Lifecasting is a regularly updated broadcast of events in a person or brand’s life through digital media channels such as Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, YouTube and blogs. By documenting and broadcasting personal experiences and daily routines, an ongoing and interactive dialogue is created with viewers that connect with the content being created. For brands, these enthusiasts are extremely important. As stated by Kevin Kelly, in his article 1,000 True Fans, “a creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.”

So how is a True Fan defined? The article goes on to say, “A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.”

If each True Fan you have were to spend $100 per year on your products, your revenues would be $100,000 (keep in mind many of your True Fans will spend more). That’s a substantial income for an individual!

Examples of individuals, organizations and brands that are leveraging Lifecasting for promotional purposes include: Barack Obama’s use of multiple channels such as Flickr, Twitter and his blog to keep his supporters up to date on his campaign, The Berrics and The Hundreds – niche fashion/skateboarding brands – that broadcast their lifestyles, and Non-Society - a group of elite women that have created personal brands by publishing their lives.

Lifecasting has greatly evolved from simply recording ones life, into individuals, companies and brands daily distributing new content in order to spread their brand messaging, and build a True Fan base of dedicated consumers.