This past weekend, I attended WonderCon – a self-declared convention for the “popular arts,” also know as movies, TV shows, comics, books and the like. While not as big as its well-known sister convention ComicCon, thousands of fans still flock to WonderCon’s various booths, panels and events. Production companies send in some of their star actors, writers and directors to talk about what’s in the works and coming soon.
Why is some of their best talent sent to a comic convention, you ask? Because it is a target audience like no other. This group of self-proclaimed fans won’t just watch a panel on the big summer release of “Prometheus,” they will take photos, post on Facebook, Twitter, be the first in line at the box office, and then post even more on Facebook, Twitter and 4 other new social media apps, and probably even blog about it. These aren’t just fans, these are raving fans with a vibrant subculture that promotes being the first to know and the one to spread the word.
Can your business tap into this type of extreme fan? Absolutely! Every business has a customer or client base that is just waiting to spread the word about your products or services. Leveraging this base takes both marketing and the power of PR. Who is your raving fan? Well, if you ran a contracting business, your raving fans would include real estate agents, repairmen, and anyone who could refer you to a larger network of ready-made connections. These fans may not buy your services, but becoming an ally with them can bring in far more business than a normal customer through positive reviews and referrals.
