Not to be confused with the Fan Engagement Cycle The Fan Lifecycle encapsulates the foundational process for increasing fan engagement as well as the core cycle of Modern Music Marketing and Direct To Fan done properly... The Fan Lifecycle isolates and defines the progressive stages of a Fan relationship with relation to your content and music business.

The Fan Lifecycle represents the entire span and journey of that fan with you and your brand across the long-term spectrum of your career.

The goal is not to get more likes, plays, streams, twitter followers, or youtube views... It is true that sometimes your social tally can be indicative of doing and focusing on the right things, but it seems that a strong sense of perspective on the real objectives can be lost in pursuit of larger “share stats…” Stepping your GAME up includes both increasing fan engagement as well as fan loyalty for the long term.

Mapping out and delivering Fan Experience Pathways across the segments and stages of your Fan Lifecycle is a cohesive way to keep you centered on where the value is for both short and long-term trajectories. Connection, Relationships, Data, Content. Developing unique Assets that grow stronger and more valuable over time.

The Fan Lifecycle: How To Increase Fan Loyalty For The Long Term

In Modern Music Marketing all your fans will fall into one or more categories for precise grouping and status along the spectrum of what we call the Fan Lifecycle. 

Let's go over the Fan Lifecycle Stages - or the Levels of Fanhood.

Depending on the relationship database software you use, these are the Fan Engagement Segmentation Levels: AKA The Levels of Fanhood. (Much easier to say)

• STAGE 1: Possible fan

• Everyone starts out as a possibility. This level classifies anyone who has yet to enter into your Relationship Database. May be a website visitor, someone at your shows, a friend or someone who streams your music, etc. Everyone out there that may on some level be susceptible to liking you and your music is what we call a Possible Fan. Everyone has the possibility to begin with... Once they express an interest and raise their hand to want to hear more from us, I.E become a subscriber, they enter into our MMS as a Potential Fan… We call them New Potentials…

• STAGE 2A: Potential Fan

• Anyone who has recently entered themselves into your Relationship Database (or opted into your Music Marketing System) Possible fans become Potential Fans when they raise their hand and grant you permission to build a relationship with them via (at minimum) their name and email address. When they enter into your Database of both individual and group relationships and conversations. We classify Potentials as both New Potentials and Aged Potentials depending on how long they’ve been in your database, all prior to any sales conversion. Our next job once we have New Potentials is to invite them to come to the next level with us before they become what we call a Casual Fan… No need to worry though, even if people do slip into becoming  Casual Fans - they can still move from their to the next level with you-as long as you keep delivering value and keeping them engaged.

• The objective is that we are trying to wow them and get them to move up to the next engagement level, to become what we call a New Fan. Potential Fans become New Fans when they become a customer at any level or price-point. You have given them an offer for more, and they have taken the action to support you in some small way if they like and value what you are doing-and in exchange for proving their commitment you can let them come a little closer, access a little more, get exclusive content and access. Make sense?

• STAGE 2B: Casual Fan

• Anyone who has started to or has passed your relative threshold for activity and has become what we call disengaged. We want to keep our new potentials from reaching this stage and instead convert them to the next level which is New Fan.

*Remember: Our goal once we have a Potential Fan (stage 2) is to convert that Potential Fan into a stage 3 NEW FAN before they become a Casual Fan… This is where they disengage and begin to drift further and further away… We want to do our best to engage them before that time and elevate them to New Fan with our first offer and their first purchase from you. 

• STAGE 3: New Fan This classifies anyone who has purchased at least one thing from you or supported you financially in any way. Thus a New Fan is the first point where a fan becomes a customer.

• STAGE 4: True fan True Fans here "technically" refers to supportive/active fans who have purchased something from you multiple times and has been with you passed the relative threshold you determine for true fanhood.

• STAGE 5: Super Fan A SuperFan is a true fan who has purchased something from you multiple times, and refers more new fans to you. SuperFan means that they are both a True Fan-and an active endorser, referrer, or maven promoter of your material.

• STAGE 6: Street TeamThese are typically Super Fans who become affiliates or copromoters and are a core of your small army of supporters who help you gain exposure, promote your material, and can potentially earn a percentage of sales they help bring in via commission.

  These are the "segmentation types" we classify Fans across the Fan Lifecycle. We have separate “groups/categories” set up with different content and access available for each the Stages and Levels of Fanhood. It’s not mandatory that you adhere to this naming convention, but it works, and simple uniformity on this topic allows us all to speak a common language, and know exactly what we’re talking about across the Fan Lifecycle.  

• Modern Musicians Plan for the ongoing growth and development of the relationship between them and their fans long term. It is probably one of the biggest keys to success as an independent artist over the long haul, and is a central principle for Modern Music Marketing.Setting up your FEE Structure and building a Fan Engagement Elevator that accounts for the tiered stages of your Fan Lifecycle is a simple yet sophisticated way to increase fan engagement and generate loyal super-fans who support you.When in doubt focus on the Fan Engagement Cycle, one sequence at a time. Focus on the C.O.R.E. (Connection, Overdelivery, Reciprocity, Elevate Engagement) and create real relationships with people who connect with you, who literally engage, get behind, and want take the journey with you.