Humans are naturally attracted to being part of a community. That’s why so many communities thrive on social media. A community is simply described as a group of people with a common interest. When that interest is in your business, the results can be phenomenal. Building a community around your business can translate to more significant lead generation, customer retention, brand visibility, and more. In this article, the founder and former CEO of UE.co, Jason Kulpa, shares his tips for community building.
Understand Your Audience
Which platform does your demographic use? Spending money on Facebook campaigns is a waste if your customer base doesn’t tend to engage there. Conducting the necessary research to learn which platform(s) your audience prefers will save time and money in your efforts to build a community.
Create a Need
Why should anyone join your community? Are you offering discounts, contests, or unique information they can’t get elsewhere?
Social media is filled with thousands of groups and communities of all kinds. There needs to be a reason that’s more compelling than just a colorful logo to attract members.
That reason will generally depend on your business model. A seed company might attract members by posting garden-hack videos, while a company that sells insurance must appeal to members’ sense of security and responsibility.
Share Great Content
Videos, infographics, blogs, webinars, and inspirational stories are all good ideas, but be sure to strike a balance in your content. Remember that people are attracted to different forms of media. Posting similar images repeatedly won’t gain the traction you want, even if those images are fantastic ones.
Mix it up and include appropriate humor once in a while, but don't lose focus. Most of the content that you post should be directly pertinent to your business while still being entertaining in some way.
Be Consistent
Along with making sure that the quality of your content is excellent, you also need to maintain consistency. A flurry of posts followed by weeks of silence isn’t productive. Daily activity will help to ensure that your posts make it into the newsfeed of potential community members.
Engage
Interacting with customers builds loyalty. When community members ask questions or make suggestions, leave a response to let them know that they’ve been heard. Brands that go the extra mile to respond to comments reap big rewards.
Host Private Events
Exclusivity and community seem like opposing ideas, but the lure of belonging to an exclusive community is practically intoxicating. Online events such as a product launch or book signing in which attendees can win prizes are popular. Live, local events are another way to ramp up interest.
Anything from a free concert to a mass product giveaway offered exclusively to community members will not only create buzz, but will also generate photos and videos taken at live events that provide even more content that’s ripe for sharing. Who doesn’t want to show all their friends an online video of themselves at a private event?
Harnessing the power of community can be a game-changer for your business. Nurturing your community will open channels with other companies and their customers, as well. Entrepreneurs who don’t take advantage of community building through social media are missing out on an inexpensive form of mass advertising.
About Jason Kulpa
As the Founder and CEO of UE.co, San Diego's Fastest Growing Business multi-year award winner, and a Certified Great Place to Work multi-year winner, Jason Kulpa is on a mission to make his community better. Under his leadership, his team members devote hours of volunteerism to helping to improve the San Diego Community. Jason is particularly dedicated to bringing awareness, support, and inclusion for special needs causes.
