Creating Superfans: How to Turn Your Customers into Lifelong Advocates

Hodak, cofounder of the marketing agency Bright Ideas Only, debuts with a breezy program detailing how fledgling businesses can earn loyal customers. Her “SUPER model” encourages readers to “start with your story,” “understand your customer’s story,” “personalize,” “exceed expectations,” and “repeat.” Breaking down each step, Hodak urges business owners to humanize their brand by sharing how life events or personal passions inspired them to start their company. As an example, she points to a metal business card producer whose automated responses to email inquiries recount how the company grew out of a model train manufacturing business the owner started as a teenager. Recognizing customers’ desires is key, Hodak asserts, suggesting that readers focus sales pitches on the lifestyle transformation enabled by a product instead of the product itself (for instance, she notes that a tool for boosting productivity could be marketed as creating more time for family). The conversational prose is tinged with humor that enlivens the shrewd business advice (on the importance of personalizing customer service: “Is it annoying having to send a paper statement to that one guy who refuses to go paperless? Of course it is. But it makes Jeff happy, so keep doing it”). The result is an animated and pragmatic guide to how small businesses can convince customers to keep coming back for more. (Self-published)