Think about what defines a fan and you’ll probably immediately think about enthusiastic, passionate followers of 
sport, music, celebrities. But it’s a term that is increasingly becoming associated with brands.
Brand fans are the customers/clients who have been surprised or delighted by what a business has done for them, to the extent that they will actively recommend that brand to others. ‘Brand Ambassadors’ is one way of referring to such people, but the very use of the word ‘fan’ brings alive the enthusiasm and commitment they have for a brand in a way that the more bland ‘ambassador’ could never hope to do. Forget customer satisfaction, we’re talking customer delight!
Put brand fans into a business context and interesting things start to happen. Recent Google research revealed that creating a strong B2B brand connection typically results in customers that are:
- 5x more likely to consider buying your brand;
- 13x more likely to purchase your brand;
- 30x more likely to pay a premium for your brand.
If yours is a B2B operation, your brand fans will recommend your business to others within their business and colleagues in other businesses, on the basis that they could benefit from what your brand does. Likewise, if yours is a B2C business, brand fans will happily recommend your brand to friends and family.
Why? Because they love what you do and how you do it. They see benefits to your brand that go beyond the normality of your competitors. They want colleagues/friends to benefit also and so they are happy to spread the ‘love’. And it doesn’t stop at the product or service your brand represents. Just as importantly, it’s about the experience of engaging with your brand – it’s what elevates reliable but staid customer service into a far more exciting and memorable brand experience.
So why is this important for your business?
For a number of very good reasons! Convert customers or clients into brand fans and you will have created your most valuable audience:
- Brand fans will be the most receptive to what you do and the least price sensitive. They become your most profitable customers.
- Customer loyalty and lifetime value. Brand fans are committed to your brand. Their commitment translates into the greatest lifetime value of all your customers.
- Businesses that are successful in creating brand fans are proven to grow some 2.5 times faster than their competitors who don’t.
All of which means that brand fans should be constantly nurtured. Keeping in touch with them should be a key priority for your business.
Creating brand fans is a valuable and fascinating process. At Brand Success, we’re in the business of helping businesses to create brand fans on a daily basis. Drawing on our experience we’re going to start sharing some vital tips in future articles about how to create brand fans, but for now here are a few questions you might like to ponder over:
- What proportion of your customers could be considered to be brand fans?
- Why are they fans of your brand?
- What’s stopping your brand creating more fans?
Can’t wait for more articles?
Why not call us on 01306 400 077. We’ll help you secure the brand fans your business deserves.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
