Chapter 14

Discovering and Inspiring Brand Evangelists

In This Chapter

Understanding your brand evangelists

Discovering them online

Recognizing true influence

Using cool tools for rating influence

Deepening your relationships

Few things are more wonderful than discovering that you have a fan. I’m not talking about the new guy on Facebook who liked your business page — although that’s good, too — I’m talking about real fans, people who consistently share your blog posts, comment on your updates, and demonstrate that they really “get” and appreciate your brand. Fans like these are more than just followers — they’re brand evangelists.

Relationships with your fans, as with face-to-face relationships, flourish when they’re reciprocated. Returning your brand evangelists’ appreciation nurtures those relationships and pays big dividends for your online reputation.

In this chapter, I show you how to discover your most influential brand supporters, and how to deepen your relationships with them.