Instant Engagement: 3 Steps to Building a Fan Base Fast

There’s a reason that bloggers and other website owners spend so much time talking about the best way to build an audience online.  There’s a big difference between simply building traffic to your website and cultivating the kind of rabid fan base that visits your site over and over again, buying your products and following through on your recommendations.

Traffic, in and of itself, is easy to come by – and indeed, there’s already been plenty written on this subject that I won’t repeat here.  But we aren’t just looking for regular visitors.  We’re looking for true fans that will hang on your every word and, better yet, share your site with their friends and family members.  It is these repeat visitors that contribute most to a business’s bottom line and result in the easiest sales you’ll ever make.

Here’s how to attract your own fan base fast:

Step #1 – Identify an Unmet Need

One of the fastest ways to build up your fan base is to meet an unmet need by identifying the type of information people are struggling to find and then delivering it.  For example, say you operate a site in the diet and fitness industry.  There are plenty of established diet plans out there, but check any weight loss forum and you’ll find plenty of people having trouble finding recipes and meal plans that work with the diet.

Do you think these people might be excited to find a website full of specific advice on how to follow the diet plan, along with recipes, grocery shopping lists and tips for integrating the diet into their daily lives?  Absolutely – and you can provide them with this information!

Of course, this is just one example, but the principle holds true across industries.  If you’re not sure how to find these unmet needs that you can then expand on and build a website out of, try out any of the following options.  Even if you already have an existing business, figuring out how to incorporate some of these unmet needs into your product or service offering strategy can help you to capture new buyers and convert them into rabid brand advocates.

• Practice identifying problems – The better you are at recognizing areas where improvements can be made, the better you’ll be at identifying and providing for unmet needs in your business.  Try to be conscious of “everyday” problems you encounter and brainstorm ways to improve them.  You might be surprised by the kind of business insight this practice uncovers!
• Spend time on forums – Niche forums and message boards can give you a tremendous amount of insight into the kinds of problems people in your industry are experiencing and the types of information they’re looking for.  A quick glance through forum threads in your industry should turn up a number of problems people are actively looking for information that you can provide.
• Ask your current customers – Tapping into your current customers’ unmet needs is one of the fastest ways of discovering the specific types of information people are looking for.  If your current audience isn’t that engaged, asking them to respond to a poll designed to uncover their hot button issues could give you a wealth of material to draw from in order to meet their unmet needs.

Step #2 – Over Deliver

Whether you sell physical products through an ecommerce store, distribute information products online or use your website to generate leads for an offline service business, the key to building a fan base of repeat visitors is to over deliver.  The more you can set yourself apart from other websites in your space, the more likely you’ll be to attract the kind of widespread attention that results in a highly engaged audience.

Let’s look at a few examples from a recent survey on companies that over deliver from LinkedIn…

Dave T shares this story about Apple:

“I heard a story recently about a guy who took an iPad 2 back to the Apple Store after a blazing row about finances with his wife. He put a note on the return saying “Wife said no”. Shortly after a parcel arrived at his house, with a note on it saying “Apple says yes”.”

Lisa C shared her experience with Crate & Barrel:

“I had ordered 2 pieces of furniture from Crate & Barrel. One item was backordered and because I’m way out of their local delivery zone, I was going to have to wait until both items could be delivered together. However, within days of placing my order, Crate & Barrel called and said they were delivering something to someone nearby and would be glad to drop off the available item with no extra delivery charge to me.”

David J took note of a great experience at a local Longhorn Steakhouse:

“Longhorn Steakhouse once made us wait. The waitress was in the back making dressing. She came out, apologized up and down. Later she gave us free desert. We appreciated. Then they brought the check for $0.00 We ask for that waitress every time my wife and I go there.”

Stories and experiences like these make an impact.  It’s likely that each of these people will remember the interactions they had with these brands and go out of their way to recommend them to friends or spend their dollars with them again in the future.  The expense was relatively minor on the part of the business, especially when the lifetime value of these customers is taken into account.

So how can you tell if you’re over delivering?  Start by surveying your industry.  If all of the other websites in your niche are offering email support, offer live chat.  If your competitors offer a return policy that’s limited to the first 30 days after purchase, give your customers 60 days.  Basically, find some way to stand out and differentiate yourself.  When customers see how willing you are to go above and beyond, they’ll reward your loyalty by becoming fans of your business.

Step #3 – Be Everywhere

Finding an unmet need and then going out of your way to over deliver on it is a winning combination, but it’s still not a guarantee for business success.  The problem is that despite the incredible value proposition you’re offering, you can’t succeed unless people know who you are what you bring to the table.

The solution to this problem is to be everywhere your target customers are.  If they spend time on Facebook or Twitter, you need to be present there as well.  If they’re more active on message boards, authority blogs or niche forums, you need to spend time on these sites, offering helpful information at every turn.

It will take some research to uncover the sites where your potential fans spend their time, but it’s time well spent.  As you become better known in your community, the level of support and accessibility will help you to build the kind of active, engaged fan base that will lead to your success.

Image: Mark J.P.