Creating a “Fan Base”. It Should be the Cornerstone of Your Start-up Marketing Strategy
Last Sunday, I was in line to get an armband so I could into the “pit” for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I was number 865 in the line and surrounded by hardcore Boss fans. The gig was in Dublin but most of the people around me were not Irish. They were from all over the Globe. You couldn’t get anymore die hard than these fans. Some of these fans have been following Bruce and the E Street Band for over 30 years. Most of the fans knew each other by first names. People from Spain, Australia, France and the U.S who otherwise would have nothing in common were relaying stories about how good the gig was in Tampa and how to get to the show in Hampden Park next Tuesday.
Make no mistake about it, the Boss has built a fan base. The problem with the music industry today is that it hasn’t learned anything form the Boss and the E Street Band’s business model. Today this model is more relavant than ever.
Going to a Springsteen show is more than just a gig. It’s a life altering experience. You feel as if your soul has been recharged. After experiencing the might of the E Street band everything suddently feels ok. Your life feels better. On Sunday, the band played for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Thats a long time for today’s standards. In Dublin they have a 10:30pm curfew on live gigs. For me, this is totally draconian. However, to the fans delight, the Boss and the E Street Band broke the curfew and played on until 11:15pm.
Dublin City Council will probably slap the promoters with a large fine for this, but the appreciation from the fans is more than worth it.
Unfortunately, very few performers can deliver a perfromance like the one I saw on Sunday. You see, Springsteen and the Band have paid their dues. They have learnt their lessons by gigging relentlessly as a bar band first then moving on to bigger and better things. They know that over the long term, making their fans happy always pays off.
Mimicking the Springsteen model is a great place to start for a young band who have just gotten together. Obviously, they would have to add their own flavor to the business model but they can adjust it over time.
Now look at Apple. They have a hardcore fanbase. Alienware is the same. If your are going to make computers you should find out how they built a fan base.
It’s a good idea for you to study how others have built a fan base then apply it to your start-up. This is the most important part of marketing. So, what are you doing to build a fan base?
