Organizing fans into street teams to help promote the band both offline (posters, flyers) and online (web banners, emails, comments on blogs and in discussion groups) is the most obvious way to harness their enthusiasm. But building and running a street team can be very time consuming. Luckily, it's also one of the best tasks for one your supporters. Many uber-fans enjoy being part of a community of fellow fans almost as much as the love the band itself. So, what better place is there to interact with fellow fans than heading the street team. Make the title “official" and they'll wear it as a badge of honor.
Take a survey of your fans asking what skills they can offer in exchange for thanks and some free tickets. Other artists have gotten free used laptops and a vacation house to rehearse for a new album in addition to legal, accounting, graphic design and other goods and services.
A Word Of Caution
Fans like all volunteers can come and go. You should do all you can to reward and praise them publicly, but they're still volunteers with their own lives. Don't ask them to do too much and never leave them in control of your destiny.
More than one band web site has gone without updates because the only person able to do it was an unreachable fan/volunteer who had just moved to another city with her new boyfriend. So whatever tasks you assign to others, make sure you retain ownership and have all of the needed passwords and documentation.
Next: Better Ways To Share Responsibility
