Super Fan Marketing

What happens when a Netflix binge becomes a full-blown obsession?
When your favourite characters feel like friends… and you find yourself crying into your husband’s shoulder because it’s all over?

In this episode, Victoria shares how Schitt’s Creek taught her everything she knows about Super Fan Marketing, and how to make your clients feel the same way about your business as you do about your favourite show.

You’ll learn:

• Why emotional investment equals buying behaviour
• How to turn casual viewers into raving superfans
• The secret to brand loyalty (and why most businesses give up too soon)
• How to create your own “Rose Apothecary” moment that customers can’t stop talking about

If you want clients who keep coming back, quoting your catchphrases and proudly repping your brand like it’s merch, this episode is for you.

Best Wishes, Warmest Regards (iykyk).

Grab free templates, checklists and guides at allstarmarketingclub.com/resources - everything you need to market smarter, not harder.

About Victoria: Marketing Coach & Trainer Victoria Vickery serves up marketing advice with fewer buzzwords, more belly laughs, and stories you’ll never un-hear... because memorable marketing starts with memorable lessons.

For More Tales, Tips & Tangents: @victoriav1ckery

Transcript

I finished the Netflix show Schitt's Creek and I cried because with no more episodes left, what was I going to do? There was only one thing for it, and you're going to find out in this episode. Welcome to what's that Got to Do With Marketing? Where we start with a story you did not see coming. It might be fun, could be funny, or even a little bit frantic, but in the end, it will all make sense, leaving you with a takeaway, a to do or a transformational way forward. And I'm your host, Victoria, and you, my friend, are here for unlikely lessons and unforgettable marketing advice. Just for small B2B expert led business owners. Let's get into it. Today's episode is called Super Fan Marketing, and I'm going to talk to you a little bit about one of the things I absolutely love and how you can make your marketing really, really binge worthy. So Netflix, it's one of my favorite things to do. I know there's a lot of other things out there that I could be and should be doing, but there's nothing I love more than sitting on my lovely sofa on my own, no one else around me, and just enjoying a show. Now, I've just finished one, an oldie but a goodie. It was Breaking Bad. Have you seen it? Pretty good. And the one that springs to mind, the one that I finished not that long ago, was New Girl. Again, a bit of an old one. But when I finished New Girl, I was devastated. I felt like my friends had just got up, got on a plane, flown away, never to be seen again. So once my show had finished, I cried, went down to see Mr. V. I gave him. He should, I say. He gave me a hug while I basically cried into his shoulder. And the kids came into the room and went, oh, mum's finished another Netflix show. Then I'm just a crier. I just absolutely love these shows. I just get so involved, so engrossed. So, you know, I'm emotionally and physically engaged in these things. Absolutely can't get enough. So. So when the New Girl show ended and I had to be consoled, the next thing I did was bought the mug. Bought the mug of my new girlfriends so that I had the constant reminder of them. So every time I had a cup of tea, I could think back to the good times. But it didn't stop there, of course. So the. The next one I watched was Shit's Creek. And if you haven't watched Schitt's Creek or you've been one of those people that you've got through one, two, three episodes and thought, I cannot watch this anymore, then please revisit it. Because I thought the same. When you watch one, when you watch two, when you watch three, you think, oh, God, I don't know if I can watch this. But the thing is, the characters in that show just get deeper and deeper and deeper and you start to really, really connect with them. And Schitt's Creek, I have to say, for me, is probably the best show on earth. I really got involved in it. So when the show ended, what did I do? Had a cry. And let me tell you, it lasted a really long time. We're talking about. It's like somebody had bloody died. Like, I was actually grieving. This is the level of involvement. I'm super fan. I'm a Schitt's Creek bloody super fan. I can't help myself. And when you've got something truly compelling, that's exactly how people become towards your brand. Now, what's the only thing you can do when a show finishes and there's nothing left? There's nothing left of it apart from to rewatch it? Will you buy the merch? Of course you buy the merch. What else would you do but buy the merch? So I have got to two rose apothecary jumpers, one in black, one in gray. That's the first one. I have got a V necklace just like Alexis's necklace with her A on it. Got one of those. I have got a piece of art that says simply the best on it. If you know, you know. Then what else have I got? I have got a David mug with his outline on it saying that I don't want to see any people today. So that's one I drink out of every single day at work. And again, when I'm drinking out of it on a zoom call, those fans will identify with it. And they know. They know and they know how much. How good it is, how much it means to me. And what else have I got? I've got the coffee table book. Best wishes, warmest regards. I just. I can't help it. I'm a super fan. Now, what I wanted to go through with you, when you think about this story, because what actually has this got to do with marketing? Well, everything. Because, like, I've become a super van of certain shows where I'm all in behaviorally and emotionally. That's what we want to create with your brand. That's what we want to create with your business. That's what we need to get to so that people want to buy your services and use you again and again and again where they cannot get enough. So I've got a number of different things to share with you, a whole list, in fact. So I'm going to take you through all the things that we can learn about super fan marketing and how to get people acting a certain way when it comes to, you know, buying from us and. And really engaging with us as a brand. So the first thing I want to talk to you about is emotional investment, because emotional investment basically equals buyer behavior. If they're emotionally invested, they're much more likely to buy. So the lesson we can get here is you don't need aggressive selling. What you need is for people just to believe in what you've got, to love what you've got. And if you think about it, people don't just buy from you. They're not just buying from you, they're buying into you. So you've got to make that audience feel really, really seen. You've got to bring about your marketing campaigns and your marketing content in a way where they go, that's me. I get that. That's me. That's when they emotionally invest in you. So what are you doing in your marketing at the moment to make sure you're really bringing the essence of you about in a way that your clients and your customers can really, really connect with. Because, you know, when you think about that, what is it about your brand that people could actually wear on their sleeve? A little bit like the jumpers I've bought? What is it about you that they are happy to share? Happy for people to see that they're connected to? That's really the emotional investment side of things. Whether it's literally or metaphorically, that's what we've got to be thinking of. Okay, so the second thing I want to talk to you about is loyalty. I think you can all see that I'm very loyal, very loyal to Netflix, very loyal to the shows that I love. And loyalty is earned. Loyalty is earned slowly. It's earned deeply. So what we. What we really have to think about here is how are you showing up, having a consistent brand voice, just being lovable, Lovable messaging, deep audience understanding. Okay? So that is what will turn those people that are currently lurking there in the background, like Nick Cotton from EastEnders, turn them from lurking into your raving super fans. Okay? So it's just that connection piece like that. You've got to earn that loyalty. Don't try to rush it. Don't try to rush that loyalty. Focus on depth and focus on being super consistent. Consistency is what marketing ultimately is grounded in. It's not just that flash in the pan. It's got to be something that becomes part of your everyday behaviors as a business. Lots of people just give up too early, and I've spoken about this on a number of occasions. But you've got to stick with your story, you've got to get your audience and you've got to give them time to just fall in love with you. Fall in love with who you are, what you stand for. You don't need to be viral. All of those people out there that are trying to create, you know, really strong social media content, for example, to go viral, that's not what you need. You need to be sticky. Especially if you're in a service based, expert led business. It's not always about volume, it's just about making sure that you've got the right people looking at you, not the volume of people looking at you. So show up regularly, keep your messages really, really steady. Keep them on point. Show who you are, show why people should love you. Give people time to care. Loyalty ultimately is all about the reputation that you build in that person's head. And if you're consistent, that is really going to serve you. So stay visible, stay consistent. So on to number three. This is basically be so good at what you do that they want to buy the mug. I cannot tell you how many mugs I've got in my cupboard that are things that I've bought, that are relevant to things that I adore. For example, my TV programs. Now what would be, if you were to put it this way, what would be the merch that people could buy of your business? And I am talking a bit metaphorically here really. Are you actually creating that signature? You, are you creating that thing that, you know, people hang their hat on and say, yes, that is what that brand's all about. That's what those people behind that brand are all about. And it's, it, it needs to be something that people can't really replicate. It's the essence of you, it's the DNA of you. It's how you kind of show up and do what you do and enrich the lives of the people that you actually work with. So what's the merch of your brand? That could be anything. That could be, for example, the, the frameworks that you use. It could be the, you know, your intellectual property. That's a massive part of the merch of Your brand, your intellectual property. Like in my business, I've got different marketing models that I use. They're all devised, they're all thought of by me in my 25 plus years of marketing experience. No one else has their hands on those. No one. They're mine. They belong to me. And it's how I show myself and how I represent myself to my clients. And it's the way I make marketing easy for them. So that becomes a massive part of my brand. Especially when I see my clients actively using my models and actively repeating the things that I say that no one else says. Those little one liners, that's a massive bit of merch of your brand. Those one liners, creating your own lingo that your clients really kind of feel part of. That's a massive part of loyalty. I love that. It's all the vibes, all the little bits and pieces that make it unmistakably you. So that is be so good. They want the mug Be so good, they're saying the things you say. Be so good. They're using the things that you've created. Okay, on to number four. So for number four, this is about creating characters that they remember. So think about, you know, what shows are you a super fan of? What is it about those characters that you really buy into? Study that for a second. Think about the shows you watch and the characters that you really buy into. It could be, for example, when it comes to your business, if we kind of flip that over into a business sense, that could be the staff that they're dealing with. Now if you've got a certain, certain type of person that just that you tend to recruit, that you know are unmistakably just you, part of your brand just fit so well. They're the characters that people buy into. Because at the end of the day, people are dealing with people. It might be a brand name, it's an organization. Yes, but nobody's doing business with an organization. They're doing business with the people within that organization. So the characters are kind of a big deal in your business. But it can also be, obviously, metaphorically. It can be the things like your inside jokes. It can be, you know, a number of different things. So I want you just to think about when it comes to the characters in your business, are you creating that rapport with your, with your audience? So we're building those elements that people just can't get enough of. So are you doing that or are you allowing people to disappear after episode one? Thinking about super fan marketing, we want to Think about turning casual viewers into collectors. So we're moving people so that they're not just watching one or two episodes of your business. They are actually in it for longevity. They're about building a relationship with you. So are you guiding people down that customer journey from perhaps the first time they see you to the first time they purchase from you? But what about the next purchase and the next purchase and the next purchase and the next purchase? Retention is not a passive thing. You have to build it. You have to make sure that when somebody's been working with you that you don't just allow them to switch off. You don't just allow them to walk away. You do what you can to keep that relationship alive. It's like any good relationship. You've got to put effort into it. And business is no different. So what are you doing to make sure that you are really working hard to look after the customers that you've got? Now, one thing you can do here is just map out a simple customer journey. Map it out. Think about the clear steps that people have to take when they come into your world. Where do they go to next? What about next? What about next? If this happens, what do they do next? If that happens, what do they do next? Map it out. Because the relationship should go on way beyond the first purchase. Otherwise you're just not maximum maximizing the opportunities. So we think about what we're talking about here. It does come back to that whole thing of are they walking away after episode one or two, or are they sticking around? And the best way is to make sure they're sticking around. It's cheaper, it's more fruitful, you get more money from it. And actually you'll learn that there are certain people that gravitate towards you that don't quibble over what you're worth. They pay what you're worth, and they love the relationship you've got and it's good to do business with them. So that's what we work out with the customer journey mapping. That's a little task that you could do to really find those opportunities and maximize those opportunities. Because you might be letting people walk away without even realizing it. Having that like leaky bucket, as we call it. You might just be letting people just filter on out and not realizing actually there's a lot more that you could be doing. So a simple, really quick, even on a bit of paper, bit of an exercise there for you to do. Now the other thing I want to talk about, and you know, we talk about this a lot really, but it's something that has to. Has to be brought to the attention of people that are doing marketing within a business. And that is, again, about the emotional connection, because it does fuel purchasing behavior. People buy because they feel something. People don't buy because they just buy. It's always linked to that emotion. It's always linked to the reason why they return. It's always linked to the amount of money that they will spend with you. So it goes way beyond those first few interactions. It's then buying the jumper, buying the necklace, buying the artwork, buying the book. And, um, so again, what I'm saying here is that you really need to start tapping in to the emotional side of your customer because that is what's going to trigger them to move further down the line with you and not just stop after that, you know, that initial purchase or that initial interaction that they've had with you. Number seven. I think that this is a fair one that reflects me quite well. Obsession is earned. Superfans don't show up overnight. They emerge when you've given them consistent value, when you have emotionally resonated with them, and also, above all else, that you've given a memorable delivery of whatever it is. And I think that's really what makes people stick out amongst their competition, doesn't it? Because if you think about what you do, most of us, most people in business, there's a lot of competition out there and you can probably pay around the same price. Some are a bit more, some are a bit less. But by and large, if you were buying a service that's similar to yours, you'll probably find that it's there or thereabouts in terms of price. It could be that the outcomes that are delivered are roughly the same, perhaps. But the delivery, if that is outstanding, if that's enjoyable, then that just puts you in a different field, that just puts you in a much more elevated position. So you've just got to be so good that they can't ignore you that they want to come back week after after week after week. So it's a slow burn. But if you continue to show up and be the best you, then you're going to just turn those people into absolute super fans with blazing loyalty. So that's another thing for you to think about. How do you get that obsession? And I think that that is really about just making those little changes to the service that you deliver before and after sale. That wows them. That absolutely wows them. And that really brings me on to my. My final point, which is around the experience of the marketing. From the first click to the point where they're saying, thank you for your service. You've got to make every single moment count. And I always think about marketing as very experiential. And when I say experiential, I like to think about the senses. Like when we're doing marketing, what senses can we get activated? That could be sight, it could be sound, it could be touch. And when you get the opportunity to engage more senses, I think the relationship grows even more. So obviously, there's some marketing channels where we don't get to engage a lot of the senses. We've just got, for example, sight when they're just reading something or seeing something. But when you can actually do more than that, when you can create a really rounded experience, that's when the relationship grows even further. So how can you start engaging more of the senses? How can you start to bring experiences into play that really make them feel part of it, really bring them into your story? That's when it really, really helps to just bring your whole brand alive. So I'm going to invite you now to wrap up to take the Schitt's Creek test. So the first thing is, what's your rose apothecary jumper? What would someone wear? Say, what would they share if they really did love you? What are those things that really make up your brand? List them out. If you work on your own, spend some time doing that. Ask your clients. Even that will help too. But if you work with others, it's a chance for you to sit down and ask that question. What is our rose apothecary jumper? What is our coffee table book? What would it say in that coffee table book? It's a really good exercise to do. Secondly, what about you could make your customers cry happy tears? What could that be? Is it the results you get those real moments of transformation, those real moments of joy? So again, think about that. What is it that will make your customers cry those happy tears? And the third thing in my Schitt's Creek test will be what are you doing this week, this very week, that builds connection? It could be that one email, that one story, that one surprise gift that you send to someone. What is it that you could do to really build that connection out with. With your customers, with your prospects? So that's been super fan marketing. And if you've loved this episode and you're enjoying listening to the show, I'd love you to tell someone else so that they can get some value from it, too. As always though, I'm not leaving you without something to take away that will help you implement this stuff. So do head over to all star marketing club.com forward/resources and I've got a really helpful checklist for you. It's called Super Fan Marketing, of course. So if you get over there, grab that little gem out and that's going to help you to really think about how you can make super fans for your business. So that all that leaves me to say is best wishes and warmest regards.