When you don’t know about how to build a brand community for your b2b business? So, Brand communities are a collection of people that share interests and wants in common. These people frequently come together to buy, sell and exchange information.
The total number of Facebook users is well over 800 million. According to statistics, there are more than 100 million Twitter users around the world today. The tremendous power of social media can be harnessed for any business to affordably reach an exponentially greater audience than ever before possible. By using these tools effectively, your company can take advantage of new opportunities for brand building and customer retention – without spending a cent on advertisement!
So how do you go about creating a brand community? While there’s no perfect formula in achieving this goal, here’s what you need:
1) A cause or belief
A reason for people to rally around your brand like black seed oil wholesale. What makes you different from the competition? Why should anyone buy from you instead of someone else? You need to figure out what sets you apart from other brands and hone in on that one thing that will make every customer feel good about buying from your company.
2) A place
Where do members of your community gather? Is it an online forum, a blog or even a Facebook group page? The place should be readily available so people can find it easily and build up their own network within no time at all. Don’t forget: social media is free to use and accessible by anyone so long as they have Internet access! There’s really no excuse why your company should not take advantage of this.
A place can also become a virtual meeting ground for your brand community members to interact and share ideas with each other. You need to find out what makes them tick – their likes, dislikes and interests. The more you know about them. The better you can engage with them in a way that they will appreciate and value most. Talk with your customers regularly. Monitor conversations online about your industry or even topics related to yours but not directly associated. Listen closely, learn from their feedback and do what you promise to do every time!
3) A process
How does one join? What’s required of joining? Remember: everybody needs an invitation before they commit themselves to something new so make sure there’s a step-by-step process that new members can follow. Your company Facebook group page, for example, may require new automatic and manual approvals by your moderators before a user is allowed to join the community. You might also require them to fill out an application form or simply read and agree with certain terms of use. It’s really up to you how you want it done but you need to reduce sign-up spam as much as possible so your existing members will not be annoyed or distracted from their online interactions on your social media page.
4) A need
Once they become part of your brand community, what can they expect? Here’s where your business adds value: offer incentives such as special discounts, freebies and special recognition for top contributors in the group. You can even organize contests or raffles for your best community members. No matter how trivial it may seem, anything you do to make them feel appreciated will go a long way in ensuring their loyalty to your brand!
“It’s really up to you how you want it done but you need to reduce sign-up spam as much as possible so your existing members will not be annoyed or distracted from their online interactions on your social media page.”
5) A leader
You should consider becoming the face of your brand community. The more visible and approachable you are, the higher level of engagement and interaction among members will be achieved. Make it easy for others to contact you. Set up links made readily available under every post so people can easily get in touch with you.
6) A reward
Of course, don’t forget to have fun! Your brand community is not just about business. It’s important to share some personal views and experiences on topics related to your industry. But not necessarily exclusive to your products or services. Let everyone know what makes you tick so they can learn more about you as a person – the real face behind the company reputation . Why are you passionate about what you do? What are your hobbies outside work? Who are your favorite professional athletes? Celebrities? Actors/actresses? Why? There should always be something interesting for people to talk about that will connect them with each other while forming a stronger bond with your brand at the same time.
7) A feedback loop
The ultimate way to show your appreciation for their loyalty and continuous support is to listen first before reacting. Take note of what they have to say about your brand community and what it can do better. Establish effective communication channels between you and your team as well as all members on a regular basis so everyone will always feel like they matter.
8) A place where nothing matters more than getting people together
No matter who you are or where you come from, what language you speak or how old you are. Your company’s brand community will make it easier for people with similar interests to connect online with each other. This is a great opportunity for strangers all over the world to become friends! Of course, this is not all that matters. You still need to protect your group page from potential spammers. Trolls and abusers by making your terms of use stronger than ever before. The last thing you want is for your brand community to be full of these kinds of people who are only there to make people’s lives miserable!
Brand communities are not built overnight but they take time, patience and perseverance in order to succeed. So start small, take it step by step while always making sure every effort is never wasted. Take the right steps at the right time while keeping in mind that branding starts outside-in – meaning if you don’t have a strong personal identity behind being known as an industry leader then nobody will be interested enough in what your business has to offer.
