Promote Your Fans To Evangelists And Watch Them Become Linkbuilders For You
If you’ve done anything right in your brand management, you’ve probably managed to gather some fans. These fans think you (or your site, product, or brand) is the best thing since sliced bread. Have you noticed them? Have you really noticed them?
Here’s a thought. Communicate with those fans. Pick a few of the ones that have the widest influence and give them an actual title. Promote them to “Official [brand] Evangelist”. Give them a badge that they can proudly display on their site or social profiles. Your encouragement and official approval of their extreme fan-dom will prompt them to evangelize your brand even more. Now you have an official team of fans who are motivated by “title and recognition” to go out and build links and enthusiasm for your brand. The only cost to you is a little time to notice and communicate with your fans.
Wow, Donna!! It’s so simple, but it makes COMPLETE sense. Everyone loves a title and badge. Excellent post, Donna.
SearchCap: The Day In Search, January 10, 2008…
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web…….
That’s a damn brilliant idea, Donna. I’m totally going to do that
Great advice Donna. But what do you do when “fans” don’t accept a special badge made just for them? Giving up is for losers, so where would you go from there?
That’s good. That’s actually a REALLY good idea. Thanks very much, as soon as I have a better readership, I’ll try it.
Great suggestion. Simple. Effective. Give a little something back to those who appreciate you. I love it. Thanks!
Tanner, if the fan is important enough, sweeten the pot. If not, bestow the honor on someone else. There’s always someone who’ll be excited to be considered special.
I thought based on the title that this post was about talking up your fans to people who are already evangelists. Despite the confusion, I like this – nice tip. The catch is: what do you do once everyone in search has their fans running around with a brand evangelist badge.
Shouldn’t you have given Seth Godin credit for this one??
I don’t know, should I? The most I know about Seth Godin is that there is a WordPress plugin called What Would Seth Godin Do (or something like that). I know he’s someone famous, but I’ve never read a word of what he’s written…well, assuming he writes anyway. So…is this a topic he has also covered?
Anyway, if Seth should get credit for something, ok. Here’s some credit.