This document discusses the difference between real fans and superficial "fans" on social media. Real fans are deeply committed to a brand based on emotional connections and have social benefits from their involvement like meeting others with shared interests. They cannot be bought and require real work from brands to understand fans' perspectives and support fan communities. The key is for brands to commit to helping fans rather than just trying to increase numbers. Real fans display their commitment through things like making costumes, attending conventions, or spending years building detailed recreations like one woman did with a Lego Hogwarts.

1. Why are Facebook Fans not real Fans?
By Graham Brown
The question “how does our brand get more fans?” is one of the most popular responses people
shoot me after reading our newsletter. It’s a popular question because brands with the most fans are
the most recommended.
My answer is a hackneyed version of the old adage: “know the why and the how will work itself
out.” So, the purpose of this article is to help you find out about the drivers behind fans, how they
make brands and what you can do about it.

2. The case for fans
So, why fans? Why not just customers?
Without fans you are nothing
Well, fans are a core composite of the successful modern brand. If you look at brands that regularly
feature as the most profitable in their category you’ll find a list of brands with very strong fan bases:
• Apple
• Starbucks
• Jet Blue
• Monster Energy
• Go-Pro
The reason is that fans impact the bottom line. Yes, that’s right, this isn’t just about fluffy social
media type marketing but directly driving profits. You see, fans do most of the heavy lifting for the
brand.
• Fans drive earned media so the brand can spend less on advertising
• Fans are the first to discover new products and educate their networks, so products spread
fast and management costs are lower
• Fans drive the innovation of the product keeping the product relevant
Behind every successful brand is a solid internal business case supporting young fans.
So how do you do it?
Know the difference between fans and “fans”
According to dictionary.com a fan is
“A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art or entertainment
form, or famous person”
I know a guy who’ll get 5000 fans for your brand’s Facebook page for $5 but you have to ask
yourself, are these the “fans” you’re really looking for? Do these people really love or admire the
brand?
You could have a million “fans” on Facebook but will those “fans” stand up for your brand when
publicly attacked? Will those fans listen to what you have to say? Will those fans camp out
overnight to be first in line?
In the ongoing battle between Samsung and Apple you see the two marketing strategies play out.
It’s a battle between logic and emotion, between liked and loved between customers and fans.
You get the message. Too many brands pile into the fan space, spurred on by johnny-come-lately
agencies who promise all the benefits of having fans but with none of the hard work.

3. Real fans require real work
Consider the story of Alice Finch. For the last year, Alice has been building a scale model of Harry
Potter’s Hogwarts school using Lego bricks. Not only has it cost her 400,000 bricks but she’s also
lost 2 fingerprints and had numerous injuries from countless hours on her knees meticulously
building the Potter world.
“It sounds odd to say ‘Lego-related injuries’ but it is possible,” Ms Finch told News.com.au
Her build was a labor of love. Alice travelled to the locations in the movie from Seattle to Oxford in
England because she “wanted to build a more architecturally accurate version”. You have to see her
pics on Flickr to appreciate the magnitude of the effort.
• You can’t buy this kind of love and this is where so many brands get it wrong.
• You cannot buy fans (fan love is not for sale)
• You cannot turn customers into fans using advertising (advertising only talks about the
brand and uses fans as cameos)
• You cannot get fans to talk about your brand (they’ll talk about themselves first, your brand
second)
Finch’s journey into the world of Harry Potter, started 15 years ago with the release of the first book
when she was in her early 20s. Since then she’s bought every book and watched every movie. It’s a
journey without seeming destination but is constant in her life. When her children were old enough
to help, the stories and working on the Lego bricks became a common bond with her family.
• 80% of 5-10 yr olds do not follow box directions but build an original creation (telling their
own story)
• 89% of Fan Convention attendees are there to meet new people and friends compared to
71% who attend to learn new skills (many-to-many)
This data shows how little traditional marketers know about them. What many outsiders (including
brands) see as odd or “geeky” is in fact the social benefit to the fan and they do it on their own
terms, often in ways that we couldn’t preempt.
Commitment creates the fan
When brands talk of fans they often fail to see the emotion (see Brands, Fans and Emotion). They
see the cost of commitment to the story as a barrier that excludes the mass market. Too often I hear
marketing managers with their heads in the sand say “but we can’t focus on marketing to the 10%!”
The cost makes the social benefit. If rebuilding Hogwarts was easy, Alice wouldn’t do it.
Every fandom has a signalling cost that discerns the insiders from the out:
• Alice Finch spends 1 year rebuilding Hogwarts using Lego bricks
• Oakland Raider fans dress up in elaborate costumes
• The Ironman tattoo
• Home-made costumes made by comic fans at conventions
Fans are defined by the cost of involvement. Fans are defined by the hurt, the emotion and the tears.
The idea that simply “liking” a Facebook page makes you a “fan” is absurd.
Once you understand how the social cost is a benefit you start to understand the emotional
commitment between the fan and the brand. You can’t connect with fans if you’re still trying to

4. segment your market. You have to turn traditional marketing on its head and start understanding
fans from their perspective and joining the dots.
And that’s how you get more fans, understand their drivers. Fans commit, now you have to do
likewise. Commit to helping and understanding them. Connect Alice Finch with likeminded Lego
Potter enthusiasts. Arm them with the tools that make their lives better. But, if you can’t be
bothered, there’s always 5000 fans for $5.
Here’s what you can do next:
* If you use research in your company, the Brands, Fans and Emotion report is an excellent starter
in helping you understand the emotional drivers of fans.
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