Since the pandemic, there has been a strong desire among consumers for businesses to contribute towards creating community in the COVID era.
This speaks to the isolation felt by so many during the lockdowns and months of virtual-only activities at work as well as socially.
One of the most effective ways to make your business stand out from the pack is to bring people together by building a community around your brand.
To help you do that, the branding experts at Axel & Associates are back with more Pro Tips and examples to create a growing and engaged community.
Business Brand Community Pro Tips
Tip #1: Create special content for your members.
When starting a community around your brand, it is important to add value for your members as an incentive for joining. Creating specialized content for the members of your brand community is a good place to start. This can include catered content and updates relating to your business and your industry, as well as exclusive discount offers and activities like fun competitions, giveaways, as well as helpful tools and resources that can educate them and help them save on expenses or improve value.
When you engage with your community members, remember that communication does not have to be a one way street. Some of the content you provide can also create avenues and opportunities for member-generated content. This ensures that it is organic and further engages them by elevating their ideas and sharing them with the rest of your brand community, and possibly beyond if you then decide to share member content on your website, blog, or newsletter.
Tip #2: Have thorough FAQs.
It’s important to have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on your website. This immediately adds value for potential customers and clients and also shows that you are hearing their concerns. Each FAQ included is also an SEO opportunity to reach someone online that has those same questions and direct them to your website. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to think of your FAQ Page as potentially the first line of communication or exposure that many visitors may have to your brand. You can further ensure that your FAQs are best suited to visitors by allowing members of your brand community to submit their own FAQs via email, online forums, or social media. When these submissions end up on your page, it reaffirms that your brand is attentive and sensitive to the issues and concerns of its community, therefore strengthening loyalty to your brand.
Tip #3: Maximize your social media accounts.
Social media is a great, easy, and free way to directly engage with a broader community. To best do this, and help grow your own brand community, make sure your social media presence is as interactive as possible. Therefore, your social media managers should be instructed to engage with your followers by answering any questions, spotlighting positive comments and reviews, and replying to direct messages to your account in a timely manner (ideally within 24 hours).
Your brand’s social media persona can go a long way towards helping grow your brand presence and community. However, when it comes to making the most out of your social media, following these tips are not enough. The tone you use when you engage with followers is also key. Make sure that all your social media responses, both public and private, are done in a natural – not caned – tone that communicates openness and authenticity.
Stay tuned for tips from the Axel branding specialists on specific ways to build a community around your brand!
For personalized marketing advice and branding strategies suited to your business, reach us at (866-328-4329) or dave@davidaxel.com to schedule a free consultation and map out the best plan for you and your brand!
