Ueya Erina was originally a member of an idol group, but now she is actively working mainly on YouTube. We asked her how she started using Fanicon and how she now communicates with her fans through Fanicon.
――Thank you so much for taking the time today! It's a no-brainer, so I'd like to ask with a straight ball from the beginning, but for Mr. Ueya, what is Fanicon's satisfaction score out of 10?
Hmm, it's 9 points!
-- Wow, that's a high score! May I ask why?
For me, the appeal of Fanicon is that it “can be done loosely.”
Until I started Fanicon, I had an image of the fan club “having to be extremely quick.” It's like “I definitely have to update it every day.” But I also thought that if there were rules like that, I would be pressured.
-- If you're told to “do your homework,” on the contrary, you'll lose motivation... right?
Exactly (laughs). It's fun to do Fanicon because you can post whatever you like, when you like.
――I'd like to know how Mr. Ueya, who felt pressured by the fan club, started Fanicon.
Even though (there's pressure), I was looking for various things, hoping to start a fan club-like service after I graduated from the office I had previously belonged to. At that time, I was considering not only conventional fan club services, but also online salons, etc.
――Certainly, the number of talents starting online salons is also increasing. While the number of service options that allow you to communicate with fans is increasing, why Fanicon?
My friend recommended Fanicon when I was looking for one, which is how I started considering it.
In the case of online salons, I myself had no experience of entering someone else's online salon, so I thought I'd have to study from there, but since FANICON has functions similar to the web services I've used so far, I chose FANICON because it seems easy and easy to use.
The group chat feels like a LINE group, and the timeline is similar to Twitter, so I wonder if fans can use it easily.
――Fanicon has many features, but which one do you like?
It's a live streaming feature!
I broadcast quite a bit from the bath, and that kind of thing is because I want the special feeling of “the person I was able to see at that time,” so I delete it right away. It's convenient that you can easily distribute it like that, and delete it at your own discretion.
――You're using it like using the Instagram story function.
Yes, that's right. Also, it's nice to be able to edit the timeline function later. The functionality is similar to Twitter, but Twitter can't be fixed later even if there is a typo.
――Thank you very much. Mr. Ueya started Fanicon in December last year, and it's almost been less than a year. Is there anything you value in managing the community?
I am conscious of the “sense of distance is closeness.” They also do YouTube, so there's also a separation between live streaming over there. For example, they talk pretty properly when they do live streaming on YouTube, but Fanicon broadcasts are pretty loose, or rather “my true self.” Sometimes I go silent (laughs).
――That one might tickle the fans' hearts.
Maybe they're watching me with a smile, saying, “It's like this!”
――Are you having trouble because the distance is too close?
That's fine! There are a lot of fans who have understood the sense of distance since their idol days.
But before, selfish speculations were written on the topic, and that posting triggered it to look like an anonymous bulletin board. I once told them “I want you to quit.” If I told you, that wasn't the case after that.
――Currently, due to the effects of the novel coronavirus, it's quite difficult to have direct communication with fans. Has Fanicon ever helped you communicate with your fans?
Looking back, it's true that during the period when self-restraint from going out began due to the effects of COVID-19, there were no events where people could meet, so they increased the number of broadcasts and often participated in group chats. Right now, I'm also planning a talk session on Zoom as a bonus of Scratch. Since there was Fanicon, I didn't often feel that my sense of distance with my fans was far, even in the COVID-19 situation.
――I'm happy about that.
The topic of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) Exchange Center” was exciting, probably because everyone is at home (laughs). It looks like fans are playing with each other in the game. I'm also very happy that the fans are getting along well with each other.
――There are also topics on YouTube that suggest things you want them to do.
Yes, that's right. I wonder if it was a YouTube live stream? So, “is there anything you want me to do?” When I asked, the topic was ready. But now is the time, so it's unfortunate that there aren't many things that can be realized.
――Do you have an image of what kind of community you would like to create in the future? Maybe they want to increase numbers, or they want to make it a strong community...
Well, we initially started with around 200 people, and now we have around 240 people, so for the time being, our target is 300 people.
――Have you devised anything to do that?
They sell goods, and they try adding special offers limited to those who join the fan club. Also, when I talk about fan clubs in the YouTube video, there are people who join. Although the URL is usually published in the summary section, there are few people who watch it that far, so I feel that it is more effective to touch it in the video or on Twitter etc.
-- I see. Incidentally, how about the support of the staff in charge of Fanicon in carrying out operations? Are you satisfied with the support situation, such as the frequency of contact? Please also get this one out of 10!
10 points, isn't it? There are no particular complaints, and I feel that the necessary matters have been clearly communicated.
Strongly speaking of requests, I would be happy if you get an immediate response when I ask a question from here. Also, I haven't read many “announcements” on the Fanicon app, so if there are any major changes to the specifications, it would be helpful if you could contact them directly.
-- I understand! So that's my last question. Can you recommend Fanicon to others?
Yes! If any of my friends around me are looking for a fan club, I would recommend “Fanicon is fine!”
――Thank you so much! We look forward to working with you in the future!
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If you want to deepen interaction with fans and want to make running a fan club easier than it is now, then Fanicon is useful.