Energizing Your Network

In today’s market, energizing your network and communication channels are important drivers of success. So many individuals and businesses strive to create a platform for social and emotional connection. Many explore connections through different types of communities: crowd sourcing or definition communities (connected to design something or provide feedback to a company about its products/services); activity-based communities (connected by a common love of an activity); obsession-based communities (connection by a strong love of an area); and experience-based communities (connected by a shared experience).

In a recent reading from an author who has worked with online communities for several years, there are five key lessons learned for forming a community or getting started that I wanted to share with everyone. It’s an interesting lesson set, especially for someone who is not as keen to “online communities” and prefers face-to-face, whenever possible. However, these lessons apply to jumpstarting/driving the success of a business. In which case, “online communities” are a significant component to learning more about one’s customers and increasing brand equity.

The lessons are:

1. Know your communities – know which communities impact your company and have influence on your customers
2. Create communities for the long-term – sustained efforts in communities pay off.
3. Communities can be internal as well – sales teams are also important; they are a valuable community.
4. Start a dialogue – The dialogue may be about decisions you have to make on new products or features or simply create an experience for your customers. Also create one or more ways to have the dialogue.
5. Great communities provide value – A community should not solely serve as a marketing tactic. Communities will endure because they provide value.

Source: Carter, Sandy, “New Language of Marketing 2.0: How to Use ANGELS to Energize Your Market,” Chapter 10: The New Vessels.