07th Apr 2008
1000 true fans
After reading flashflavor and seeing our work day in and day out, do you ever wonder what it is that we do to get the business that we get walking in the door week after week? Well, In this FF post, I am going to give you my true secrets. I’m telling you this because letting this secret out isnt going to diminish my “true fan” base. Hopefully, this post can be about some inspiration for you. For the last 5 years, we have been very client driven and have done all or everything to build a fan base. We have been doing everything we can to go ALL out do deliver the most amazing imagery, delivering tip top customer service, and separating ourselves from the rest!
The secret to success for the creative artist is finding 1000 true fans. The content of this article is 100% copyright Kevin Kelly Genius, Blog Author, Book Author, Wired Magazine Co Founder amongst other affiliations… Kevin writes about obtaining 1000 true fans:
…the gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:
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.
Assume conservatively that your True Fans will each spend one day’s wages per year in support of what you do. That “one-day-wage” is an average, because of course your truest fans will spend a lot more than that. Let’s peg that per diem each True Fan spends at $100 per year. If you have 1,000 fans that sums up to $100,000 per year, which minus some modest expenses, is a living for most folks.
One thousand is a feasible number. You could count to 1,000. If you added one fan a day, it would take only three years. True Fanship is doable. Pleasing a True Fan is pleasurable, and invigorating. It rewards the artist to remain true, to focus on the unique aspects of their work, the qualities that True Fans appreciate.
The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans. They are giving you their support directly. Maybe they come to your house concerts, or they are buying your DVDs from your website, or they order your prints from Pictopia. As much as possible you retain the full amount of their support. You also benefit from the direct feedback and love.
To read the rest of this amazing eye opening and career starting article, please go read Kevin’s Kelly’s article about 1000 true fans…
Kevin nailed it here folks. This has been the key for my survival and the motivation behind all of our development since day 1. This article is only 1 month old however, it is the answer to any artists search in life to find clients.
Flash flavor’s motivation has been nothing short of a straight line down the path of finding 1000 true fans… My motivation with Flashflavor has the Karma approach in mind. If I give and give and give, if I’m lucky , on of these days what goes around comes around… I’m not selling anything (yet) on FF… However, I guess one of these days I’ll be offering a workshop or selling some sort of software and hopefully, my “true” fans will shine for me 
I must be getting somewhere because as I write this post, we are receiving 1000 unique visits every day Hey!! thats a start!
Now take some time, and bookmark Kevin’s blog on your RSS feed or write about him on your blog. While you are at it, bookmarking Flashflavor would help me out in many many ways, por favor!
Cheers & start finding your true 1000 fans!
mateo
I am one of your fans! Checking out the site all the time!
Awesome Matt, Thanks! And by the way, I will be the first inline for that workshop you mentioned.
Fan #3 here. Keep up the great work Matt.
HUGE fan here!! So big that I may even count for TWO … (:
Matt - i am already a fan.
good thinking. you will have your $100,000 quickly.
BTW - i know Ross met with you the other day … wanted to pick your brain on perhaps sharing the cost of a voting system i worked up? don’t know if he mentioned it. shoot me an email if you have a sec.
Well you know I am a fan.
and here is a image of my only fan
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/ajf1/fan.jpg
Thank you my dear true fans
Jaco, I love your fan!
Amish, leo, Philip, Morgan, thanks for stopping by and giving your support on FF
Kim, i’ll give you a shout!
Cheers,
mateo
Good luck…
Unfortunately my only fan is my Mother…
Well I’m not too certain I qualify as fan, seeing how I only found your site a month ago. If visiting your site three two four times a day to re-read something I read earlier qualifies me as a fan…
Than sure I’m a “newb” fan.
I must say you and Sol are hands down a good source of inspiration and info.
Matt y Sol, being the pioneers that you are you should consider publishing a book on wedding photography. I trully believe this is your next move. I would buy it for sure. One thing I would like to see by each picture is technical details though. So newer folks to off-camera strobing can better wrap our minds around what your’re doing.
While revealing the technical only show how to make the photos, the most crucial part of carrying out the emotions of the photographs can not be duplicated.
Do some research on lulu.com to see what is involved in publishing. I already have an account there and I’m already working a book over the next year.
This may seem a little off topic for this posting, but I beleive this is a way for you y Sol to cultivate you pearls of photography. Maybe you don’t actualy need to make a book for the photographers, rather publish one with your finest works. When you publish your books get an ISBN number a sell through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You never know, you may find some couples who will pay to have you shoot in their area. I am stationed in Germany with U.S. Air Force, if I wasn’t marreid already I would definately pay!
Wow, so now that I went off on a typing tangent maybe this will make some kind of sense for you guys.
v/r Clayton
Honestly, I am surprised you are only getting 1000 views a day!
Matt-
I have been a FAN of your site for months and truly admire your work and creativity. I must point out that although I have not read Kevin Kelly’s article “1000 Fans” I have read the book “Raving Fans” by Sheldon Bowles, 1993. The premise of the book is that in order to be successful in any business you must concentrate on the needs of your clients. Bowles’ book should be required reading for anyone in business or sales.
Howard
Hey, indeed, great site and info. I use your site as a resource and inspiration at times. Best to you…
Phil
I’m a new fan! I found you through my friend Candice Stringham. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the information you share.
LOL at Paul Benjamin!
Kendra
Clayton,
Thanks for the great idea!, whew… we need help, this is sometimes to handle alone, we need a PR person.. If someone knows anybody with good connections interested in “Del Sol” project, please let us know!!!!…
Clayton, thanks again, I’m going to take a look at that link you mention…
:)
Hey Sol - you can pick my brain if I can pick yours!! Haha! Not that I’ve mastered PR for my own biz but my “other” job is with a PR agency and I’ve learned a TON that I plan to put to use very soon! One thing I will say is you can take your own love story far - media loves a good growth/trend story with a human twist! Plus you guys are on the front end of an exciting movement in photography…. Hopefully we’ll get to meet sometime soon and chat more! Stay sane - I know you guys are super busy!
Ah, this is no different than the 80/20 rule…..that 80% of your business will come from 20% of your customers. This principle has been in place for many, many years, but I guess someone had to put a number on it to give it a more modest perspective.
You guys rule!!! Your work is great, and your blog really helps someone like me who is just starting up. Thank you!!!
I have always been a fan of yours, Adcock! When’s your first workshop? I’m there!
kevin kelley is brilliant.