Fan the Fire of Fandom
April 3, 2012
Brian Thompson in Artist Development, connecting with fans, fan connection, fans, generate fans, music marketing

you might have a spark.
but you need a flame.

and once you have a flame,
you need a fire.

in fact, you need a raging fucking inferno.

you need to burst into flames and create the most fantastic of fans.
that’s how you create true, sustainable longevity.

it’s done by your fans and through your fans.
your most passionate fans are the key to your success. 

are you fanning the fire of fandom?

without fans, your thing won’t be heard. 
without fans, your thing won’t be seen.
it won’t be shared. it won’t be talked about.
and it sure as hell won’t be bought.

how are you treating your fans?
are you treating them like the fucking gold they are?
do you reward your fans for their fandom?

music is a cyclical relationship.
you give, you receive. 
you give again, you receive again.
don’t stop the circle spinning.
keep it going.

your thing is emotion.
so use it. 
use it in everything you do.

soak everything you do in honest emotion and the essence of you will ring true.
create passionate fans by touching and appealing to them on an emotional level.

you need them and they need you. 

talk to them (like the real people they are). 
reply to them. 
share with them.
shake their hands and pat them on the back (literally and figuratively).
give them something special that only the truest of fans can brag about.

ask what they want and give it to them.

cater to them.
make them a part of your thing.
make your thing more than just a thing.
make it a community.
make it a tribe.

do that.

connect with fans beyond the blips and bleeps of that thing you’re trying to sell.

touch them on a level that matters more than mere commerce.

create an emotionally intriguing and compelling environment. 
enable an inferno to ignite. 

every spark has the potential to be a fire, 
but not all become flames.
fan the fire of fandom.


—Brian Thompson: Rock n’ Roll Brand Architect, Idea Development Engineer

Visit Brian’s blogs, podcasts, webinars and free downloads at: 

Thorny Bleeder and at The DIY Daily.

Article originally appeared on Music Think Tank (https://www.musicthinktank.com/).
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