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How Do You Treat Your Biggest Fans?

image from www.rightbrainresource.com Seth Godin has done it again.

In few words, he has reframed how businesses should treat and view their best customers.

Godin argues that most businesses just take the money of their best customers.

Worse yet, they judge their loyalty by how much more money they're willing to pay than others. When businesses view their best customers in this way, their knee-jerk reaction is to just charge them more. After all, they'll be happy to pay.

Right?

This applies to artists too. Are your "biggest fans" merely the ones who buy the deluxe package? You offered it because you knew that they would want to buy it.

However, you also needed the money.

Next time, it's tempting to charge a little bit more, knowing you can get away with it. Just take their money and run. This is what happens when you associate your "biggest fans" with your biggest profits. If instead, as Godin suggests, you viewed these fans as your biggest marketers too, it shifts your perspective.

If your biggest fans are those who stick with you through thick and thin and refer your music to all their friends, is simply taking their money the best thing to do?

Likely not.

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6 Comments

  1. Really interesting point.
    I have heard a lot of people talk about focusing on the 20% of fans that bring in the most money but never tracking how much sharing power each fan has.
    I wonder if you could track that?
    – Chris

  2. It seems that the fans who tell others about you are much more profitable, in the end, than the ones that just fork over cash. I’ve know people who buy indie music just to support this or that friend, but don’t really like, or even listen to, the music. I very much prefer the “listening & sharing fans” at this stage in my career.

  3. With respect Kyle, this isn’t new, or even remotely original thought.
    Back when artists development was important to the music business, these types of fans were called “tastemakers”, and the first goal of launching any new act or record was finding and cultivating this audience, because they were so passionate about the band that they proselytized on their behalf.
    “Tastemaker” was a term that could be applied not only to fans, but certain indie retailers, fanzines, college radio stations, and clubs. We actually gave FREE MUSIC – promo copies in the form of cassette and CD singles, advance copies of albums, etc; to all of these outlets and key fans, to help enable them as marketers on behalf of the bands.
    Going out and finding these fans and outlets was hard work, and artists could not effectively do it themselves, so the labels had field marketing reps that did this exclusively. This required real resources, people, and tools, and months of focused, consistent work. The artists rarely had the time, knowledge or inclination in the old days to do this themselves, they wanted to make music, which is what the labels wanted them to do too.
    For any artist, new or established, creating a marketing plan that includes elements which actually enable/encourage their biggest fans to spread the word about their music is critical. It always has been. It’s just that the labels forgot, because they got rid of all the music people and hired MBA asswipes, and they don’t teach artist development at Wharton.
    Read less Seth Godin, read more Peter Guralnick.

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