We’re always talking about how to improve your sales; people need to know, like and trust you/your company. One of the ways you can nurture these three feelings among your customer audience is through establishing community.
What is Community and Why Is It Effective?
I’m not talking about physical community, since most of your business probably comes from all over. Let’s focus instead on what a virtual community is. Creating and nurturing a virtual community is about connecting your business to others by sharing of yourself — sharing your knowledge, interests, and opinions in a way that not only helps your audience but causes them to look at you and think to themselves — this is the kind of person I want to be around. The reason this sort of community building works is because most of us want to be around people who are like minded, who share our interests and concerns.
That even applies to how we spend our money. Most people don’t want to do business with someone who openly acts unethically, harms the environment with wild abandon, and flaunts views that contradict their own.
Years ago people would throw money at large companies knowing very little about their business practices. They simply knew the business had a product or service they wanted. End of story. But today, competition is fierce. Social media and charitable giving (or involvement in the community or cause of choice) affects peoples’ purchasing habits.
Here are several suggestions on how building a sense of community can help you attract your ideal customer:
Share your concerns about the world and your good deeds. People like to do business with businesses that have a conscience. If you’re worried this will alienate someone, don’t be. You will build up enough loyal followers sharing the good you’re doing that the others can go elsewhere. Sometimes, even when people don’t agree with your cause of choice, they stay with you because people like businesses with a non-financial goal. It feels good.
Reach out to others around you who share your views and try to build effective partnerships that benefit your business and your customers.
Give them something. Making people feel a sense of your community is often about giving them something more than brilliant resources. Consider something physical that illustrates they are part of a very special organization — yours.
Give those who love you a “place” to go. Community builders must create a spot to cultivate community. For businesses operating on the Interwebs, that most likely is on a social media profile or an e-newsletter that’s posted to your website with space for comments. If you are successful in attracting your ideal customer, chances are they’ll benefit from connecting with one another as well. Create something around your business that brings people closer to you and one another. This simple act breeds loyalty in an effective way.
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