Stop Chasing Views and Focus on SuperFans
In our era of social media dominance, it’s easy for brands and companies to fall into the trap of obsessing over viewer count as the ultimate measure of success. However, the conventional wisdom that more viewers equate to more value needs to be questioned. It’s actually the level of engagement of the followers—and that they’re engaged enough to be considered a community—that matters. Engaged followers yield far greater benefits than mere viewers, including the potential for co-marketing and exponential growth. It’s well worth exploring how some successful brands and personalities—including Reese Witherspoon, Rihanna and Liquid Death—have demonstrated that engaging with a core audience can unlock tremendous value.
Read It and Reap
Reese Witherspoon’s book club has become a prime example of how a celebrity’s highly engaged fanbase can propel an industry. With a targeted focus on women-centric stories and themes, the book club has cultivated a dedicated community of readers who trust Witherspoon’s taste and recommendations. Reese’s Book Club is now an industry phenomenon that has the power each month to potentially catapult titles to the top of bestseller lists.
The key to this success lies in the authentic and personal connection Witherspoon has established with her followers. And now, they’re not just passively consuming her content. By engaging in meaningful discussions, hosting live events, and leveraging social media platforms, she has turned her book club into a dynamic community. This engaged audience not only provides valuable feedback but also becomes an active force in promoting the selected books to their own networks. Through this co-marketing effect, Reese Witherspoon’s book club has transformed the publishing landscape and elevated authors to new heights. With estimated revenue of 2.3B and a community of 10m, the estimated revenue per engaged member of Reese’s Book Club is $230.
Inclusive Beauty Includes Profit
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty disrupted the beauty industry by placing a premium on diversity and inclusivity. By specifically catering to underrepresented skin tones, Fenty Beauty earned an enthusiastic following of individuals who felt seen and heard by the brand. Despite not having the largest follower count compared to some of its competitors, Fenty Beauty achieved remarkable success by building a community that deeply resonated with its values. And it’s values have clearly created value, with estimated revenue per engaged member coming in at $471.
Rather than relying solely on traditional advertising, Fenty Beauty harnessed the power of social media and user-generated content. For example, it’s branded hashtag #rihgram has nearly 14,000 user-generated posts. And, in just over two years, the hashtag #FentyFace has garnered a whopping 3.5 million posts. This campaign encouraged customers to share their Fenty Beauty transformations, effectively co-marketing the products to their own networks, and ultimately giving Fenty Beauty the ability to re-share UGC images featuring everything from beauty tutorials to gorgeous, finished make-up looks. This strategy not only amplified the brand’s reach but also created a sense of belonging and empowerment among Fenty Beauty’s dedicated fanbase.
Liquidity of Fans Into Promoters
One prime example of how a smaller but engaged audience can drive exponential growth is Liquid Death, a punk-rock-inspired canned water brand. When the water officially launched in 2019, it immediately found a devoted audience, ranging from straight-edge hardcore kids (who party without booze) to artists and skateboarders. Rather than chasing a massive viewer count, the brand has focused on building a community of passionate followers who identify with its irreverent, anti-establishment persona. Liquid Death’s devoted fans have not only become its customers but also its advocates, creating organic buzz around the brand. “We know that certain folks aren’t going to take a whole lot of convincing. They’re just going to see the can, think it’s awesome, and pick it up,” co-founder Mike Cessario says. “Once you build that core audience, you’re giving people who aren’t part of that culture, like a soccer mom for example, permission to participate in this cool, rock-and-roll brand.”
By encouraging fans to share their experiences with the product, Liquid Death successfully taps into the power of user-generated content (UGC). This unique approach has resulted in an impressive social media engagement rate and a strong word-of-mouth marketing effect.
One instance noted by Andy Pearson, vice president of creative strategy for the canned water brand, was when the brand kept tabs on a TikTok user who each day uploaded a video of himself drinking the product. As the one-year mark approached, Liquid Death’s CEO got a tattoo on his body of the fan’s face. In another unexpected use of UGC, Liquid Death posted an Instagram carousel titled “People Love Us On The Internet,” which highlights negative comments left on social media by skeptical and unfriendly consumers.
With a valuation of $700m and an estimated community size of 200k, the estimated value per engaged member is a whopping $3,500. In an age where authenticity reigns supreme, Liquid Death’s strategy proves that having a smaller but fiercely loyal fanbase can be more impactful than a vast but disengaged pool of viewers.
The Superfan Value Proposition
In the digital age, it’s crucial for brands and companies to recognize that viewer count alone does not determine success. Instead, a smaller but engaged audience of superfan followers can deliver tremendous value through their amplified marketing, authenticity and co-marketing.
Superfans act as powerful brand ambassadors, spreading the word about favorite brands and products through recommendations and testimonials. They foster a sense of authenticity and credibility around a brand, instilling trust in potential customers, leading to higher conversion rates and long-term customer retention. And brands can leverage their superfans’ creativity, talents, and networks to co-create content, host events, and launch products.
As Reese Witherspoon’s book club, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Liquid Death have shown, the genuine passion and enthusiasm of superfans generate buzz that traditional marketing strategies can hardly replicate. It’s clear that cultivating a passionate community around a brand or personality can yield exceptional—and profitable—results.
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