How to Turn Fans Into Superfans

As social media expands and creators compete for consumers’ attention, one group in particular is becoming more important by the day: superfans.
 

While all fans are important, what separates these particular fans from the rest is the fact that they go above and beyond to support what you do. They’re the superheroes of your fanbase – more powerful than the Avengers, more energized than the X-Men, and endlessly loyal to you and your business.
 

Whether you’ve just started creating or you’ve been building a fanbase for quite some time, you’ll want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to encourage your followers to become superfans. This article will tell you how to do just that, and how you can harness your fans’ power to grow your business.

What are superfans?

Your superfans are the core group of people who won’t hesitate to support you in any way they can.

They don’t just love what you do and who you are; they feel personally invested in your success and they show it with their words and their wallets. They’re your most enthusiastic and regular customers – the ones who make sure to view (or buy) everything you create and will follow you wherever you go.

Superfans offer a variety of big-time benefits, but they’re especially important when it comes to revenue and marketing. Allow us to explain.

Your most valuable supporters

Superfans are absolutely vital to building a sustainable business.

The financial benefits of superfans are perhaps best summed up in the “true fan” theory described by experts like Wired editor Kevin Kelly and venture capitalist Li Jin. In a nutshell, the theory states that the creator economy has made it possible for creators to make a living off their work with just 1,000 – and even as little as 100 – devoted fans. The idea is that if you persuaded 1,000 (or 100) superfans to pay you $100 (or $1,000) a year, you would realize a total annual income of $100,000.

If the prospect of reaching those figures seems unlikely, consider this: as Li Jin notes, the number of people paying creators triple digits or more for content each month continues to rise, and if you converted just one new superfan a day, you’d have 100 in around three months and 1,000 in less than three years.

Li Jin's "100 True Fans" theory suggests creators can lead fans to become high-value purchasers by offering them bonus content, exclusive access and direct communication. (Source: a16z)

As intriguing as those numbers are, the opportunities to earn become even more exciting when you build your own platform with solutions like b.stage. Whereas traditional platforms might keep a sizable share of fans’ payments to creators, b.stage offers more control over such payments and opens up more opportunities for off-platform monetization. Together, these solutions allow fans to support creators more directly.

Monetization is just one of the many ways that superfans can add stability to the creating process. With a strong community of superfans, you won’t need to constantly stress over finding new followers. And whereas platforms’ algorithms can prevent typical fans from seeing your latest updates and creations, you can rest assured that your superfans will always be up to date on what you’re up to.

Your greatest ambassadors

The great thing about superfans is that they’re more than simply loyal followers; they’re also your greatest ambassadors. 

Word of mouth has always been one of the most effective forms of marketing. By spreading the word about your content or brand wherever they can – which includes promoting your work with their own followers on social media – superfans take the word-of-mouth concept to a whole new level.

The result is a benevolent cycle that helps grow your business. Here’s how it works. As you gain superfans, their enthusiasm for your work will inspire them to share it with more people. Those recommendations will lead more individuals to become members of your community, eventually resulting in more customers to purchase exclusive content and more superfans to spread the word about what you do.

How to turn fans into superfans

From exclusive content to collectible NFT-enabled rewards, b.stage offers all the tools you need to turn fans into superfans. Here are five things platform owners can do to strengthen their connections to their fans.

Seize your superpower

Superfans may be the superheroes of your fanbase, but don’t forget that as a creator in this rapidly evolving industry, you too have a superpower that’s growing more important by the day. 

That’s right, with solutions like b.stage at your disposal, you have the power to reduce your reliance on traditional platforms by embracing independence and building your own. 

It’s time to seize your superpower. Build your own bespoke platform with b.stage today to take charge of your content and data and connect with fans on a more meaningful level.