How To Grow a Fanbase
This blog post is going to be something a little different. I have been having a tough time lately mentally, as I’m sure is quite the norm at the moment.
So I decided in order to feel different I needed to act different.
Before COVID struck and my partner fell ill I used to walk every morning and listen to podcasts.
It was my escape for the day. A way I centred myself.
Before I started this habit I was having terrible panic attacks and I really felt kind of lost.
Over the last 6 months with the responsibilities of our child and my partner getting sicker I have been unable to do it as much if at all. Some of that blame lays on myself for not being better organised and moving things around to fit as they could.
I could have used my free time better, 100%.
So back to acting different.
I have now forced myself to find the time to listen to a podcast or audio book.
Every night I go to bed 30 mins earlier then I would usually and lay there resting, being mindful of the day and listening to whatever I’m into at the moment.
This past week I’ve been listening to the audiobook Seth Godin “TRIBES” and it has me so pumped up. But not just about doing work, it’s reminding me about connecting with like-minded people (“Building Your Tribe”).
The following is what he calls the key elements for creating a Micromovement. Or what I’d like to convert into… The 4 keys to success when you want to connect with and grow your 1000 True Fans.
PUBLISH A MANIFESTO
For some of you this may be the first time you have seen the word. So I’m including a description as written by wikipedia.
“A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government”.
As an example America’s Declaration of Independence is classed as a manifesto.
I wrote a personal one back in 2017 something I keep close to remind me of my intentions to be a better me. I uploaded it HERE so you could check it out as an example.
For a brand or artist these probably aren’t the best examples but it gives you an idea of the thoughts you can include.
Coupling those examples with this guide written by the team at Hubspot “How to Craft a Brand Manifesto”. With these tools you will begin to be able to formulate ideas on how to write one that fits you.
Then once you’re done make sure it’s easy for anyone and everyone to access. Leave it there to spread far and wide. It’s your way of looking at the world and will unite your fanbase as it grows.
Don’t use I can’t write as an excuse either. Any medium will do as long as it is possible for someone to consume it.
MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR FANS TO CONNECT WITH YOU
This one is pretty self-explanatory and if you’re already in the business of growing a fanbase you should all have emails, social media accounts and on and on.
If you’ve read any article on this blog before this one and you didn’t have some way for your fans to connect with you I’m not doing my job very well.
MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR FANS TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER
Allowing your fans the ability to connect is the quickest way to grow a fanbase. Once they become a true fan all they will want to do is discuss their fandom with a fellow fan.
Unfortunately it isn’t as easy as it sounds, a fan simply commenting on your social account is not a real connection. You will need to create situations for these people to connect in real time.
Our Guest Blogger Jai King Koi producer of the A Beer With podcast has done this beautifully.
He has an online zoom community that’s grown from the podcast called Friday Knock Offs and also put together an IRL meetup with the same community.
This brings his fans together, creating moments for them to interact as fans outside of his regular content.
REALISE THAT MONEY IS NOT THE POINT
Money rules the world. The problem is as soon as you cash out i.e. try to monetise your fans. They can very quickly become turned off or deaf to your art.
So remember that for most of you Money was never the reason you got into this in the first place. You became a Musician, Artist, Creative because you want to share your passion with the world.
Use that as your fuel and you will truly go far.
The longer you can hold your breath before monetising your audience the stronger the connection with your fans will be. As soon as you ask for money you change the very nature of your relationship.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
If you’re trying to achieve a long term goal. i.e. growing a fanbase. To Not Track Your Progress is almost setting yourself up for failure.
Tracking it and make it public.
By letting your fans know you’re looking to make it to
10k followers on Facebook
5k streams on Spotify
10 Sold Out shows on your tour
They are then invested with you and will want to help you achieve your goals. They’re your fans they like you and they want to see you succeed.
I actually didn’t truly believe this for the longest time until I started using Twitch and placed Sub and Follower goals live on our stream. The stream immediately saw an uptick in both and has consistently seen growth whenever they are present compared to when they’re not.
Think of your fans like your best friends. They’re invested in you. They want to see you do well. So let them in on your goals and they will help you every time.
CONCLUSION
Now this may sound like a lot of work. You’re already busy making music, performing at gigs and working a side job.
No one said it was going to be easy. But this is why we track. So over long periods of time with slow methodical work you will begin to see progress no matter what.
It has been proven time and time again, the longer you keep at something the better chance you have of it improving.
So sit down and evaluate whether you’re really in this for the long run. Then if you decide you are …. it’s time to get to work.
Spread your music, Spread your message, Spread your vibes.