?? 5 Takeaways From 20 Episodes of the Brand to Fan Show

What We're Learning About Brand to Fan | Producer Roundtable

I'm 20 episodes into my time as the Brand to Fan Show podcast host. Whew! Over the last six months, I have had the very best conversations with experts in brand loyalty, community, and fandom. The show has taken on a life of its own as I bring my entrepreneurial mindset and journey to ask better questions and pull out insights that business leaders can use immediately.?

We've learned how cultivating fandom can build a loyal customer base that purchases your product or service and becomes part of your brand's identity. For the 20th episode, we pulled together the producers of Brand to Fan Show (my #MomSquad team) to share our takeaways and favorite moments about creating fans who transact with your brand in a different kind of currency, one of loyalty and advocacy rather than dollars and cents.?

The Impact of Fandom on Developing Robust Communities

One of the insights we've shared on the #BrandtoFan Show from early on is that fandom is a powerful way to build strong communities. (Listen to Ep02 with Brian Fanzo and Ep05 with Jake McKee ). When people become fans, it unleashes a passion. They invest emotionally and actively contribute to your brand's growth through storytelling and word-of-mouth promotion. That is why converting your customers into fans is key to a strong brand identity.

To create fans, you must invite them to experience your brand, product, or service. Remember, though, this invitation often comes from someone other than your brand! Once your audience receives this invitation, it triggers their curiosity and can lead to a sense of connection. Nurturing these connections consistently over time results in emotional bonds with your audience. As a smart entrepreneur, you must intentionally maintain touchpoints – even small yet meaningful ones – that strengthen these relationships. The more connected your customers feel, the more loyal they become to your brand.

Establishing Trust through Regular Interaction

For lasting success in any business, trust-building with your brand is essential. Trust starts with the emotional connection that comes from fandom. You can build trust daily through online and inbox presence, and that's how social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube become part of the strategy. It's important to establish trust consistently so that when mistakes happen – and they will – your community becomes forgiving. When you're part of the community and have established trust with your audience, they tend to be more understanding when things go awry.

Creating trust through content and presence online really hit home in my conversations with Dana Snyder (Ep06 ) and Vincenzo Landino (Ep14 ). Engaging with your audience daily makes them feel included in the brand experience, making them more lenient towards any mishaps. Remember, showing up consistently is crucial for gaining your customer's trust - a priceless asset for any entrepreneurial brand. When a brand missteps, but you are part of their community, you offer them more grace because you know who they are. Showing up builds trust that is invaluable for a brand.

Why Fandom Matters in Cultivating Loyalty

As business leaders and entrepreneurs, you inherently know the power of loyalty and advocacy from your customers. When we successfully develop fandom, we take customer loyalty to a new level - beyond just purchasing our products or services. Our brand's identity intertwines with our customers' identities, resulting in deep-rooted and enduring connections. Let me share an example from episode 11 , where my guest, Tamsen Webster, MA, MBA , revealed how her love for DVF (Diane von Furstenberg) and DVF dresses became a part of her own identity. To reach this super fandom status, we must be clear on our brand values and intentionally design emotional touchpoints that resonate with our audience.

The Art of Crafting Superfans

To create superfans, we must develop an emotional bond where customers strongly associate with our brand. In my conversation with Ron Tite (Ep10 ), we discussed cultivating trust so our loyal customers remain supportive and understanding even when challenges arise. Brands can achieve this by consistently delivering outstanding experiences through our products, engaging content, social media interactions, and top-notch customer support. In a nutshell, we shouldn't perceive customers as mere one-time buyers; instead, we should embrace them as individuals who are integral to our brand experience and community.

Turning customers into superfans means recognizing the significance of emotional touchpoints and how they forge a heartfelt connection between our brand and clientele. We can do this by encouraging collaboration with our customers, expressing gratitude for their support, utilizing social media platforms to engage with them effectively, and generating content that appeals to their desires and values.

Building Fandom Within Your Company

Fandom is not only about cultivating relationships with customers but also with employees. It's vital to recognize that fandom isn't just about connecting with customers—it's about fostering relationships with your team. Joe Mull M.Ed, CSP (Ep12 ) shared?a ton of wisdom about the importance of "Employalty" when we delved into the significance of cultivating company-wide fandom. When your employees truly feel seen, appreciated, and emotionally connected to the brand, they become invaluable catalysts for change. The best leaders have started focusing on building a more emotionally intelligent workplace to support all generations of employees (via Mary Nice in Ep07 ). Employees who also are fans of your brand become more devoted to their roles, leading to increased productivity, higher engagement, and reduced turnover.

Bringing It All Together

Growing a fandom is more than enticing folks to purchase your product or service. It's about forging a genuine connection with your customers and making them feel part of your brand's story. Establishing those heartfelt moments that develop trust and commitment over time is critical. By nurturing fandom within your team, you'll build a brand culture where everyone's emotions are intertwined with the company's triumphs – something every business leader and entrepreneur can thrive on.

PS, we're not done yet on the Brand to Fan Show, so keep an eye out for more episodes dropping each Tuesday! Subscribe wherever you get podcasts or on my YouTube Channel for the latest episodes!

SHOW CREDITS

Brand to Fan Show is produced by?Teague FC ?and supported by?FanWagn

Audio production by?Bryan Griggs ?/?Griggs Production

Producers:?Kimberly Voorhis ,?Ashley Ruiz ?and?Carrie Hellbusch

Video Editing by?Garrett Teague

AI assistance from?Pictory.AI ?and?CastMagic

And I’m your host,?Lauren Teague .