avatarJordan Fraser

Summary

Bonnie Cribbs successfully leverages his passion for Disney by creating engaged Facebook communities, which he then monetizes through a Disney-themed subscription box service.

Abstract

The article discusses the effectiveness of influencer marketing, particularly through the example of Bonnie Cribbs, who has built a captive audience of Disney enthusiasts via two Facebook groups totaling 47,000 members. Cribbs' strategy involves authentic engagement, sharing live experiences from Disney parks, and providing a sense of community, which has led to the creation of a subscription box business catering to Disney fans worldwide. His approach to marketing avoids traditional advertising pitfalls by integrating promotions seamlessly with content, thus maintaining high audience engagement without triggering consumer resistance.

Opinions

  • Influencer marketing is deemed more effective than traditional advertising for reaching millennials and Gen Z, as it circumvents their aversion to obvious marketing tactics.
  • Bonnie Cribbs' success is attributed to his genuine passion for Disney, authentic content sharing, and the creation of a community that feels like home to Disney fans.
  • The article suggests that building a loyal online community requires consistency, authenticity, and a focus on serving the existing audience well rather than solely chasing numbers.
  • Cribbs' business model demonstrates that leveraging a captive audience can lead to financial success without compromising the trust and engagement of the community.
  • The author of the article emphasizes that there is no "magic bullet" to building an online presence and that persistence and genuine enthusiasm for one's niche are key to success.
  • The article conveys that creating a positive feedback loop, where satisfied customers contribute to the community and reinforce the brand, is a sustainable and ethical approach to business.

How to Grow and Leverage a Captive Audience

I ask advice from the man who pulled it off

Photo used with permission

This year marks the start of a new and exciting decade, a decade where innovation promises to come faster than ever. But innovation comes at the cost of higher awareness as marketing becomes even more difficult for those looking to captivate an audience.

Millennials have become the primary spenders around the world, and the members of Gen Z are just starting to get their first jobs. Unfortunately for many in marketing, these are the most challenging generations to produce good marketing for, because they’re hyper-aware of being the target of advertising.

Attempts to subvert their awareness are attempted constantly, with pushes in guerrilla, native, and affiliate marketing becoming more and more common. Still, after constant attempts to win over these generations, it’s become clear that influencer marketing is by far the most effective way forward for advertisers.

Marketing through influencers is effective because it doesn’t trigger pain points among consumers. Typical commercials make them feel angry, because even at 5 seconds long, a commercial makes impatient people wait. Native advertising triggers a pain point when people read what they thought was a compelling article, only to get to the end and realize it was just a commercial for a new Netflix series.

Influencers can provide entertainment for their audience, and advertise at the same time, and it feels right for the consumer. They enjoy experiencing content produced by their favorite influencers enough that advertising doesn’t feel like advertising.

When the commercial is conjoined with the influencer's regular content, it doesn’t make the audience feel tricked, and it doesn’t make them wait.

A great example of effective influencer marketing is Bonnie Cribbs and his two Facebook groups for Disney lovers, ‘For The Love of Disney World’ and ‘Mouse Marketplace.’ These two Facebook groups have 12,000 and 35,000 followers, respectively. These groups originally entered my radar because I used to work for Disney, so I joined them thinking they groups aimed at former Disney cast members. When I realized they weren’t, I didn’t leave because I thought they were entertaining, and I was really impressed by the amount of audience engagement they receive.

Being a part of these groups makes it really easy to get regular Disney news, not because Cribbs is posting very regularly, but because the audience is contributing news and talking points constantly.

Cribbs has created an online platform on Facebook, where tens of thousands of people are talking and are always engaged with each other and with him. After building up this platform, he leveraged it into a subscription service business that delivers Disney themed boxes to subscribed customers.

Photo used with permission

Cribbs built up the perfect audience for Disney themed content, then bought a business that could rely on this audience as customers. Cribbs can market to his audience perfectly because the audience doesn’t feel marketed to; they feel engaged in his content.

His audience is a group of laser-targeted individuals who know the group’s niche and feel part of a community. Members of these groups are also the perfect customers because committed fans of Disney and Disney Parks have very little resistance to spending on Disney merchandise, especially rare and new items.

Cribbs’ audience loves Disney Parks but can’t make the trip very often, especially now as the coronavirus is keeping more people inside. Through his business, Cribbs can deliver a piece of Disney to its door. Whenever he does, his customers go back to his Facebook group and talk about their positive experience with his service.

This constant loop of positivity keeps spinning and generating cash and more positivity with no pain points whatsoever.

I got in touch with Bonnie Cribbs recently and asked him some questions about his Facebook strategy.

Like most people who’re seeking a more substantial online presence, I was hoping for a magic bullet; but Cribbs had the advice that’s always hardest but most necessary to hear.

Cribbs says we just need to keep at it.

Photo by Park Troopers on Unsplash

My Interview with Bonnie Cribbs

How many people are following your Facebook groups?

When it comes to my Disney centric groups, I have my original group, “For The Love of Disney World” which currently has 12,000 and “Mouse Marketplace” which has 35,000.

How did you build the groups to be so big?

By sharing the Magic! Living next to Disney I go to the Disney parks a few days each week to eat and to get my steps in. I’ve lost over 100 pounds eating and walking at Disney and have brought people along with me on my weight loss journey. I stream over *‘Facebook Live’ to share the magic. Ride videos, walking down Main Street, People Mover Chats, merchandise previews, etc. Giving people their first “live” experience of *Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was a big hit. People long to be at Disney, so giving them a taste of “Home” from the groups is very well received. The groups have a culture of people being kind, helpful and a true sense of community — and I believe those traits are craved in today’s world.

*Facebook Live is a way for influencers to stream video directly to their fans over the Facebook platform. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a new attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s park that Cribbs was able to show his fans over the Facebook Live service.

What advice would you give others who hope to achieve the same results?

It may sound cliche, but you have to be yourself, authentic and simply share your passion. The groups that I see growing the most seem to have ‘Facebook Live’ streams regularly being broadcast. Facebook pushes live videos to the forefront of people’s feeds because of the engagement they generate. When growing your audience, serve them well and don’t get caught up in the numbers, but rather providing your existing members something they’ll keep coming back for. Look to grow a community rather than simply growing the numbers.

What has driven you to your success?

Finding something I truly enjoy and get a lot of joy from. I love sharing the magic, the joy and the wonder that comes from Disney. The success comes from offering a little bit of Pixie Dust to members who are already Disney fans and who are seeking a little of the nostalgia they get from being at Disney World.

What do you gain from your group following on Facebook?

For me, I gain community, connections, the joy of knowing people are getting a little taste of Disney with each visit. My first group, For The Love of Disney World, has allowed me to start a Disney centric business and from that purchase, a Disney themed subscription box service. I’ve read throughout my life that if you follow your passions you will never work a day in your life. …it feels like that is becoming my reality. It’s fun getting to ship the magic to our members!

Has it led to a career for you?

It’s getting there! I have big dreams for what I want Mouse Marketplace to turn into, and the idea of being able to share Disney as a way of earning a full-time income is incredibly exciting and appealing to me. It truly would be a dream come true.

What’s next for your future?

Growing ‘For The Love of Disney World’ and developing that community is at the center of it all. Curating and shipping the best Disney themed boxes is very important to me. Customers receiving their boxes and feeling the wonder and magic of Disney as they open it speaks to my soul. It’s strange how it’s so much fun for me.

What does Disney mean to you?

I have a picture of me, my mom and Minnie at the Magic Kingdom from 1972. It reminds me that lifetime memories are created there, that time together is precious and that the wonder you experience as a little one can stay with you a lifetime. I love being a part of that and simply want to spread as much of that joy to others that I can. It’s a place where we all can go to be a kid again. I’ve tried adulting.. being a kid is much more fun.

After talking with Bonnie Cribbs it’s clear to me that he has a strong passion for what he does, and it clearly fuels him through the ups and downs.

You can’t fake your way to success, and no amount of fancy tricks are going to elevate you to influencer status. Cribbs is there for his audience, and they repay him by being there for him.

It seems that honesty, integrity and passion may be the future of advertising.

Disclaimer: Neither Cribbs nor his business interests paid money for this article to be written. I conducted this interview because I genuinely wanted to know his strategy, there was no compensation for either party. No links featured in the article are affiliate.

Marketing
Business
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneur
Influencer Marketing
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