How do you build and sustain a community?
Here are some tips for building and growing your social community:
Have a clear vision for your social community and what you want it to be.
Make sure that all your team members are aligned with this vision and share the same values. If you don’t have a vision or purpose, many of your actions will be reactive rather than proactive, which can lead to unproductive outcomes!
Slow down to speed up.
Shifting from snail-mail marketing to email marketing took time for companies to adjust, and the same goes for social media. Building an engaged community of followers who will pay attention when you post new content or products takes time. Think about gradually increasing your efforts over time instead of trying to do everything at once.
Know Your Audience.
Know who you’re talking to and what they like so you can tailor your message appropriately. This means more than just knowing their age and gender; it also means understanding their interests and behaviors so you can speak their language regarding hashtags, updates, and other content elements.
Humanize it.
Don’t just use stock photos or images from the company picnic; put real people in front of your audience. The more relatable you make yourself, the better chance you have at building trust and winning over new fans.
Don’t starve your community; feed them the good stuff!
Give your fans something worth reading or watching on your social channels daily, an article roundup or a video tutorial, so they know what to expect when they visit your page each time they log in. Don’t just post links to content that doesn’t belong there; create original content that relates to what your community members care about most.
Create experiences
Experiences are essential to building and growing an online community because they give people something to discuss. You can create experiences by holding events, hosting contests, or even starting conversations with members.
Provide a safe and open environment
Remember that your community comprises people who want to feel welcome in your space. You should encourage them to share their opinions freely and openly without fear of judgment or backlash.
Embrace the OPC (other people’s communities)
The best way to build your community is by first joining other people’s communities. This lets you see what works well for those communities and what doesn’t work at all. You’ll also get used to participating in online conversations before taking on your own community.
Measure it
One of the best ways to build a thriving community is to measure your progress. You can use analytics tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Insights to track metrics like likes, shares, and comments. These metrics will help you understand what content resonates with users and which posts get shared most often.
Be consistent
Consistency is vital in long-term relationship building, especially social media. Your audience will quickly leave if they feel like they’re getting nothing from you. Still, sales pitches and promotions every time they log in, so keep posting content that’s valuable to them, whether educational or entertaining.”
Conclusion
While it is easier to create a social community, it is now more important than ever to make sure you are using the right tools and strategies to grow your community. As with all businesses, a successful social community revolves around brand building, and you must build your community with that in mind to succeed. Remember, it’s not just about getting them in but keeping them returning.
