Think Like a Rock Star: How to Create Social Media and Marketing Strategies that Turn Customers into Fans, with a foreword by Kathy Sierra

Book excerpt: Why have customers when you can have FANS? Everything you need to leverage the power of brand evangelists FOREWORD BY KATHY SIERRA, COCREATOR OF THE HEAD FIRST BOOK SERIES Think Like a Rock Star shows you how to connect and engage with customers both online and offline to create a truly fan-centric brand using case studies of rock stars, including: TAYLOR SWIFT--who cultivates an army of devoted fans by constantly devising amazing experiences for them JOHNNY CASH--who was so passionate about his fans that he even followed them to jail LADY GAGA--who has built a financial empire by becoming a fan of her Little Monsters Think Like a Rock Star explains how to apply these lessons to develop advocates of any type of brand, who will increase profits and grow your business. It also identifies easily replicable marketing strategies of top brands, such as Dell, Ford, Patagonia, and Red Bull, that have successfully turned customers into loyal fans. It is an indispensable tool for any marketing professional. Praise for Think Like a Rock Star: "There's a theory in music that if a musician has '1,000 true fans' (credit: Kevin Kelly), they've created a sustainable and full-time music career due to the passion, buying power, and advocacy of those 1,000 fans. Think Like a Rock Star takes that principle, and shows companies the exact steps they need to take to connect with their fans, and the business value of doing so. Highly recommended!" -- Katie Morse, Social Marketing Manager at Billboard "Mack Collier shares great brand-building insights and real-world successes to show us how brands can and are driving real business growth by connecting with their most passionate customers. More than a compelling read, this book is a step-by-step guide for any brand to discover and ignite its fans." -- John Pope, Director of Communications at Nokia "Mack Collier knows the simple but powerful truth: in the social economy, your ability to acquire new customers will depend on your ability to delight your current customers and convert them into passionate fans of your brand. He shows you why; he shows you how; he inspires you to think like a rock star. Buy this book! Stop managing campaigns and start building movements!" -- Ekaterina Walter, Social Innovator at Intel and bestselling author of Think Like Zuck: The Five Business Secrets of Facebook's Improbably Brilliant CEO Mark Zuckerberg "You thought that rock stars and business successes focus only on themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. The real success stories come from people who focus on others. To lead is to serve, and to serve effectively, you need to know your customers. Mack Collier gets that and highlights it well in this book." -- Scott Monty, Global Head of Social Media at Ford Motor Company "'Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse' is a brilliant mock-awareness campaign produced by the CDC that earned 30,000 views on the first day it was published. Mack Collier shares insights from case studies such as this, showing how even conservative brands can create YouTube sensations, while humanizing the brand along the way. I've applied this type of approach on social campaigns at IBM and Cisco, and know firsthand that any brand can learn a great deal from these lessons." -- Tim Washer, Senior Marketing Manager of Social Media at Cisco "If you're ready to take the plunge and commit yourself to building a better business, together with your customers, then Think Like a Rock Star is your guidebook to achieving it! Simple, jargon-free, and true to Mack Collier's authentic style, this book explains exactly why your brand needs fans and not customers, and how you can turn your most enthusiastic ones into powerful brand advocates. Mack delivers his passion for brand advocacy, knowledge of customer-centric marketing, and in-depth understanding of what makes the most devoted of fans tick in language we can all relate to." "Fun to read, Think Like a Rock Star is guaranteed to give you numerous A-ha! moments that will inspire you to do better. By the end of this book, you'll be thinking of marketing and engagement strategies from the viewpoint of a fan, and you'll know what you need to do to connect with them." "I love this book for many reasons, but most of all because for every 'why,' there is a 'how'! The case studies, tips, and social media advice are perfectly aligned with Mack's underlying mission of helping brands understand the true value of their most passionate customers. It's a must read for modern-day marketers! I highly recommend you purchase multiple copies: one for you and one for each member of your team." -- Kelly Hungerford, Community Manager at Paper.Li