Something I’m coming across more often is a sense of entitlement towards one’s community.
- “My community isn’t talking enough about my service…”
- “My community isn’t blogging about me enough..”
- “My community doesn’t support my advertisers…”
Let me ask you this then, what have you done for your community lately? It’s not enough to encourage a community to converge and meet. Folks can network anywhere. If you want the members of your community to get a warm, fuzzy vibe and come back often, you’ll have to give them a good reason. Here are a few ways you can build a community that will be happy to show you some love in return, rather than a bunch of people who may blog about you every now and then:
- Enlist the aid of a Community Manager – Building up a community isn’t easy. It takes years to cultivate and grow a network of people who care about each other – and their meeting place. A community manager is an active and visible presence in the community. He or she will help stimulate discussion, find out a community’s wants and needs, and reach out to community.
- Offer a gathering place - Forums or a general gathering are a great way to bring a community together. Not only will the discuss “off topic” issues, but they will also talk about the thing that brought them all together in the first place – your product or service. This can lead to a word of mouth campaign. Be forewarned, however, if there are negative aspects to your business these will also be discussed. Discussions lead to debates, so you will need to appoint a moderator.
- Offer perks - You want people to talk about you? Give them a reason. Offer prizes or perks. Giveaway samples or discounts.
- Figure out why no one is talking about you - Perhaps folks aren’t talking about you because they have nothing to say, or they don’t know what to say. Poll your community. Ask them if they talk about you and if not, why? Then fix the situation. If you want buzz, you have to get the ball rolling. Give them something to talk about and they will.
- Offer top-notch customer service – Do you know what a community really appreciates? Good customer service response. If it takes several days to answer a question or if folks have to navigate through the phone menu to nowhere, it’s going to turn them off. Make sure your team offers a quick response time and immediate follow up.
- Be transparent - Don’t hide things from your community and don’t lie. The easiest way to have folks turn against you is by not being upfront about what it is you do and your goals – even your reason for building a community. Honesty and loyalty will give you the same in return.
Your community aren’t just a bunch of people who comment on blogs. They’re the people who will make and break your product, service or brand. Ask not what your community can do for you, ask yourself what you can do to make your community happy.
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