Is your community ready to spread its wings?

Community is the natural evolution of business communication. Marketing has moved along the spectrum of interaction from “we’ll tell you how it is” to “we’re listening”. The communications caterpillar has crawled from billboard and print advertising to direct mail, clambered onto the digital express to deliver the same messages in a different medium, and evolved to into now-familiar two-way and social interaction, hearing the opinions of the crowd. Now it’s time to unveil the beauty of a truly networked and trusted peer-to-peer community.

The right tool still needs the right strategy

HOW looks easy. Community tools abound (we should know!), but the tool is only as good as the community it serves – and that depends on the strategy and commitment of the organisation at its core. Too often, we meet people who are excited by the technology, but are not ready to use it. Communities don’t just spring into being – you have to define the real objectives of all the parties involved.

Why should you spread your Community wings?

• Broadcasting messages where the call to action is a simple purchase? Your mailing list is not a community! However – would your conversion be better if your contacts had a reason to interact with eachother?
• Managing professionals and maintaining standards in an institute? The key line of communication is straight from the powers-that-be to the members. Would your retention be better if your members could collaborate, support and learn from eachother?
• Keeping track of alumni, for financial or other operational reasons? Research shows that it’s easier to leverage meaningful engagement from an involved community (Read the alumni engagement case study).
• Maintaining standards and brand values across a franchise? Make the move from social media, email and shared documentation to a private, secure community! Giving franchisees access to peer-to-peer support could help you to set cultural norms and improve franchise development and retention.

Making the leap to Community engagement

A successful community relies on finding a shared purpose. Just moving all your outward communication to a community tool won’t cut it – both you and your group have to have real reasons to be there.
What specific operational goals (cost savings, member retention, higher success rates) are better achieved by engaging the group? In turn, why should your group log in to the community? Do they need to access exclusive or trusted material, to collaborate and network effectively to meet their own goals, or get support from their peers in a secure environment? Once you have the WHY, you’re ready to fly.