Michael Jackson taught us how to build a massive FAN base.
Michael Jackson may have been the GREATEST entertainer in the world, but clearly he was also a MASTER at building a massive FAN base. Here are the top 10 ways he built a loyal following:
Michael Jackson Moonwalking
- He started with a great product, not a mediocre one.
- He kept putting out a great product, it’s called consistency.
- He kept adding more value to his product by always over-delivering.
- When off-stage, he treated everyone with dignity and respect. Do you treat your vendors, employees with dignity and respect?
- He was a great humanitarian. It was part of his business model. He did not wait to make his billions and then decide to give it away. He gave along the way as he made his wealth. Are you building charity into your business model?
- He genuinely cared about his fans. Do you genuinely care about your clients?
- He never dropped to the level of his attackers and those that tried to tear him down. Do you take the high road or the low road?
- He was innovative, daring, risk-taking, creative, and a hard worker. Do you play it safe?
- He was grateful, humble and sincere when receiving accolades.
- He used the gifts that he was born with and turned them into a strength like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods.
What are you doing in your business to build a loyal following? I’d love to hear.
Brenda Horton is a partner with Hware, a software company that designs online business planning tools for small businesses, start-ups, and non-profits. You can follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BrendaHorton and join Hware’s Fan page http://www.facebook.com/HwareFB
Excellent list but I have to add on #10 that Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Tiger Woods COULD because Michael Jackson paved the way for them. It’s MJ that deserves the credit and then the rest. May he RIP.
That’s right Katy! Good point. MJ did pave the way for the others as did other great African Americans pave the way for MJ. We all stand on the shoulders of great people who came before us. Thank you for you comments.
Great list and wise counsel for all us entrepreneurs. I’m appreciating the learning and also how you tied it to the current event of MJs passing and his gifts–really helps me to take that learning to another level of understanding (instead of it just being another list). Thanks so much!
Thank you for your comments Lisa! Glad you to hear you are finding value in Hware’s blog. Our intention is to help small business owners connect the dots and sometimes using real-life examples seem to be the best tool.
Hi Brenda,
I think that a good thing to realize about Michael Jackson is that when he left us, a lot of people chose to remember him in a positive light, for several of the reasons that you mentioned above. It is possible to accumulate money, but when you’re gone, how will people remember you? When Jackson passed, people were devastated, and his value has gone up, because of the way that he touched people. When you fail to make a difference in people’s lives, and only live for selfish means, then people might rejoice when you are gone. I like this list, and I think that when it comes to building a brand, Michael Jackson is a good person to study.
Thanks for your comments Trey. You are so right. I think it is important for people to pause and give serious consideration of the legacy they want to leave behind when they pass on. I think it would be safe to say that most people don’t do this. They let LIFE happen to them. I don’t mean that every single thing in one’s life needs to be planned out with precision. It seems to me that most people are not able to quiet themselves long enough to tap into their own creativity and embrace their gifts and share them with the world. My hope for humanity is that more people will embrace their passion and follow their dreams and share them with the world.