired as a programming intern in a SaaS business, then quit the next day after fixing a bug that’s been bugging him for months?

Loyal customers build a community that is almost like a free business advisor, helping you make correct maneuvers for your business, as well as promptly reporting any issues or problems they might have with your product or service.

So you don’t need to hire a business advisor, nor do you need to invest in long and time wasting bug testing phases, your loyal fans got your back.

Loyal fans will spread the word, giving you free marketing

Probably one of the most obvious reasons why you should cultivate a loyal fanbase, but one we need to list due to how effective it really is.

Your loyal fans act as your brand ambassadors, for a price better than free, since they’re already investing in your success.

Have you ever wondered why you get a lot of these short ads that send one message in a catchy tone and then end? That’s because nowadays, the best way to grab your attention is by repeating the same message over and over.

Now imagine if that message came from a friend you have, or a family member. It might even be your significant other, and they keep talking on and on about this amazing brand they follow.

You’re bound to at least take a look, aren’t you?

A loyal fanbase guarantees you’ve surpassed your 5 minutes of fame

Thousands of micro-influencers shot to fame over the past couple of years, and yet only a handful of them stayed relevant to this date.

That’s because you can’t be a one-trick pony online, you need to be able to adapt to the internet trend, which might change by the hour, rather than the day.

It’s exhausting, and there’s really no metric on how you can make sure you’re on the right track, except for one.

Having a true fan base almost always guarantees you the longevity that none of the trend sitters can have.

A one-trick pony has fans that are loyal to a trend, not to the creator of it, and as such, a fanbase loyal to your product guarantees longevity.

Are loyal fans creativity boosters?

Absolutely!

Your loyal fans can comment on previous products, give examples on newer ones, report any mistakes or keep an eye on new trends that you could use in order to gain an even higher following.

What does that mean? It means that the thinking aspect of the creative process is shared between you and them; ultimately the decision of where your business is going relies on you. However, a loyal fanbase can share the burden of creativity since they are just as invested in the success of your brand as you are.

In addition to that, having a loyal community that exists alongside your regular consumers will help you come up with more ideas, since you’ll be working on products for both them and your customers, making sure you’re never behind on the trends.

We hope this article helped you understand just how effective having a loyal fan base can be if you’re not just looking to increase sales, but rather be more creative as an entrepreneur and guarantee staying power as well as longevity.

Cosmic agency is a creative space run by individuals who are knowledgeable about today’s market, and even more importantly, how the people who frequent it think. If you’re looking to boost your brand through sales, fans, or even social media management, book a call with us!