Building an audience takes time. Right now many people talk about wanting
to create a viral hit. But they don't see that almost no "virals" appear
from nowhere. Before JibJab had a viral hit, they collected 130.000 Email
addresses in five years of constant output. Jill Sobule has been producing
record after record since 1990. Robert Greenwald has been making movies
since 1977. The viral hit is the substitute for the "blockbuster hit" in
traditional media. But beauty of the internet lies in the fact, that you
really don't need a "blockbuster hit" to make a living.
The sales funnel
To expand your following, you spread links to free content on your website.
Some visitors enter their Email address and become a part of your fan list.
They get to know your works more closely and some of them, for example,
buy a DVD for 12 Dollars. A few enjoy the movie DVD so much that they
purchase a limited edition art print of the film for 50 Dollars. At the
release of your new film they acquire the deluxe Blue-Ray bundle for 125
Dollars. A couple of them are really into your work and they want to appear
in the credits of your next project. They support you with 500 Dollars
and gain detailed insights into the production process during the film's
creation.
The sales funnel may be carried on as far as you like. At the end there
might be a 10.000 Dollar product - like in Jill Sobule's case - that only
one individual purchases. You would probably never sell this product, if
you offered it to strangers. The idea is to lead the viewer or later
customer step-by-step to the article of his or her interest. At first
you give something. In the next step you ask for a non-financial investment
and only when interested people went up these two steps, you offer the
low priced product. At every step, fewer people will follow along and at
the end you will know your hardcore fans.
The concentric fan base
Over years of constant output, you have collected a small following.
Let's say you are surrounded by 500 hardcore fans. They buy the super-hi-res
DVD box with autograph, even though they already own the low-res version.
They can't wait to watch your next film, wear your t-shirts, own art prints
and posters you made and support you financially during production.
Conservatively estimated, they spend a day's wage for your works per year.
Let's assume they earn 100 Dollars a day. Added up you get a figure of
50.000 Dollars a year.
The inner circle of hardcore fans is surrounded by a bigger number of
less intensive fans, who only once in a while buy one of your products
(for my sake a DVD every two years). The circle of less intensive fans
again is encompassed by people, who regularly visit your website, receive
Emails from you and sometimes give feedback during production. Outside
this ring, there are people who like your work and visit your website
once in a while. The outer edge is constituted by partner websites, people
who sell your products or write about you.
The digital revolution is on its way! There will always be new technologies,
niches and ideas you can build upon. I am convinced that through a constant
valuable output, you can find 500 people, who really appreciate your work!
Even if you needed 1.500 or 5.000 hardcore fans to eat a warm meal every
day, this figure is still far away from a million. Thus, the internet
offers profitable solutions between being a taxi driver and landing an
unlikely "blockbuster hit"!
