A community grows a business by nurturing its customer base, increase brand loyalty, leading to new customer acquisition through word-of-mouth, and gain valuable feedback and insights for continuous improvement.
In the context of ecommerce, a community refers to a group of customers, fans, and advocates who share a common interest or passion related to the brand or the products offered by the ecommerce business.
A community can be built through various channels, such as social media, forums, email newsletters, events, and user-generated content.
How to build a strong community
Although a community can be built inside tools and applications designed for community building and collaboration, it does not always need to be contained in an app.
The most important factor in success, or failure, of communities is the thought and care going into it on how it will “benefit the customers”. If you nail this part, toll or app or just an open community will flourish and be beneficial for your customers, and in return for your product.
So focus on what values you want to provide to your community. Don’t build the community to serve the company, build it to serve your customers.
Once the customer benefits have been determined, and they can evolve over time, then you can start looking at the environment and how you want to build your customer community.
The actual community can utilize one or more, but not too many, of the following options.
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Social Media Platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn Groups
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Dedicated Community Platforms can be open-source platforms such as Discourse or custom tools.
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You can add a forum to your own Company Website and engage with customers there.
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Many professional communities today are built using Communication Apps such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.
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Reddit has also turned out to be a unique community building tool
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You can embed community features into you mobile apps if you have any.
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Email in and of itself can be a community tool. Newsletters specially are becoming popular and consumers can sign up for ecommerce and retail company emails. Just a note that pure marketing emails do not build communities unless there is a special section and content in them related to a community.
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Online events and Webinars platforms like Zoom or Webex can be used to host webinars, Q&A sessions contributing to a vibrant community.
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Local events and meetups provide members with different, and more personal, opportunities to connect face-to-face. This could include product launches, workshops, conferences, or casual meetups organized by the community or the brand.
Evaluate each of these options, or other formats suited for your customers and put a plan together on where you’ll start. Remember building a community will take time and consistent attention and investment.
Building sign ups and participation
In order to get sign ups and usage, offer exclusive perks and rewards to community members, such as early access to new products, special discounts or promotions, or personalized recommendations.
In addition, providing opportunities for community members to engage with each other, such as through contests, challenges, or discussion boards contributes to engagement and growth.
Encourage community members to share their experiences and opinions through user-generated content, such as reviews, testimonials, or social media posts. When you have users creating content it’s important to listen to feedback and respond promptly to questions or concerns raised by community members.
Of course, no community will be built without getting the word out so promote your community through various channels, such as social media, email newsletters, or targeted ads.
Brands may offer exclusive memberships or loyalty programs that provide members with special privileges, early access to products, discounts, or unique experiences. This can create a sense of exclusivity and encourage ongoing engagement.
Running challenges or activities within the community can be a fun way to engage members. This could include photo contests, creative challenges, or fitness challenges, depending on the nature of the community.
Hosting Q&A sessions, AMAs (Ask me Anything), or bringing in experts for panel discussions can provide valuable information to community members. This interactive format allows members to ask questions and learn from each other.
Seeking input from community members through surveys or direct feedback channels demonstrates that their opinions are valued. This can also involve members in decision-making processes, making them feel more connected to the brand.
Sharing educational content, such as tutorials, guides, or webinars, can help community members enhance their skills or knowledge related to the brand or the community's focus.
Initiating collaborative projects within the community, such as group challenges or community-driven initiatives, encourages teamwork and strengthens the bonds among members.
Building a vibrant community takes time and consistent effort. Don't get discouraged if growth is slow or there are periods of inactivity. Stay committed to your goals, keep providing valuable content, and actively engage with your members. Over time, your community will flourish and become a valuable asset for your brand.
And last by not least, partnering with and donating to charitable organizations important for your customers is a very effective way to build community
Example of vibrant retail communities
Many companies attempt at building vibrant communities, and a few do so well they become models. It’s good to learn from the best and model after them, even if partially.
A couple of good ecommerce and retail companies to model after are Nordstrom, Chewy and Zappos. Each of these examples provide a master class in community building combined with customer care well worth the time to study if you decide to build a community.