It's amazing to think back when the fan sites that were connected the Harry Potter franchise were attempted to be shut down by Warner Bros. because of copyright issues. If they would have succeeded in doing that, I don't think the franchise would have grown as fast and large as it is to this day.
The number of fan Web sites concerning "Potter" are huge, as well as many of the sites themselves, which are among the largest as far as fan sites go; they are also very influential.
J.K. Rowling has offered her own encouragement to specific sites by naming them and offering them interviews, which she rarely grants.
Many of those that entered the fan site space early learned that it was of great value to inlude the fans as part of the site. People responded fantastically, as they loved the idea of being put to work to contribute to the sites.
All of this sparked worldwide interest and exploded the franchise out beyond what most could have imagined.
For anyone that has products or services that have a core base, they should offer them any tools, kits or information they have about what they offer to give fans the opportunity to share and respond.
People love to be fans of something, and when you do or offer something that sparks them, they want everything they can get that you have.
Even individual marketers have their unique fandoms who don't just want a slice of bread out of them, but the whole loaf.
Everything you do should have the assumption built in that you'll develop a fan base of some sort. Be ready with whatever you need to give them all that they want in connection to you and what you're offering. From there it's just human nature to want to share the good thing they've received.
Harry Potter Fan Sites:
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