The core ingredient of earning True Fans

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou

When I reflect on the creators I love—the ones for whom I’m a superfan—it’s all about emotional connection.

The Fifth Column podcast helped me feel sane in an insane political year. 2020 was a raging dumpster fire, but listening to these gents made me feel like I had smart, funny friends helping to weather the storms of madness.

André Chaperon completely reframed my marketing worldview. Now, I feel like my business, and the marketing that attracts people to it, is a genuine act of service.

Don Hertzfeldt, with his wacky existential sci-fi animation, makes me feel all the feels, and laugh all the laughs. I revisit his films annually, and the experience is always emotionally compelling.

Sure, there are other creators I enjoy from these categories. But these three stand apart because there’s something deeper at play. They reliably make me feel something.

Want to create true fans of your own?

It’s not enough to simply do good work. You must connect with your audience on a deep, visceral level. They need to feel something.

Anything less, and you’ll eventually be “just another creator,” blending into the sea of noise.

Luckily, once you realize the game is about emotional connection, it becomes easier to play.

How do you want your fans to feel? What impact to you want to make on their lives?

Reflect on those questions, then orient your creations and marketing around the answers, and you’ll be well on your way to true fans.