Community Marketing 111016

Community MarketingPower And BasicsNOVEMBER 2016

Table of Contents What it is Why it works How it works When it works best Types of

communities Successful

communities Why it works 5 success drivers Work for you

What It Is Engages a prospect &

customer audience in an active, non-intrusive conversation

Traditional marketing & communication strategies (advertising, promotion, PR & sales) focus on customer acquisition

Community marketing focuses on conversations and relationship building about customers’ needs & desires

Can build brand awareness & energy but most powerfully builds credibility & authenticity

Why It Works 86% believe branded online

community will positively impact core operations

85% believe it will improve the customer journey and increase trust

Focused on supporting the customer journey

Focusing more on customer satisfaction, retention, ideas & customer generated content  

Potential to engage quality & quantity (thousands+) in brand conversation

How It Works Community serves its

members User-centric mission Independent

conversations & relationship building around product, brand & category

Built & maintained for members’ value Develops their

expertise as leaders about product, brand & category

Special access to brand leadership

How It Works Integration & needs

fulfillment Addresses prospect &

customers’ unique expectations & values

Shared emotional bonding & devotion Members connect &

add their POV & experiences add community value

How It Works

Embrace conflict to reinforce strength Pluses can become minuses Reinforce the authenticity of the

group Roles for everyone

Mentors, performers, learners, heroes, scouts, etc.

How It Works

Online is one tool; not community strategy Grassroots, blogger

relationships, celebrity ambassadors are strategies

Defies managerial control; maintains stewardship

When It Works Best Define community principles &

purpose, creating a sense of membership

Recognize members influence the community as much as it influences them

Structure community to allow for different membership relationships & interactions

When It Works Best Listen actively to community

building their needs & desires into strategy

Community happens wherever customers engage your brand

Engage active members, offering greater influence & insight

Types Of Communities Tribe

Deep interpersonal connections

Shared experiences, rituals & traditions

Fort Exclusive place for

insiders to be safe & feel protected

Types Of Communities Sewing circle

Gathering people with common interests

Share experiences, provide support & socialize

Patio Semi private place

that facilitates In-depth, meaningful

conversations

Types Of Communities Bar

Public space; reliable shallow connections

Tour Group Participate in new

experiences, staying inside comfort zone

Performance space Members can be sure

of finding an audience for their talents

Types Of Communities Barnraising

Effective way to accomplish tasks & socialize

Summer Camp Periodic

experience that reaffirms connections

Successful Communities Random House

Figment -- share writing, connect other writers & discover new stories & authors

SAP -- a place to share and tips, advice, and stories with like-minded individuals

H&R Block -- tax pros for responses to tax answers & connections for sharing experiences

Successful Communities Nicorette Committed

Quitters – advice, tips & programs

Lululemon Community – encourage & connect on fitness

Sephora Beauty Talk -- discussion & shared tips, expert & celebrity advice & tutorials

Successful Communities SeeMore Putters Instit

ute – everything about putting performance

Creative Cow For Media Pros – peer-to- peer support for media production pros

Case For Communities Net new lead

generation Potential prospects

find your community in organic search

Increase in lead close for conversion rate Valuable prospecting

vehicle about your solution

Case For Communities Deflects support calls

Decreased customer support costs & satisfaction rise

Community members build personal brands & influence Providing support to

their peers Rich, robust &

authentic knowledge for customers

5 Success Drivers Listening hub

Don’t jump without knowing your community

Team listen & report on the issues & culture before engaging

5 Success Drivers Analyze topics &

cultural nuances Understand

tone, frequency & key leadership.

5 Success Drivers Pinpoint influencers

Identify who really runs the show

Know most actives & value givers

Give them brand ownership

5 Success Drivers Engage & establish

goals Benefit from

clearly defined goals priorities & success metrics

Create resources & organization commitment

5 Success Drivers Access to community

leaders & influencers Offer a direct line

of access to them Creating feeling of

special access Allow to influence

them

Work For You Brand value & need

Credibility & trust Allies = advocates

Start small Quality > quantity Relevance

Use existing channels LinkedIn, Facebook,

Reddit Offline, trade groups Timely engagement

Let’s Talk About community

marketing & any of your marketing needs

Kevin.donnellon@macalicomm.com

Linked.com/KevinDonnellon

@Macali

Sources 10-exceptional-examples-of-brand-communities

linkdex HBR -- getting-brand-communities-right Forrester-the-ROI-Of-Owner-Communities Jeremiah Owyang

community marketing DigitalDoughnut

-- four-characteristics-of-successful-brand-community crezeo

8-flourishing-online-brand-communities-examples CMX Media - successful-branded-online-communities-significantly-impact-an-organizations-core-operations How to-build-reddit-community