<ol><li>Search on Facebook or LinkedIn groups, type in keywords that you believe your target audience maybe using to find each other. </li><li>Ask people about their biggest challenge related to a specific topic: Post your question on social media or even in your email in the autoresponder series people receive after they subscribe to your list. </li><li> Find 10 people and ask them to spend 15 minutes with you talking about a problem to your area of expertise. When talking you can hear not only their words but emotion that comes along. Use this to connect with your audience authentically. </li></ol>

Learn The Language Of Your Audience

Send small, short , unexpected personalised messages. You could send an email, or a direct message on twitter or Instagram. But if you really want to bring out someone’s super fan send a video message. By sending a video you’re making it personal and more likely a person is to <ol><li>open than video </li><li>receive your message </li><li>feel the need to respond positively because you’ve done something unusual </li></ol>﻿

Send Unexpected Messages 

You have to do things other people aren’t going to do. You have to be more than different, because different got you in the door but you have to remain thoughtful. It's the random unexpected acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, that will help you be not only remembered but also talked about and shared.Be curious about people. Show that you're excited to see them and that you care about their needs and interests and details of their lives. They'll notice and they'll love it.

How To Be Someone's Favorite

Disney implemented this simple strategy: Hire your fans. They’re the ones who know your brand, who love what you do and who will bring a special energy to their role that an outsider may not be able to capture. Whether it’s as a volunteer for a one time event or a long term paid role in the leadership of the company. If you bring someone on, make sure the relationship is fair and balanced. You don’t want to ask too much of them without giving back in return, so be mindful of their workload and what you’re demanding of them.

Get Them Involved 

Humans have a fascination for how things work and opening up your factories to them:<ol><li>Helps them appreciate the quality and care behind the product</li><li>Makes them feel unquie and special</li><li>Connects your audience with the people behind the brand </li><li>It gives your audience something to share. </li></ol>It can be as simple as giving people a glimpse of where your work.Host GigsOpen up your brand and business to your audience. Ask them questions and give them a forum to share their answersGoing live is actually not scary as you think, people don't expect you to have everything nailed down.Tip: call out people's names.

Open The Factory Doors And Stage A Gig

People don't become superfans the moment they find you. They become superfans because of the magical moments you create for them over time.

Every comment on your Facebook page or an email asking you a question is like a handshake offered. Don't leave anyone hanging, follow up with everyone especially in their first interaction with your brand. Humans want to give back to those who give to them and in many cases people just want to receive attention. Have systems and resources in place to respond to people and keep track of your interactions, so you can follow up later. Be the different brand that cares and you're going to stand out among the crowd like no other.

Return Every Handshake 

Go out of your way to provide your most dedicated fans with special access to events and experiences, it will not only forg a special connection to the brand, but also makes them fee compelled and excited to share the experience wide on social media. Sharing happens for 2 reasons <ol><li>because we love to tell stories </li><li>because it elevates our status </li></ol>People crave status almost as much as they crave money. Use this to your advantage by tapping into peoples innate desire to feel special. A good VIP experience is one in which you make sure you're not compromising the integrity of connected community.

Offer Platinum Access 

You don't need to change the entire world to build a successful business; you just need to change someone's world

When speaking with your casual audience, Get comfortable sharing things about yourself and your life, perhaps outside of the realm of your niche but also more personal, in order to bring attention to the person behind the brand and foster meaningful connections with your audience.It's not about B to B or B to C. It's about P to P: person to person relationship.Share stuff about yourself that you'd share with your friends. You want people to get a sense of who you are as a person behind the brand. It's just about being more human.

Breaking The Ice 

The world has 3 types of people Mavens,connectors and salespersons. Mavens are engineers, creators and salespersons use persuasion to bring a change.If you're a connector you make change happen by connecting people,you're like a hub for others to network.If you want to build a community rich with engagement, then you have to tap into your inner connector. Natural connectors see value in every person yheu mee and like everyone for who they are. The beauty is that once you start to tap into that small piece of yourself and out into action.Then use this to bring people together.

Tap Into Your Inner Connector To Bring People Together

Every once in a while, highlight some of the amazing things community members are doing. While doing this it's always great to feature a range of different people from the audience. This way it's more likely that a person reading listening or watching will find someone just like them. When people see others like them succeding using ideas you teach, they're more likely to see themselves and their own potential in a similar light and they're going to want to stick around and engage.

Bring Them On Court and Pass The Ball

It represents the total number of people who know about your brand. Creating superfans is all about executing strategies that will take a person from each stage to the next, from casual to active to connected to the top of the pyramid: superfan.

Pyramid Of Fandom

When you're helping people to do something, give them a one-stop shop to get started with that thing and then build up with some small quick wins. For eg: let's say your business involves helping people podcast. You can deliver number of quick wins from that one page by packing it with resources and information about what gear to purchase how to find guests for the show and how to figure out what the first episode will be about.Finding all this great info will almost be a quick win for your readers one that will motivate them to continue, knowing that this so much content available.

Quick Wins : Pack Your Getting Started Page

There are two aspects to this strategy: Painting a picture of the future of what life will be like if they DO take action with you and what life will be like if they DON'T. To craft a picture of don't- start with identifying their problem and help them become more aware of it. But be careful to not prey on their fears. Use it wisely and compassionately. For the do- Show them examples of transformation. Do this using testimonials It's one thing to tell people what will happen if they follow you but another to prove that your stuff works by showing people who were just like them not too long ago

Use Time Travel To Take People From Casual To Active 

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Customers, followers, subscribers. It's easy to just look at the numbers. How many likes? How many purchases? How many email subscribers? But as entrepreneurs, we have to remember that there are people behind all that data. People who are looking to us to be a leader, to give advice, and to care. In this dog-eat-dog world, these are the people who are looking for someone who they can trust, and who they know have their best interests in mind. These are the people, if you connect with them in the right way, who will become Superfans. Followers may "like" an Instagram post. Customers may buy a product. But "Superfans" will be your biggest supporters. They will promote you and your products because they know you have made a difference in their lives. They will tell their friends. They will send you encouraging emails. Whether you're a shy YouTuber just starting out, or the leader of a Fortune 500 company, your superfans are out there waiting for you to connect with them. You don't need to change the entire world to build a successful business; you just need to change someone's world. People don't become superfans the moment they find you. They become superfans because of the magical moments you create for them over time.

PAT FLYNN

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