Having new customers is a great challenge for any business, mostly for those in sales area, where the customer rush is every salesman headache all over the world. Anyway, few of them are thinking about the difference between fans and customers and the influence that they have on brand imagine and revenues.
Brand Customers
A customer is a person that is buying your product or your service from various reasons: he needs it, he likes it, it helps him in a specific situation, he is curious to see what it’s about, a friend or family member recommend it to him or some other reasons. Every new client acquired needs to be included in the loyalty program and maybe this way you will make him return and buy from you. Maintaining a customer and making him happy is a long shot and difficult attempt to kip him close to your brand.
Brand Fans
In the case of brand fans, thinks are looking different. It is a strong possibility that a brand fan never buy from you or maybe they bought one or twice, but they like your brand and they never talk about you in their Facebook communities, with their co-workers, friends and families. They can talk about you more that you do it and mostly with the write people because there are in groups that are sharing the same preferences and interests, so they are making a strong brand awareness campaign for you. It is the same thing in my case. I love Red Bull campaigns, I talk about them, but a rarely buy it, and it is the same with Coca – Cola, Chanel or Aston Martin. The fact that I talk about it with other people means that the brand created engagement around it, which makes it a strong one.
A recent research showed that only 4.7 percent of a brand’s fan base generates 100 percent of the social referrals, meaning that 4.7 percent of your social media following that generates all of the word of mouth results, and by results we mean conversions, not just reach. This research demonstrates that managers should take into account more the relations that their brand is having with brand fans and advocates and they should have a special strategy or program for them.
In conclusion, sales represent the fuel for every business, irrespective of the area of expertise. But fans are equally important because they are the best source for word – of – mouth marketing, which, eventually, will bring new customers. There is a full circle that a manager should understand and apply.
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