1000 Fans: Is It Possible?

You may have stumbled upon a blog post that made the rounds a few months ago: 1000 True Fans. For those who missed it, here’s the gist:

“A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.”

So is it possible to make a living with 1000 true fans? One reader asked me to comment.

I can’t help but think of marketing genius Jay Abraham, and a marketing truth. (I don’t know if he said it first or just said it best, but it’s commonly attributed to him.)

There are 3 - and only 3 - ways to grow a business. That’s any business, be it creative or not. Here they are:

1. Increase your number of clients.
2. Increase the average size of the sale per client.
3. Increase the number of times clients return and buy again.

Some of you have heard me say that marketing is a numbers game. Well, there are your numbers. (Note that these 3 are a variation of the two numbers I often talk about: how many people see your message and how many take you up on it.)

Is it possible to make a living with 1000 true fans? Absolutely! It’s possible to become rich with 1000 true fans. It’s also just as likely to just scrape by. It’s all in the numbers.

Whether 1000 true fans is your goal or just a starting point, here’s the real question. Ask yourself, “How can I offer more value to my clients and customers?”

Note I did not say “sell more stuff.” By all means, increase your offers! But if you’re thinking in terms of “selling stuff,” you’re grossly shortchanging both your clients AND yourself. Making more offers, and increasing your prices, are both about value - and value is all about your client, not you.

Find ways to add value, and you will have no problem not just making a living, but living the life of your dreams.