Top Ten Ways to Build Communities ‘On Line and Off

TOP TEN WAYS TO Build Communities, Online and Off!

By Steve Goodman

You probably have heard that marketing today relies heavily on ‘building communities’. But what exactly does that mean? At its essence the concept is built upon advanced niche marketing. Basically, it is creating a ‘community’ of people that will allow you to market to them. Now, that all starts with building online communities of ‘followers’ via social media, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Everybody and anybody you interact with, both online, and ‘in the real world’, is a potential member of your community.

Here are 10 essential ways to build communities, both on, and offline.

Always keep in mind that the literal definition of a ‘community’ is people that come together to share a ‘common cause’.

1Define your ideal community member

Think of the ideal person you want to market to. Then, pretend you are that person, and you are setting up a Facebook, or LinkedIn profile as that person. Create that profile in detail, and what will emerge is your target community member. Be sure to include hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. 2 Set up your Social Media pages Now that you know who you want in your community, you need to invite them in. If you have not already set up your social media pages, do so. Facebook is currently used by 1 billion users every month, so start there. Once your page is built (Facebook has simple tutorials on how to do so) invite people you know with a friendly email: Hi, we just launched a Facebook page, please help us grow by liking us. We will be sharing some stuff we know you will find interesting! Then, find pages that complement your business and messaging and start liking their pages, engage with those pages, leave comments, answer questions as an expert. This will expose your brand to the exact type of people that fit the ‘community profile’ you set up in ‘step 1’.

3Use the communities you already have Encourage your employees, friends, and family members to like, follow and engage with your content on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. 4 Make use of Analytics Facebook, LinkedIn and most other social media applications have very advanced analytics that lets you track your progress and see if you are reaching the right people, use them. 5 Use Ads Again both Facebook and LinkedIn offer ads, and these can be very effective in reaching your target community. An affective ad of this type always starts with a question such as ‘are you looking for a unique gift for your wife? Follow us for some tips...’ 6 Build partnerships

Are there other products or brands that complement, but do not compete with your brand or products? Build partnerships with brands that are going after similar communities. 7 Follow Key People and Businesses

You want to follow those people you most want to follow you back. So, take a look at who and what your targeted profile is following and follow the same feeds. 8 Use Hashtags

Hashtags (#s) proved popular on Twitter, and FB has recently added hashtag functionality to its posts. Use relevant hashtags on any post to provide additional information and drive people to relevant pages, other articles you have written, etc, etc. 9 It’s not Just Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Do not forget to stake out your presence in newer and emerging social media apps such as Google+, Pinterest and Instagram. Also do not forget about good ‘old fashioned’ email marketing. Services such as Mail Chimp and Constant contact are great ways to connect with and keep your community growing and informed. 10 Give Back As stated in the intro, not all ‘community building’ occurs online. One of the best ways to build your business community, is to be a more essential and active part of you actual community! Be an example of a great ‘corporate citizen’. Give back by hosting or sponsoring charity events, sponsor a local sports team, volunteer on community projects. Just look around, there are dozens of ways to ‘give back’ to your community, and the goodwill you build is worth every minute of time and ounce of sweat you will put in!

Always keep in mind that the literal definition of a ‘community’ is people that come together to share a ‘common cause’. Remember, the whole idea of a creating your business’s community is to put together a group of people who want to interact with you, to share your thoughts, ideas, and values, and not simply ‘buy what you are selling’. Think of your community, not so much as your consumers or clients, but as your loyal fans. Sure, sports teams and celebrities are ultimately selling a brand to their devotees, but by taking a page from their playbook, you can also find some fanatical followers for your business! f

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