Beware the casual fan: Lessons from Lizzo and Kendrick Lamar
YOU ARE WRITERS NOT CONTENT CREATORS
When Kendrick Lamar dropped his first album after five years, the outside world was expecting him to sell what would be equivalent to 600,000 albums. When he did less than 300,000 (286,000 to be exact), it had some in the music industry scratching their heads.
Then there’s Lizzo. Dan Runcie of Trapital, which gives insights into the music business from a broader cultural lens, had this to say about Lizzo’s success:
Dan makes a key observation and one that we as writers can learn from. It’s a topic that I’ll be repeating and if I repeat something, that means it’s important so pay attention.
In today’s social media world, everyone is out for attention. This has forced artists — writers, musicians, etc. — to not just create the content they’re passionate about, but to become more generalized creators of content so they can attract the attention that feels necessary to success.
Having a bunch of followers is great and can be useful, but don’t confuse your followers for fans. And for writers, specifically, we can not make the mistake of confusing our followers for readers. They are not the same.
Saweetie, a super popular emerging rapper just put out her first full-length EP, which is essentially a shorter version of an album. Saweetie has over 10 million followers on social media and has done songs with stars like Doja Cat and been part of campaigns with brands as big as Mcdonald’s.
For all of the “attention” she’s been able to garner, her EP is reported to have only sold 2,000 units in its first week. That number, in my opinion, is a reflection of her true, musical fan base. Out of the 10 million + followers, those are the ones that banded behind Saweetie because they actually like her music.
Be careful not to become a content creator
I often say that Kendrick Lamar probably has the least amount of casual fans out of any superstar rapper because he rarely puts out any content that isn’t directly related to his music. He is borderline inactive on social media and when he does have something to say, he often directs fans to his own website.
On the flip side of that, Kendrick Lamar has been on a world tour and is selling out at every stop. He did two shows here in Toronto (I was at the second) and sold out both of those.
I’m not telling you not to create content on social media. What I am telling you is to be careful not to get stuck in the content creator trap. Don’t veer too far away from speaking to readers. I’d even take it a step further and say not to veer too far from speaking directly to YOUR readers.
When I say “your” readers, I mean those who are interested, curious, and knowledgeable about the type of books you write. It’s fair, and I think encouraged, to make assumptions about your readers.
For example, when I write these posts, I am only speaking to emerging writers. That’s it. That’s my audience. I recognize that others may find value in this content, but the language I use, the topics I cover, some of the references I make are all geared toward emerging writers and no one else.
The benefit of being this narrow is that I know exactly who my audience is and what their interests are. I read all the emails you send me and the comments you post. I know what kind of workshops to host and what type of content you find value in.
The downside of being this narrow and hyper-focused on a specific audience base is that it takes more time to grow. Because this content isn’t generalized, it doesn’t capture the attention of many people outside of its intention, which is totally fine by me, but it does mean that growth happens a bit slower.
That said, I know everyone who is part of this community is here because they care about this content and care about what we’re building. There are no, or very few, casual readers in this community. You identify as writers. You want to learn and build careers as writers. You want to publish your first book or find ways to make money or figure out how to connect with an audience of readers. I know who you are.
And here’s the lesson: I wouldn’t be this sure of who you are if I was just “creating content.” The focus of the content is what makes it valuable. The focus is what sells out stadiums. The focus is what cuts out the casual fan and cultivates true community. When you are growing and building your brand as a writer, this is what you want.
My final message to you is to beware the casual fan. They can make you feel special, boost your ego, and raise your perceived status to the general public, but they are not your readers. Find your readers, speak to them, make them feel welcomed into your world and your stories, and forget anyone else.