Question: The words “Community” or “Social Community” are thrown around a lot, but we are just a small company. What should we be thinking about in terms of community as it pertains to small business?
I always love dealing with questions like this where a concept that is most often associated with big companies is trying to be associated more meaningfully with small companies.
When we think of a social community, it is often on a grand scale like Facebook or Twitter, or perhaps a large media site like Forbes or Mashable where a huge number of readers and consumers hang out and associate around a brand. Some other companies that immediately come to mind when talking community are Apple, because they have built so a loyal demographic of customers to include users and admirers who often put their brand on a pedestal.
For the small business, community isn’t exactly the same, with exactly being the key word. Many aspects of a social community for a small business are the same. For instance, garnering a group of individuals who are strong believers in your product or service are pretty much a universal component of community.
The biggest difference for small(er) businesses is the amount of time and effort that can be put into community. Larger companies have so much more depth of resources as it comes to building awareness, media and PR and outreach that they don’t have to work as hard to cultivate community (they have different challenges).
For the small business interested in social community, it really comes down to creating more meaningful ways for them to connect with your business. Knowing that small businesses are hugely dependent on word of mouth as a source of new business, the creation of community should be places where the business and their clients can connect and share their experiences. It also becomes a way for the client or prospect to learn more about your business and ask questions in an environment that is not only one to many, but one-to-one.
Through social and digital channels you have the ability to provide places for your audience to connect (Social, Blogs, Subscription). These channels should be used to connect on a regular basis and take customers to the next level which isn’t just a vendor relationship, but true brand advocacy.
While a small business may not have the ability to build a large community, what they do have is the ability to engage a significant percentage of their customer and advocate base. This is where social media and digital are so helpful. With these tools, a community can gather, learn, share and connect in an easily accessible environment.
When it comes to building a great business, it starts with customers that are your biggest advocates. Community is a great way to do this. How is your business building a community that drives business results?
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