One of the easiest and fastest ways to grow a brand is through an online community. Online communities tend to generate a lot of buzz towards your brand and once you start having that, it will be easier than ever to access the results you want, and the payoff can indeed be amazing. The most important aspect to keep in mind is that to create a great community is to offer as many ways as possible for your audience to make their voice heard.
More social media engagement
When you have an online community, you will be able to receive more comments, shares and so on. This can make your content go viral, which in turn will bring in a lot more customers and leads. That’s a great way to bring in the exposure you always wanted. It’s one of the best approaches you can have, and the potential can be second to none all the time.
Word of mouth marketing
Whether you have an e-commerce brand or not, word of mouth remains the best marketing strategy of all time. And proper marketing can indeed help bring in the benefits and growth you need. Your online community members are promoters and they will help show your products and services to others. Building this type of loyalty can make a huge difference in the growth of your business. Take Apple as an example, most Apple users swear to never change the brand. Imagine if you could build that type of loyalty.
Social proofing
An online community can help with social proofing too. That’s because people are more likely to trust their peer’s recommendations. It’s a psychological phenomenon and it works. That’s certainly something to take into consideration and helps you with exposure and other benefits.
Having user-generated content
User-generated content is great because it helps promote your business. Plus, this can be used within your business content, like blog posts, social media images or videos and so on. It’s exciting to have the online community create these things for you, because it helps build trust with others, and it also enhances the power of your brand, which is always important.
Getting feedback
Especially in the early stages of a brand, feedback is crucial. We believe this so much that 80%+ of Lifeboat's features are derived from community feedback. This not ensures your products are an instant market fit, but also turns your users into promoters because they feel part of your journey.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, having an online community is great for your business, since it gives you many ways to spread your mission and vision. It pushes your brand awareness to the next level, and you can receive feedback to validate and perfect your market fit. It’s worth the effort, and the potential can indeed be second to none every time. That’s what makes it well worth it. Plus, the more you commit to excellence and growth, the better it will be in the end. Remember, the faster you start creating an online community, the better it will be for your business!
