In the world of digital marketing, community building refers to creating a reliable and loyal online community. It involves making a conscious effort to create and nurture an engaged online community around a brand, product or service, building up a group of customers that a brand can rely on. In this blog, we have taken a look at the importance of community building and the strategies it involves.

What is Community Building?

Community building goes beyond simply gaining followers or subscribers, as the focus is on creating a meaningful, engaged and two-way relationship with the target audience. Community building is about making people feel as though they are part of something larger than simply being an individual person. With community building, brands can foster a sense of belonging among their online audience, creating an environment where everyone feels connected to each other and to the brand as a whole.

The emphasis with community building is creating relationships, engagement and shared online experiences. By doing so, brands can build a loyal following that not only supports the brand financially, but actively contributes to its growth and success.

The Importance of Community Building in Digital Marketing

• Boost Brand Loyalty – One of the main benefits of community building is boosted brand loyalty. Customers are more likely to be loyal to a brand that they feel emotionally invested and involved in. When a customer is loyal, they are likely to bring in repeat business, referrals and they can help with word of mouth marketing.
• A Flow of Constant Feedback – It’s a lot easier to get constant customer feedback when an online community is interacting with content and discussing the brand online. This shows various online platforms that the content is high quality and engaging, which often means that it’s prioritised.
• Less Negative Publicity – There is always a risk of negative publicity for a brand, but a loyal community can help to soften the blow and minimise the impact. A loyal community can defend the brand if a controversy or threat happens, providing an opposite, organic and trusted narrative to sway opinions the other way.
• A Focus on Relationships – Instead of focusing on the transactional relationship between customers and a brand, community building focuses on building trust and longevity. With community building, customers are likely to stay longer and spend more, even becoming brand ambassadors among family and friends.
• More User Generated Content – It’s not uncommon for community members to create their own content relating to the brand. This is often done in the form of reviews, testimonials, product photographs and fan art. User generated content is seen as being authentic and truthful, making it an important form of marketing.
• Enhanced Innovation and Development – A loyal community can provide insights, suggestions and ideas that a brand may not have thought of. It’s a good way to find product ideas and necessary improvements, whilst also gauging how successful a new product would be if it were to be released.

Community Building Strategies For Your Digital Marketing Campaign

There’s a lot that goes into building a brand community, including humanising the brand and being authentic, genuine and approachable.

• Humanise Your Brand – It’s a lot easier for a community to connect with a brand if there’s a human connection. You can humanise a brand by giving a behind the scenes insight into product development and the day-to-day running of the business. It’s also possible to humanise a brand by showcasing the people behind the products, and letting people who are part of your team.
• Be Authentic – When it comes to community building, authenticity is key. Consumers have access to marketing left, right and centre, but authenticity can help your brand to stand out for the right reasons. You need to ensure that your customer interactions are genuine, and you don’t appear as though your only interest is in making money.
• Communication is Key – Communication should be a two-way street between you and your customers. Instead of simply bombarding them with information, encourage conversations, discussions and feedback. Let the community know that you value their insights, and that you are a brand they can interact with. Listen to what your community has to say, even if a piece of feedback is negative.

Common Community Building Challenges

• Changing Digital Landscapes – As platforms evolve and algorithms change, you will need to change your approach to community building. This can be difficult if you focus on one or two online platforms. Instead, diversity your community by embracing a variety of platforms. If one platform crashes or evolves in a big way, you have others to fall back on.
• Scaling – As your brand grows, so will your online community, but scaling everything can be challenging. With more people, it can become increasingly difficult to maintain the same amount of personal engagement with each individual member. One of the benefits of community building is providing customers with a personal connection, which can be time consuming as you scale everything. One way to combat this is to enlist the help of a community manager, to keep on top of everything and to provide members with a point of contact.
• Providing Authenticity – As an online community grows, it’s important to maintain authenticity. This is likely what attracted a lot of people to the community, and losing that genuineness could see them go elsewhere. Though you will want to promote your products and services, avoid going overboard. Instead, find a balance between promotional content and genuine interactions.

There is no denying that community building is important, but it’s also a time consuming and complex part of digital marketing. This is why a lot of businesses pass everything over to Profici and our team of experts. Get in touch to find out more.