5 Reasons Your Organization Needs an Online Community Now
If you have not yet built an online community for your organization in 2021, it can often feel that you’re behind the ball. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a world of opportunity waiting for you and your business. But here are five key reasons you shouldn’t wait another day to start planning your launch.
1. Online communities help you provide a “watering hole” for those you serve.
People will come to the online community to discuss the topics that surround your industry. That means SEO value, self-support, new and innovative ideas, and more. That means:
You don’t have to have all the answers anymore, which saves you time
You extend the value you bring to your clients, customers, and other people important to your success
Word of mouth growth happens organically
2. You can serve more effectively and have a larger reach and impact.
Online communities expand your impact, reach, and accessibility.
For instance, if you work at an organization that typically does an annual conference or other regular in-person events and you have not figured out how to bring that experience online, it’s time. You have a major opportunity to serve well, not just maintain the status quo.
If you simply hold a virtual conference, it is not enough to extend your impact. Instead, you create relationships and habits now that spark even deeper engagement for all future gatherings.
3. Build trust and loyalty for your brand.
With a wider reach and impact, you’re able to build more trust and loyalty. In the video below, I talk about Versed’s online community, The Good Skin Crowd. In the group, they gather thousands of skincare enthusiasts and allow them to share advice, recommendations, and tips. And they allow these members to talk about any brand, which builds transparency and trust.
Versed reaps massive benefits. I’ve had other beauty companies come to me, worried that they’re not doing something similar. And worried their customers will trust their competitor more than them.
This brings us to the concept of opportunity cost: You have no idea what could happen if you do not make this investment. There are costs associated with every decision you make and there are opportunities lost with every decision you make (or do not make). The opportunity cost of not engaging with the people important to you is enormous. Think bad press, lack of trust, no loyalty, badly trained representatives of your brand, resentment.
4. You can step into the future of your business - now.
The future is both online and offline. There is no way of going back now that we have had to adjust to digital socializing. Luckily, there are many people who have been doing this for a long time to guide you. An online community helps you create one clear customer experience between purchases, IRL gatherings, etc.
Sometimes you will get lucky and people will self-organize, but you can also architect a smooth experience for everyone you serve, not just cross your fingers and hope it happens.
5. People are doing this work badly right now. Seriously badly.
That means green pastures for you if you move quickly and do it with deep purpose and authenticity. Two out of 5 Americans report feeling lonely all or most of the time, so creating connection does public good as well as good for your organization. However, people don’t just want to be in another shitty Facebook Group. Now is your time to stand out. Now is your time to meaningfully engage an online community.
Watch the video below for more insights and stories from the trenches (and lots of time with my dog Bruce Wayne):
