How to build a powerful brand community online

In today's digital age, having an online presence is essential if your business is to thrive and grow. An online community brings together people who share the same interests and values, creating a platform for discussion and interaction.

Not only will it help build you relationships with customers, but it can also foster loyalty and engagement. From identifying potential customers to crafting promotional content, this blog provides you with everything you need to get started.

A brand community should be a big part of any marketing strategy you put together, so let's dive in and see what it takes to create one that's vibrant and engaged.

What is a brand community?

A brand community is a group of like-minded people who are loyal to a particular brand and share an emotional connection with it. It's made up of customers, influencers and other individuals who have an interest in the brand or its products/services.

Through these interactions, members form relationships with each other as well as with the company itself. This type of community building helps you develop trustful, loyal customers by engaging them in meaningful conversations and offering exclusive content and promotions.

As a result, members feel more connected to the company, leading to higher customer retention rates. That, in turn, translates into increased revenue for the business.

Brand communities are a great way for companies to build relationships with their customers and create loyalty. They foster meaningful conversations and exclusive content (including user-generated content), while providing a platform to share experiences and connect with others who have similar interests.

What is an online community?

An online community and a brand community are much the same thing. An online community is a digital space for people with similar interests or goals to come together and connect and share their customer experiences.

It allows members to engage in conversations, ask questions, share stories, and get feedback from others. Members may also be able to access exclusive content, join groups and attend virtual events.

Watch this StartUp Series virtual workshop on how to build a brand:

 

How to build a brand community for your small business

Creating an online brand community doesn't have to be difficult. With the right strategy and tools, you can build a strong and successful brand community in these simple steps.

Identify potential members

Begin by asking yourself who would benefit from engaging with your brand community and what kind of conversations they would have. This will help you hone in on the type of customer you’re looking for.

Once you've identified a target audience, research where these people are already spending their time. Use social media platforms or online forums to find out more about them – this will give you a better idea of who they are and how best to reach them.

Choose your platform

Select an online platform that suits your needs and makes it easy for customers to engage with one another. Consider social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, as well as dedicated community platforms like Discourse or Slack.

Promote your page

Make sure people know about your brand community by promoting it on other channels, such as in email newsletters or on website banners. You can also use influencer marketing to spread the word and encourage other people to join.

Establish rules

Set some basic community guidelines for how people should behave. This will help maintain a positive atmosphere and make sure everyone respects each other's opinions.

Generate content

Keep the conversations going by creating engaging content to post regularly on your community page. That might be product reviews, interviews with experts, or interesting articles related to your industry.

One major advantage of active communities is that the members create their own user-generated content, such as questions, answers, customer reviews and recommendations, blogs, images and social media posts. You can use all of this to develop and strengthen your community of dedicated customers going forward.

Monitor activity

Make sure you're keeping an eye on what's going on in your brand community at all times. That way, you can respond quickly when needed and delete any inappropriate posts before they become a problem.

Encourage engagement

Finally, take some time every day to interact with members of the community and make them feel welcome. An engaged community helps forge strong bonds between customers and make them more likely to come back again in the future.

Watch this video and learn why expanding your online community is important for business growth:

What are the benefits of building a brand community online?

Building a brand community online can provide many unique benefits to your business. For starters, it gives customers a platform to engage with one another and ask questions in a safe, exclusive online space. This type of engagement encourages customers to become more loyal and involved with the brand, and makes them more likely to buy from you.

A strong brand community can be an effective marketing tool, and is a vital element of any successful brand's marketing efforts. You can use the community to showcase your products or services and create engaging content that will draw in potential customers.

Furthermore, you can gain valuable insights and customer feedback by monitoring what people are talking about on your community pages. All these advantages make building a brand community a great way for businesses to generate loyal customers and, ultimately, more sales.

Access support to start your business

Visit the StartUp UK hub for resources that give you the education and inspiration to get started on your entrepreneurial journey.