Nonprofit Translation of “Knowing Your Audience”

Finally getting around to converting some of these Google Doc notes into a coherent blog post. First up, “Knowing Your Audience,” a Saturday morning panel of six guys from the online music and film sharing biz, including Seesmic’s Loic Le Meur.

To me, there’s not much difference between selling your own music and convincing folks to contribute to your cause. It’s about engaging supporters and building a fan base (aka, community). Below are some rough, but slightly edited, highlights:

There is layer of people who are as passionate about playing the music you love as you are about your music. (Nonprofit translation: There is a layer of people who are as passionate about supporting your cause as you are about your work/mission/organization.)

People not only want to hear music and see the art, they want to know the artist. They want to talk to them. Deepak Chopra sold 14 million copies of his book. He doesn’t need to talk to his fans but he does it because it makes a difference and reaches new people. It’s not about technology, it’s about people connecting. (Nonprofit translation: People not only want to contribute to your cause, they want to know the people behind the cause. That includes people who benefit from this work, as well as the staff/members who execute)

The idea behind cultivating “true fans” is that people need to feel like they’re not just a transaction for the moment, but that they’re really part of your family. (No translation needed. ‘Nuff said.)

How important are new, innovative marketing tools for pushing out content? McGlamery: Technology needs to make artist-to-fan interactions more natural. (Nonprofit translation: Your websites and social media properties need to facilitate natural collaboration and interactions between you and supporters)

Moral of the story: Gather your core fanbase, plan for day in court, pay attention to outcome and respond accordingly.

Also, check out Long Station’s notes from this same panel.