When people feel like they are part of something, good things happen.
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November 4, 2020 5 min read
The opinions expressed by the entrepreneur’s contributors are their own.
When people feel part of a community, amazing things can happen. When people can gather in person or virtually, they form relationships that keep them coming back again and again. One example is the ever-growing – currently 1.4 million members – Facebook group for the Instant Pot community, where Instant Pot users share their favorite recipes as well as the latest attempts and mistakes. People visit this site, sometimes several times a day. It’s a community. And people love it.
There are ways that you can create this type of tracking for your product or service as well. Engage your customers so they can keep an eye on you and your business by reminding each other. Here are a few ways you can implement this.
Related: 4 Reasons Why Focusing On The Community Is Your Best Marketing Strategy
1. Have a place where your clients or clients can connect and help each other
When your product or service solves a problem, all of your customers have one thing in common: they are looking for a solution. And while providing just that, they can also give thought and connect with like-minded people. Think of it this way: if your product is email tracking software, your target customer or customer base is likely to be sellers or people who send cold emails frequently. Use this knowledge to host a group or forum where people can share their best tips on cold email, follow up, etc.
That’s what Sergej Heck, the founder of PEAK Tech, does. “We bring blockchain companies together to form a community so that they can network and help each other,” said Heck. “These companies all have low visibility and need one another to help.” He encourages other business owners to think about what they are giving the community. It’s not enough to just have one place where everyone can chat. That could be a community manager asking discussion questions and offering resources, or there could be something else of value that is constantly being given. “We both train our community and share profits with them,” added Heck.
2. Create a system in which customer bases hold each other accountable
Andrew James is the founder of Oasis, a company that helps companies scale their marketing by connecting them with commission-based partners. James says that by building a community, they will be better able to generate results for their customers. “We put a lot of emphasis on building solid communities within our product, as we’ve found that someone who wants results needs support most of the time. In our case, we have courses that have the information they need to get results. The question is, “Why don’t everyone get results when everyone has access to the same information?” “The answer is simple.” Most people don’t run, “added James.” Maybe they’re scared or they don’t. “I don’t have a support system. So we’ve shifted our focus to building supportive communities.”
James said that right after they shifted focus, the results his customers were seeing from the products “skyrocketed because people were actually using the product and staying engaged and focused.” If your product is educating or encouraging your customers to do something, it’s great that accountability is built into your community. Ask customers to share their progress or tips.
Related topics: How to Create a Community Among Your Customers
3. Create a central education location
How to get customers to stick to business. Don’t just think about how you can develop yourself through discussions and the exchange of resources and tips, but also how you can offer your own educational content. According to smile.io, the fitness clothing company GymShark does this through its blog.
“With articles filled with tips, tutorials and exercises, their blog is jam-packed with health and fitness information that they have clearly positioned as the focal point for their members’ health and fitness,” said author Tim Peckover. “This makes it easier Customers choose to purchase their products to strengthen their connection with the fitness community. “
Especially if you are into any type of content marketing, consider how it can be brought back to a central place where your customers, not just your prospects, can get information. That way, a new piece of educational content (via an article, video, podcast, or whatever you prefer) can bring customers back to the community when the conversation wears off.
There are many online platforms that can help you get a head start on this community – a Facebook group, newsletter, Patreon, or a hosted forum right on your website. This is how one-time customers turn to lifelong customers, and new prospects can feel part of something bigger when they first stumble upon your business. Community is a powerful tool that you can use to make sure you stay in touch with all of your customer base.
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