We know that community is important as it relates to education, religion, social interactions, and even emotional and mental health. But what about marketing? How does the idea of community play into your marketing goals?

The value of a social media community

Marketing has seen an evolution in the last several years. As more and more people conduct their lives online, it has become increasingly important to shift marketing efforts online as well.

This is where people are. This is where communities gather. The importance of social media marketers in this new age is critical. They are responsible for creating a sense of community among their demographic.

These communities serve more than just a marketing outlet, though. Social media communities play a vital role in the culture of your business. These communities are valuable for a number of reasons.

• Engagement – The best type of marketing is word of mouth. You want people talking about the product or service. Social media communities provide the perfect opportunity for this to happen through engagement on the platforms.
• User proximity – Each time a user engages on a social media platform, they are getting closer to your brand. Even those who are not current customers or who have never considered your product or service can be successfully introduced through platform interaction.
• Brand visibility – Probably one of the most valuable aspects of social media communities and marketing is that it constantly keeps your brand visible. With the added bonus of user sharing, you can reach a much broader audience.
• Inspiration – Social media communities are especially renowned for their ability to foster inspiration as it relates to your brand.

VIDEO: How to build an online community to boost your sales | Hotmart SmatTips

Types of social media communities

There are many different types of social media communities. This is where your marketing research will come in handy: you’ll need to pinpoint exactly which types of social media platforms are attractive to your particular demographic. You can then create communities based on this information.

How to build social media communities

Building a community takes time and effort. It does not happen overnight. The good news, however, is that building a social media community is one of the most inexpensive types of marketing. In some cases, you can even get started for free. Some brands continue with free options for quite some time, or indefinitely.

If a free social media platform succeeds in producing the results you want, there may never be a reason to upgrade to paid services.

• Start simple – You can create free accounts and simply invite your own contacts and friends. Expand upon this by eventually inviting clients and customers.
• Social Interaction CTAs – CTAs, or Calls to Action, can be as simple as asking others to like the page. You can also refer existing customers to social media platforms. Having social media options plainly available on your website gives a customer who is already interacting with your brand the opportunity to join the community. Make sure this is always available on your website, in a welcome email, or in an order confirmation email.
• Hashtags – Hashtags are a fun way for people to connect on a platform based on common interests or activities. Be sure to use hashtags effectively.
• Cross-Promote – Be sure to promote all your social media outlets on all your other outlets. This helps create greater visibility.
• Promote at Live Events – You can promote your social media community offline too. Your social media outlets should be advertised in-store and at live events.
• Goodwill – Keep your communities free of hostility, bullying, or any other negative behavior that might decrease your following. Keep spirits light and bright. This is attractive. Although controversy may be exciting for a moment, it does nothing to promote your brand in the long run.
• Respond – It is vitally important that you respond to your community. Messages and posts are the lifeblood of your online community. Investing time in platform interaction is not time wasted. Post, share, and respond on a regular basis.

 

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Engage your social media community with fun stuff

You can make community interaction fun by using the following types of social media communication.

• Gifs
• Emojis
• Quote images
• Videos
• More

Never underestimate the power of these simple types of social media communication. Today, online communities often communicate with these types of quick, yet powerful, bits of info. Use them to your advantage.

• Giveaways – Giveaways are a great inexpensive way to excite your community and draw in new followers. Everyone loves a freebie.
• Contests – Contests are also a fun way to build up community engagement.

When to start paying

At some point, you might realize that you can do more through paid methods. Each social media platform offers its own brand of paid methods. These are opportunities you can invest in to attract new users to your community. Be sure to test out these methods to ensure that the ROI fits your goals.

Best practices

Social media marketing has been around long enough now that there are some well-established best practices you can refer to keep your community thriving.

• Stay consistent – One of the most crucial ingredients is consistency. The online attention span is short. If you fail to interact and produce content regularly, you can become a thing of the past quickly.It is also important to keep your voice and community culture consistent, too. Sudden changes here will result in unfollowing rather than following.
• Respond – We already touched on this, but it is so important that it warrants repeating. Respond to your community consistently and effectively.
• Engage – Engagement means jumping in on the conversation, contributing, responding, and sharing.
• Curate Carefully – Content that you collect to share with your community from other sources should be curated carefully. It should be relevant, impactful, and contribute to your overall goal.
• CTA All Day – Not really all day, but keep CTAs a regular part of your content.

 

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Challenges in building a social media community

There are challenges in any type of community. The types of challenges you will face in a social media community are similar to the challenges you face in other types of communities. Be aware of these challenges and deal with them quickly.

• Bullying – Be on the lookout for bullying on your platforms.
• Spam – You will also need to be watchful of spam users who are attempting to use your platform for their own purposes.
• Competitors – Be sure to set up community rules that would prevent competitors from using your platform to promote their own brand.

Social media communities are valuable for businesses

Building your social media community does take time and effort, but it is also one of the more entertaining and enjoyable types of marketing out there. Use these tips to get your social media community up and running.

And you can learn more about online communities here.