Community marketing is a clever strategy used by many companies to reach out to their customers. It’s about creating a place where customers can chat, ask questions, and share ideas. Online forums are a great example of this. Here, customers can not only talk to the company but also to each other. It’s not just about selling stuff—it’s about building a community.
These forums aren’t just on the company’s websites. They can be on general forums related to the industry or field the company is in. This allows for bigger discussions and more engagement. And it’s not just current customers who benefit. People who might want to become customers often join these forums to see what others think about the company, which helps them decide if it’s a good choice. In a world where what people say about a business can make a difference, community marketing is super important.
Word-of-mouth is one of the most organic yet effective marketing methods.
There are two types of community marketing: organic and sponsored. Organic community marketing happens naturally when customers talk about a company’s stuff on other websites like forums or social media. Sponsored community marketing is when a company starts up community activities, often through things like charity work. These communities are usually on different websites. Many companies make sure they have people, like experts, in these forums to talk to everyone.
Businesses have four main goals with community marketing. First, they want to connect with customers to make them happier with the stuff they buy. Second, they want to connect customers with other people who might want to buy stuff, so they can see how good it is. Third, they want to connect with both customers and people who might become customers to make them feel like they’re part of something special. And lastly, because people talk to each other in these communities, it’s easier to fix any problems that come up.
But how do you make sure you’re doing community marketing the right way?
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Make sure you are consistent
One of the biggest mistakes a company can make when making use of marketing strategies like this is to expect immediate results. Marketing strategies, in general, usually take quite some time before you can see their effects. Community marketing is no different, as no matter how much the customer can relate to you in a forum, you still need to establish yourself as a trustworthy resource. Because of this, you should focus on the long-term benefits of employing this strategy compared to waiting for instant results.
A good way to establish yourself is to make sure you participate and publish consistently. You don’t need to do it every day, or even every week for that matter, but you do need to make sure the pace is consistent. Also, make sure what you say is consistent as well. It would not be good if people in the community noticed that you said something in a post and then contradicted yourself later on. This will result in the community members losing faith in you, and one of the aims of your community marketing campaign won’t be reached.
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Make it a point to actively participate in discussions
Another common mistake that representatives of companies make when they join a community forum is that they still act like they are representing the company. This would defeat one of the purposes of the community, as the other members of the forum would still see you as the company, not a person. That is why the best thing to do after creating a profile is to present the human side of you. Don’t comment on posts like you are a representative of the company. Talk to others like you’re one of them, simply with more knowledge about the products and services your brand provides.
You need to make sure you participate in discussions, and not simply pitch something and act as if you are always going to be correct. In all likelihood, you will be, but the other members of the community will not appreciate that. If there is something that you disagree with, you need to make sure that you present your argument or stance in a way they would understand where you’re coming from. Don’t make people think you are only saying what you’re saying because of where you work. The members of that community will be more accepting and open to your ideas if you simply offer up information, and not just hit them in the head with the answer.
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Make use of members who are already trusted by the community
When you can get into a forum that you think is good, you need to find out how it works. Most communities like this have a point system, wherein members can reward good answers or comments so others will know if a certain member is trustworthy or not. This can also show itself in the form of likes or the number of threads a person has commented or answered on, and this will most likely appear beside his profile picture on whichever thread he has posted on.
You need to observe the people who have already garnered a reputation for being trustworthy in the forums. They are the kind of people you might want to tap into later on to become an additional ambassador for your company. Members of the community already feel like he is trustworthy, and will therefore listen to his comments more than others. As mentioned before, word of mouth is one of the most effective marketing tools out there, and these ambassadors are certainly capable of making use of it.
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Make yourself visible to all members of the forum
Once you can create your account, finish your profile, and you should be able to participate in any thread you wish. Do so immediately so you can increase your ranking within the forum. With most websites like this, they show if a member is trustworthy or not by having a point system, or something along those lines. Another thing to note is to increase your points or rank, you should also get involved in threads that aren’t necessarily about your brand.
You can create posts that aren’t about your company per se but can be related. Like if you were Starbucks you could comment on or create threads about coffee beans, for example. Make sure your posts are informative and interesting, and take note not to create threads that have marketing jargon all over, as this is not the platform for those kinds of things. Make it so that most, if not all, members of the community will recognize your name. Take note though that your actions will dictate if they are going to trust you or not.
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Make it a regular habit to post related content on the forum
Think of the community as a place where you can share your articles. This helps with your content marketing plan and lets you reach your target audience. They’re the main people on that website, so it’s a comfy spot for them to see what you’ve got to say.
Posting “how-to” guides, product reviews, and helpful tips usually go down well in a community. It’s important to join in other discussions too, even if they’re talking about your competition. Being too obvious about liking your stuff might put people off.
Making Use of Customer Advocacy in Community Marketing
Customer advocacy is a powerful tool in community marketing. It’s all about getting your happy customers to spread the word about your business. Here’s how you can make the most of it:
First off, identify your advocates. These are the customers who love your products or services and are eager to share their positive experiences with others. You can find them by looking at who engages the most with your brand on social media, leaves glowing reviews, or refers friends and family.
Once you’ve found your advocates, engage with them. Show your appreciation for their support and make them feel valued. This could be as simple as responding to their comments on social media or sending them exclusive discounts or rewards.
Encourage advocacy by making it easy for your customers to share their experiences. Provide them with tools like referral programs, where they can earn rewards for referring new customers or branded hashtags they can use when posting about your business on social media.
Highlight customer stories and testimonials on your website and social media channels. When potential customers see real people sharing positive experiences, it builds trust and credibility for your brand.
Finally, measure and track your advocacy efforts. Keep an eye on metrics like referral traffic, social media engagement, and customer satisfaction scores to see how advocacy is impacting your business.
By making use of customer advocacy in your community marketing efforts, you can turn your happy customers into your biggest fans and boost your brand’s visibility and credibility in the process.