Michael sage consulting social media guide series two
HOW TO PROMOTE CONTRIBUTION, CONNECTION IN BRAND’S ONLINE COMMUNITY.
YINKA OLAITO Websites: www.michaelsageng.com www.yinkaolaito.com
HOW TO PROMOTE CONTRIBUTION, CONNECTION IN BRAND’S ONLINE COMMUNITY
Many brand owners as well as community leaders wonder why their online communities do not enjoy active participation. Online community like brands needs a lot of emotional interactions to promote active members’ involvement. Online community aim must rest on a regular provision, satisfaction of people as well as building common interest that endears community member to each other. Not that alone, it must promote community interaction, relationship building. Online community that will thrive must share generously information and experiences that strengthen individual and group cohesiveness. Online community that does something unique will always build a loyal community. A writer has said that in today internet savvy world, word of mouth is now world of mouth. Another thought that still appeals to me here is that of Chad Levit when he says ‘what is clear is that those who do something different and create compelling content that is easy to distribute, find opportunities where others find closed doors’.
In my understanding and experience, building a strong community takes time, dedication, commitment. When it is a corporate community building one is trying to build, there are features that need to be on the corporate website which can enhance active participation. These features include blogs, chat room, discussion groups etc. For personal website, which is often refers to as blog, there should be plethora of engagement tools like comment sections, sharing tools like Digg, del.icio.us, RSS among others. These engagement tools promote contribution, interaction among community members. The followings are some of the major factors that will promote active participation, contribution as well as connection among brand’s community members.
1. Reliability, Truthfulness: This is also known as dependability and trust of the information the community is publishing. More importantly, this will encourage community to openly share and connect. 2. Dedication: The dedication of the community owner, builder will have to be tested. People do not care how much you know but how much you care still holds water. Sharing and posting once in three months content will not help active participation. Most highly populated, active communities have something every day or at worst thrice a week. 3. Value/benefits: What is the value of the community? Does the community promote global interaction? Will it cause a positive change in perspective that can bring personal or communal empowerment? Is the content highly applicable or self serving, ego-promoting? 4. Community Design/Aesthetic: One other factor that draws people to a community aside from content is the brand community aesthetic or design. Many will revisit the community and comment just because the brand community design appeals to them. This may serve as a mean of emotional connection for some. Though the number may seem insignificant but it holds a possibility. 5. Setting right rules: Most active online communities have rules. They do not promote abusive words, exchange of hot words and hatred among community members. 6. Never promote technology over interaction: Most active communities do not make it mandatory for members to learn new software before they can participate in discussion or before expressing their opinions. We have come across few communities which really got our attention but many have erred in this regard. Hence they have lost credible community members. 7. Making sharing easy process: in today’s 24/7 online word, sharing is power as opposed to knowledge is power. So any community that does not make sharing easy may be chasing community members away without knowing. Ensure the community has features like RSS, Digg. Facebook compatibility. 8. Speak the tribe’s language: Is the online community speaking the tribe’s language? No matter how good a public speaker is if he/she does not speak the language his/her audience understands, the efforts put in are exercise in futility. Community member needs to be at home with
proverbs, jargons that the tribe speaks. So find what works for your community. 9. Send customized messages: sending direct, personalized messages is also helpful in building connection among community members. This gives a sense of belonging and appreciation especially when the group is large. It shows that the owner is not looking at every member as part of the crowd but as a significant individual who make up the community. 10. Response time: active community that will enjoy members’ participations is not an easy task. Though it has been proven that the dividends outweigh the inputs. Strong communities carry huge responsibilities. There is need for strong community to have dedicated hands. To escape this huge responsibility, the community owner can seek helps from committed members to help in pushing content or attend to enquiries. This community member has to be to credible person that the community owners can trust. With the help of these helpful hands, community members who require clarifications and further information do not to be subjected to prolong delay.
11. Investment in Brand credibility: To also promote brand’s contribution, the owner may need to consider investment in the online community credibility. The community owner must promote the community by seeking relevant accreditation of respect authorities around its niche. There is also the need to create greater rapport with mainstream media. When a community activity is constantly covered by credible mainstream whenever issues that relate to the brand’s niche is being discussed, the community usually stands out. Everyone loves to be associated with success. Strong mainstream endorsement for the community by reputable mainstream media can also promote connection and contributions. Aside from the above, disposition of community owner, builder to negative comments may also affect active participation as some may see the community as intolerant to opposing views.
In all, active community is not a product of overnight success; they are products of unwavering, relentless commitment to a passionate cause it believes in. I will appreciate your feedback
About Michael Sage:
Michael sage consulting
is registered as a consulting firm with the aim of
providing cutting-edge information on branding, Public/digital relations and Social media services to individuals and corporate organizations who are caught in the dilemma of matching expectations with realities as well as to provide for individuals and organizations the necessary tools that will make them a reference point within the big league
Every contact with our team will revolutionize our clients’ corporate awareness, identity in the marketplace.
Vision Adding the golden touch
Mission To help organizations and individuals make necessary changes that will turn them to a point of reference.
SERVICES
Our range of services helps us to increase our clients’ bottom-line in a unique way that is unparallel.
BRAND MAFIA Through this service we help transform our clients in the following areas. a. Service Branding ,Employee Branding, Executive Branding,Product Branding, Personal Branding/Coaching
Public/Digital Relations
Our offerings in this regard include: a. Image management (online, offline), Perception Management. d. Stakeholders’ management
e. Corporate communication issues
3. Social media: Social media development, Strategic reputation management, Social media marketing
HALLMARK
Any consulting firm is a consulting firm? Our edge is in reflection, experience and factfinding process of identifying the gaps we intend to fill with a deliberate, planned solution to challenges identified. At Michael Sage Consulting, we help individuals and corporate organizations to own the solutions we offer so they can operate without depending on us for so long. We also help our clients’ close the gap between expectations and realities. The golden touch is neither advertising nor marketing slogan that is what we deliver.
Author: Yinka Olaito is a Brand, Public Relations expert, social media advocate, Certified Trainer and speaker. He is the Chief Consulting Officer of Michael sage Consulting, Lagos Nigeria. Michael sage consulting is a Brand, Digital Public relations and social media Management firm. Yinka Olaito is the author of the award winning blog-The Branding Gavel, www.yinkaolaito.com. He can be reached on Tel: 234-07029778785, Email: yinka@yinkaolaito.com