Terri Ramsey Beavers When your brand has a community, it’s more than just a way for you to sell your products or services. Building a community can help to create loyal customers who see your business as something more than just a convenient way to buy what they need. Whether you run your business entirely online or you have physical locations, a community can consist of people who love your brand for a variety of reasons. Maybe they love the atmosphere of your store or the friendliness of the staff and other customers. They might seek advice from your blog or enjoy seeing how other customers use your products on social media.
If you want to build a community around your brand, there are many ways to do it. Take a look at these fun ways to create a community of loyal customers.
Host Events
Brand events can be an interesting way to draw people to your business and get them involved with your brand. They don’t have to be offline events, either, thanks to the various ways you can host events online. An event could have a specific purpose for your business, such as the launch of a new product. But it could also just be a general event that you use to give your customers something fun to do. It could give them opportunities to learn new things or get involved with a good cause, or it could be a way for them to meet other fans of your products.
Give/Sell Promo Materials
Promotional materials include a wide range of different products that can be used to promote your brand. They’re a great way to turn your customers into brand ambassadors while helping them to feel like they’re part of a community. If your customers want to show their support for your business and brand, they might like promo products such as diecut stickers, T-shirts, branded water bottles, or various other items. Consider either fun options like stickers or something useful. Try to avoid items that will simply be thrown away and don’t provide much value.
Start Online Community Groups
Developing a community online is one of the best ways you can get people more involved with your brand. You can use social media to encourage people to engage with your brand and talk to each other. This could involve things like setting up Facebook group pages, having a Reddit forum, or starting a hashtag for customers to use across various apps and sites. As well as being a place for customers to engage with official representatives of your brand, it can also give them a way to connect with each other and share their interests.
Connect with the Local Community
In addition to creating a community online, you can think about how to connect with your local community offline. This is an especially good idea for local businesses that want to create a stronger connection with their location and the people who live there. This could involve many things, including getting involved with local charities or institutions. You can also connect with other local businesses, which is a great way to be involved with the community through doing promotions together, and more.
Collect User-Generated Content
User-generated content can be excellent for promoting your brand and creating a sense of community. It’s an option for customers to get involved and feel that they play a part in developing the community around your brand. This type of content often involves users posting photos and videos of the way they use your products or services. It could also be testimonials from your customers, sharing their thoughts and your brand. You can encourage user-generated content through marketing campaigns too, perhaps even providing some kind of incentive to share, such as entry into a prize draw.
Help without Selling
One of the most important things in building a community around your brand is to make sure it’s not all about selling. Of course, the ultimate goal is to sell your products or services, but you also want to show your customers that you care so that you can create loyal supporters. There are various ways you can provide help and support for your customers without directly selling anything to them. That could include advice on how to use your products or other information that’s relevant to their interests.
When you build a community around your brand, you can ensure you have more than just a business. Loyal customers can become like a family who takes comfort in your brand and community.