Founder, CEO of Vesta, an all-in-one community platform to nurture consumer relationships, mobilize advocates, and drive emotional loyalty.
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Earlier this year, McKinsey named “community” as the decade’s “big idea” in marketing. Fueled by the pandemic, our digital communities have become a staple in social connection. With the disappearance of third-party cookies, marketers are putting a considerable focus on direct consumer relationships to maintain loyalty. Online brand communities are a natural fit for the needs of the moment.
The challenge for many is creating a digital environment that delivers the community connection that consumers seek and drives tangible business results.
Challenger brands are especially adept at making community a competitive edge. These smaller brands have an advantage of building a relationship-first strategy, while larger brands are racing to catch up.
Social media pages have been a resource for creating brand communities, but marketers feel the increasing sting of third-party gatekeepers. Many run to loyalty programs to create a community but struggle to keep consumers interested. Others may look to their email marketing or SMS but get stuck in one-sided communication.
More prominent brands are piggybacking on established communities, as we saw with Under Armour’s acquisition of MapMyFitness. For some, an owned community destination as part of their brand’s digital ecosystem is the right move.
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Whatever stage you’re in, here are three ways to make community a part of your unique value proposition.
Deliver Connected Experiences That Create A Sense Of Belonging
A thriving brand community must deliver interactions that move beyond transactions and cultivate a sense of belonging.
Peloton is a frequently cited example of matching personalized goals with community experiences. People don’t buy Peloton for just the spin bike or accompanying gear. They join to be a part of a fitness community. Despite its challenges in a post-pandemic world, Peloton has focused on community building from the beginning with features like leaderboards and tags, but also with immaterial experiences like a high-five from another rider or a shoutout from an instructor.
As a new member, Peloton collects essential information to suggest fitness goals. The company applies that data in the shared fitness environment. Riders can participate in the same class while having a different experience based on their personal information. Peloton also celebrates this in advertising messages with its “We All Have Our Reasons” campaign.
Online communities are a natural place to create a positive feedback loop between data shared and value received. One of the most prized data sets is zero-party data. Unlike first-party data, which involves mostly website behavior, zero-party data is shared intentionally with a company and typically includes preferences, emotional leanings and lifestyle information.
In a community, you can collect zero-party data through member profiles, interactive quizzes, games or polls. Then you can use that data to fuel connected experiences. For example, if you discover a consumer prioritizes eco-friendly practices, you can connect them with similar-minded consumers to exchange opinions and discuss ideas related to sustainability. If you identify consumers with a photography interest, you can create a photo contest with peer voting.
Look To Co-Creation For Unconventional Innovation
Listening to consumer feedback is integral to any brand, but a thriving community will give freedom to express its most fantastical ideas.
Crowdsourcing from a community can produce off-the-wall ideas that later turn into brand equity boosters. Microsoft’s Xbox brand boasts a well-established community of gamers. When Microsoft released its Xbox Series X, there was a communitywide joke comparing the console to a fridge because of its shape. The brand embraced the viral meme by releasing an actual novelty mini fridge replica of the console that will be sold in Walmart. Xbox took community feedback and turned it into an “Xbox and Chill” reality.
One of the best ways to foster these kinds of ideas is through a community-driven discussion forum where your brand is a background player, not center stage. Ideas can also be generated through surveys, online events or polls.
This is also where community vernacular is born, creating a slew of nicknames, memes, inside jokes, symbols and much more. This is when the value of community starts to shine.
Activate Advocates To Fuel Business Growth
Social proof is one of the most powerful purchase drivers, with 9 out of 10 customers reading reviews before buying a product. Community becomes your secret sauce when your consumers do the talking for you.
Consumer voices can be so powerful that a community itself can help launch a booming business. When you look at a company like Glossier, its community of followers was a crucial part of the development of the entire business. What started as a beauty blog grew into a $1.2 billion company thanks largely to its audience spreading the word. To drive word-of-mouth, Glossier selects loyal “reps” to share their skin care routine and favorite products on their profile page. Each receives a custom link that gives new shoppers a discount on their first order.
Some brand advocates will come forward without much prodding by asking for product reviews or UGC campaigns after purchase. Brands can also identify “ideal” advocates and nurture them over time with things like free product samples, new product sneak peeks, exclusive digital content or VIP access.
Large social followings are not a requirement for someone to be a powerful brand advocate. Brand advocacy is built over time. It’s learning who in your community has the highest quality content, recognizing and rewarding them, and continuing to offer value. Done consistently, it will yield a powerhouse of social proof.
Final Thoughts
Many signs point to a new era of consumer expectations where community connection has a seat at the table among other key brand pillars. When done right, meaningful consumer relationships can set your brand apart, delivering greater loyalty, unique innovation and always-on access to passionate consumer conversation.
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Author: Susan Frech, Forbes Councils Member
