Chances are, everyone reading this belongs
to some enthusiast group, whether it be as precise and serious
as the ’68 Steve McQueen Bullitt Mustang Exact Replica Club, or
as whimsical as Facebook’s “Put Tina Fey In the White House" (link).
Because groups and clubs like these have been around as long as
there has been civilization.
Original
post date: 10/27/08
For
marketers, they can be invaluable communications vehicles.
Few
resources carry the credibility of a product owner or a
member of a cause. They,
in many cases, live, eat, sleep and breathe the object of
their enthusiasm. They’ll
work hard to know more about a product than the company’s
chief engineer. They’ll
be more evangelical than most salespeople.They’ll gladly gobble up every speck of information
on a spec that you can give them.
That’s the beauty of it. And
the problem.
Because if you embrace an owner’s group or cause
organization as a marketing tool, it’s a lot like having a
child:You
have to be prepared for constant care and attention.
And that’s not a
bad thing if you’re ready for it.
It can be
disastrous if you’re not.
Enthusiast organizations can work for both B to B and B to
C companies. But
they won’t work for all of them.If you have a product that’s a commodity or a
secondary purchase, or something not designed to get
people excited, then you’re probably not a candidate for a
group of people to actively discuss and promote your
product. See our post "They're Just Not That
Into You" (link).
That, however, doesn’t preclude you from using individuals
who are pleased with your product to influence others.
Testimonials from
individuals are still a very effective way to sell almost
anything: See our post “Customer Spokespeople Part
4:The Power
of Testimonial" (link).
And companies
like Angie’s List (link)
are now creating ways for people to rate different service
providers so consumers can have an idea of others’
satisfaction before buying.
But
those are different than having motivated, fanatical
people reaching out to others to share their enjoyment of
your product.If
you are fortunate enough to have a product, a service, or
a cause that excites people in this way, here are some
things that can help you harness the power of enthusiasts
as marketing “partners.”
1. Provide support.
Any
enthusiast group will need support.
This can take a
number of forms—from simply providing access to
information that people outside the group may not get
(and—very important—BEFORE others may get it), to
sponsorships of websites, events, or other things.
For a group to be
a marketing ally, they have to have the resources
available to do it.
2. Maintain autonomy.
Credibility is the core value of enthusiasts—they aren’t
promoting your product or idea because they are being paid
to; they’re doing it because they enjoy and believe in it.
To reinforce this,
it’s ideal for the group to be separate from the parent
company. It’s fine
if you start the group yourself, but it’s best to have an
owner or someone outside the organization as its leader.
3. Make sure there are
organizers.
Most
people join enthusiasts groups so they can associate with
other people with the same interest.
They may or may
not, however, be interested in doing any work to keep the
group going. That’s
why it’s critical to identify the people who are willing
to help organize, coordinate events, and update websites
and other communications.You may have to designate someone inside your
company to make all this happen.It is possible to maintain autonomy and still be in
charge of most of the organization—just keep a low profile
and let the members have the spotlight.
4. Brace yourself for disagreement.
At
some point, the enthusiasts are going to go off the
reservation.
They won’t like a product improvement, or they’ll want
something you’re not prepared to give.
Chances are,
they’ll be vocal about it, and word will spread quickly.
This can be a
nightmare—or an opportunity.If you can demonstrate that you’re listening and
taking steps to address member concerns, you can create
powerful goodwill—and often, even more enthusiastic
supporters.
5. Never stop.
Very
few things look as bad as an owners’ club that appears to
have died out for lack of enthusiasm.
If you start
supporting a group, do what’s necessary to keep it going.
At
BrainPosse, we’ve helped a number of clients support (and
sometimes create) enthusiasts organizations.
If you’d like to
learn more, contact BrainPosse by
clicking here or calling
865.330.0033.
