Turning people off, online

A thread from a ‘rescuers’ forum today: Stupid phone calls – I know we all get them, but…

Now if I was a person looking for a pet, would a bunch of rescuers contributing to a thread like this make me more or less inclined to contact rescue? If I knew nothing about the issues and just wanted to add a pet to my family, does reading discussions like this make rescue seem more or less approachable?

 

Think about your fans

There’s not a successful business in history that, in a high-traffic public place, discuss at length how unreasonable their customers are… most likely because customers don’t flock to do business at places where there’s a chance they’ll be treated badly (or made to look foolish in a public forum).

Participating in forums like this does nothing to develop your Fan Club. Why spend time discussing how bad some of your clients are, when you could be running a positive dialogue with your real supporters?

 

On the subject of fans

Check out this post about developing relationships with your fans which states, rather than an artist (or a musician or whatever) trying to generate thousands and thousands of fans, that they should focus on generating just 1,000 True Fans.

 

One thousand is a feasible number. You could count to 1,000. If you added one fan a day, it would take only three years. True Fanship is doable. Pleasing a True Fan is pleasurable, and invigorating. It rewards the artist to remain true, to focus on the unique aspects of their work, the qualities that True Fans appreciate.

The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans. They are giving you their support directly. Maybe they come to your house concerts, or they are buying your DVDs from your website, or they order your prints from Pictopia. As much as possible you retain the full amount of their support. You also benefit from the direct feedback and love.

 

Rather than spending time discussing the dubious requests of a few people you deal with, in front of an unknown number of spectators why not use that time to make positive contact with the people who really matter: your Fan Club.

 

A final thought on forums:

Forums used in moderation and with consideration are an amazing tool for reaching new and existing audiences. But remember: keep your perspective.

Those who can’t bitch. Those who can don’t hang around to listen.