How to Identify and Engage Your Ultimate Fan [Cyber PR]
Out of your online following, how many true “fans” do you actually have – people who know you, like you, trust you and would part with money to hire or support you? It's a questioned asked often by Ariel Hyatt and her team at Cyber PR. Do you know what your ultimate fan wants? And are there 50, 100, 1,000?
How do you communicate with them? Do you have their e-mail addresses, their physical addresses, or are you linked on social channels? Do you see these people frequently in real life, or are you in contact with them only online?
And how much do you really know about the people — their likes, their dislikes, and why they follow you in the first place?
I have devised my crowd ID exercise so that you can find this information out. It is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Social Media Tune Up and is the foundation that you should operate from when you go to your socials.
It’s important to understand three things:
First:
- Who’s already there?
Second:
- What is their emotional connection to you?
Third:
- How can you increase your follower’s engagement with you?
Getting To Know Who’s Already There
Everyone has a specific type of “fan” or follower in his or her tribe. This person can also be referred to as your ideal customer, “avatar,” part of your target audience or target market. Whatever you call this person, it’s important to know as much as possible so you can (1) reach out to them through the right channels, and (2) create content, products, or projects that will engage their emotions and make them want to support you.
This exercise is designed to help you get clarity around your following. If you already have a mailing list, Twitter following or Facebook Page, I suggest you take a look at the names, Facebook Insights and Twitter Analytics (https:// analytics.twitter.com) or on your Twitter page, to help spark your memory and complete this data gathering exercise.
Answer these questions. If you don’t know this information about your following start gathering data right now for the future.
The Cyber PR Crowd ID Exercise
(Click here or on the image below to download this entire exercise.)
Who Are Your Fans?
- Are they male or female? What percentage of the group is male, and what percentage is female?
- Are they singles or couples, and what percentage of each?
- How old are they? Give a general 10-year age range. Don’t you dare say “18-65”!
- What kinds of careers do they have? Are they professionals? Still in college/university? Freelancers? Stay-at-home parents?
- On average, how much money do they make per year?
IF YOU HAD MORE MALES IN YOUR AUDIENCE YOU WILL ANSWER FOR A MAN IF YOU HAD MORE FEMALES FOR A WOMAN.
What does he/she like to do?
- What activities / hobbies
- Skiing
- Surfing
- Hiking with dogs
- Wine tasting
- What else can you think of?
What does he/she do for entertainment?
- Go to movies
- Live Music
- Eat at restaurants
Step #1: Figure Out Your Interests
Before you can dive deep into a micro niche, you have to first identify a niche that suits you – one that will put Kraft Dinner on the table AND sustain your interest.
You can figure out which micro niche suits you by first writing down your list of interests or passions.
Why is this important? Because when the going gets tough (and it WILL get tough at some point, believe me), if you have no interest in the niche – either the niche topic, or some aspect of running an online business – you’ll be much more likely to give up.
Developing your niche:
Here are some questions to ask yourself to understand what your interests are:
What hobbies do you eagerly anticipate doing on the weekends?
What associations or clubs do you belong to?
What types of magazines do you like?
What things do my friends and family say I’m interested in?
Step #2: Brainstorm a Handful of Niches Based on Your Interests
Once you’ve got a good handle on what interests you, the next step is to brainstorm a handful of niches. What you’re looking for is a niche audience to serve.
There are different kinds of niche audiences. One is a demographic niche, which is a group of people who share a similar age, sex, job, income, etc.
Another is a psychographic niche. When we talk about psychographics, we talk about the initials “AIO” – people’s Activities, Interests, and Opinions.
Then there’s a needs-based niche, which is a group of people who share a similar need (such as people who need backpain treatment, or who need help repairing their credit score, or who need help learning how to make money online).
The easiest niche audience to find is one based on needs.
So, why do you stay in music?
Spending some time forming your own opinions and answers to this question will lay a good foundation. Why continue to play your instrument? Why do you wake up in the morning and practice your craft? It’s easy to give up and admit defeat. If you figure out why you started and why you’re staying in music in the first place, then you’ll gain a bigger sense of purpose in your profession.
Stay in it for the right reasons
The next thing to realize is that if you’re in the music business for the money, you’re in it for the wrong reasons. That goes with any profession you choose to pursue in your life. If you’re goal is to make money, then you won’t find satisfaction in the work you’re doing. The music industry is already tough as it is and you need to make sure that you love your job (as cheesy as that sounds)