5 Types of Fans and How to Make Them Better

Would you rather have 1000 people that regularly visit your blog, yet never interact with it and share it with others, or only 100 people that love it, comment on every post, give you ideas and tell others of your blog?

It’s a simple quantity vs. quality dilemma. It’s easy to focus on the quantity because it’s easily measured. You can see if your RSS subscribers are going up or down, but you can’t quantify whether your visitors like your blog more this week than last week.

Let’s try to improve the quality of our fans. A good way to do is to analyze different types of fans and give some suggestions on making them better.

This post is going to focus on leveraging fans for blogging, aka readers, but most of the information can also apply to other areas.

The New Convert

The new convert is exactly that, someone who has just discovered your blog. New converts aren’t familiar with your blog so they will spend some time trying to get to know you and what your blog is all about. They are enthusiastic to learn more from you, but won’t blindly follow your advice either.

Why you need them
Without new fans you’re just preaching to the choir. The more fans you get the more popular you become. Getting more readers is motivation for bloggers.

How to make them better fans
New fans have started reading your blog because they liked something, so make it easy for your new visitors to find similar things. If you keep giving them reasons to like your blog, they will have more reason to keep up with it. New fans can also quickly quit reading your blog if you don’t give them a reason to continue following. New converts are trying to learn more about your blog, make finding that information easy. If someone asked a new convert of yours what is your blog about and why do they read it, could they answer?

Bandwagon Fan

These fans are far too typical. They were indifferent at first, but once they realized that everyone else is a fan they quickly begin reciting the fanboy’s national anthem. They have no depth and as soon as they think no one else is a fan they too will drop off.

Why you need them
Although these definitely aren’t the most desired type of fans, typically they don’t do much harm either. They usually become fans through some form of hype or felt obligation,  but when they cease being fans it isn’t because they now avidly hate you. They have simply moved on to the next thing.

How to make them better fans
Prove to them that you’re more than just hype. Find some way to connect with them and show them why you became so popular to begin with.

Casual Fan

These fans have stuck around for a while. They aren’t zealots for your blog, but they will mention it if the situation is appropriate.

Why you need them
These fans make up your core audience. They recommend you to other’s when appropriate and they are willing to put up with your foibles, to a degree. They contribute to your blog occasionally and can help you improve.

How to make them better fans
Since this group is the majority of your readership, making them better fans will show the most results. Ask them what they would like to see on your blog and do your best to deliver tailored articles styled to their liking. Find methods to get them to contribute more the your blog such as asking questions or holding competitions. Spend time trying to make them feel more apart of the blog and have a sense of vested interest in its development.

Cynical Fan

Fans like these exist for one reason, to see you fail. I call them fans because they have very fan-like tendencies. They keep up your work, tell others about you and even communicate with you, but it all has a negative spin. They keep reading because they want to see you fail, and to tell others of how bad you are. Oh and they don’t mind telling you how bad you are either.

Why you need them
Although it might seem dumb to need one, sometimes critics are good. They help keep you in line. If you know someone is gunning for you to fail, you work that much harder not to. It’s goes with the cliché story of the kid whose told he can’t do something so he works harder at it just to prove them wrong. The cynical fans help ensure that everything you do is done to the best of your ability.

How to make them better fans
Converting this type of fan to being a true fan is definitely challenging, but can be very rewarding. It’s one thing to convince someone who already likes you to like you more, but to change someone’s perception completely from disliking you to liking you is quite an accomplishment. The best way to tackle this person is hold your stance with confidence. Believe and defend what you are saying. However if the cynic does calls you out on something that is true, don’t try to spin the situation, be open and honest. Sometimes in this digital world where all we see is text from each other, it’s easy to forget the human aspect of blogging. Showing yourself as human, someone capable of error, and being humble enough to admit your faults, make proper corrections and continue doing what you believe in can convert even the most cynical fan. Also do your best to address this fan in a professional manner. They typically come off in a very rude manner, but try to respond to them in a respectful manner.

Extreme Fan

These people are in love with you, almost to a scary point. They go out of their way to let you know that they are a fans. They spend a good deal of time reading and interacting with your blog. They love talking with you and they try getting others to read your blog.

Why you need them
It’s always nice to have someone who likes you just for who you are. If you screw up, they tell you it’s okay. They help make your worst days manageable, and your best days better. They are great because they promote your blog without you having to beg them. They submit your articles to social media, tell others about how great you are and are most likely to take some action based off what you say.

How to make them better fans
Although these fans are great to have, sometimes they can get out of hand. They are the most interactive and so when you aren’t able to communicate back they are most likely to get hurt. The also can also can get too invested in your work and speak incorrectly on your behalf. Be clear on where you stand on certain issues and on how best to communicate with you. Also if you do something to turn these types of fans against you, they can turn into critics, so be careful.

If you have any other types of fans you’ve encountered or any strategies to add to the ones listed above, please feel free to put them in the comments.