Connecting With Your Audience

So, it’s no secret that I’m a fan of the rock music. I have to mix things up from time to time, so instead of AC/DC, I actually went to a Coldplay concert this weekend in Hershey, PA. We killed some time on the Chocolate World tour and had some dinner before heading into Hershey Park Stadium. Unfortunately, the skies were not our friend that night:

Both photos from Coldplay’s Twitter the day of the show.

Everyone had to huddle under the grandstands for about 40 minutes until the rain passed, then wait it out while the stage was dried off. Needless to say, everyone was damp, tired and grumpy. Just the kind of crowd Coldplay wanted to play to, right? You’d think so if you saw the show they put on! The boys played for about 2 1/2 hours, which included 2 encores! They also spent plenty of time at the end of each runway, getting closer to the fans. Near the end of the show, they actually did an acoustic set in the grandstands (I was about 50 feet away at this point. HEE.)

Everyone there felt really connected to the band, and you could tell they made a genuine effort to make the show extra special after we were all stuck in the rain. I think this is an awesome example of connecting with your audience. Maybe you can’t do a grand gesture like this, but there are a lot of things you CAN do. Start reaching out to your customers via social media, or offer special deals to your most loyal customers. They’ll appreciate it and spread the word to their friends and family. You’ll connect better and make a fan for life.