Whether you're a startup, a small business, or a large corporation, investing in community can yield significant returns in terms of customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, revenue generation, product feedback and overall business growth. However, designing an effective community experience requires careful planning and strategic execution. Your community experience should be defined by your community’s objectives i.e. the business and user value you set out to deliver. So, if you haven’t already got clear objectives for your community, check out this article for a step-by-step guide. Armed with those objectives, you can start building out your ideal community experience and programming. This article outlines steps to follow, covering some of the most common, and effective, elements of any brand community experience:
Communities are, by definition, groups of people with a shared identity or interest. A critical element of any successful community strategy is the ability for community members to connect with one another, and with you (and you with them!). The first step of designing your community experience is to decide where and how you want to facilitate these meaningful connections.
For most brands, community interaction will primarily happen online, given ease of access, scalability and relative cost-to-serve, typically either on social media, or a dedicated community platform. The benefits of building a community on social media are:
.1 - Current and prospective members can easily access your social media channels and might even already follow you. Building community on social media can increase your brand visibility and create a welcoming, engaged environment, fostering brand affinity and loyalty in a public forum
.2 - If you choose a social media platform or platforms that your members already use, they’ll already know how to use the platform, which can increase adoption and frequency of interactions since they’re already there
.3- Social media accounts are free, so it can help keep costs down by building community there
Alternatively, you might decide to build your community on a dedicated community platform, either as part of your existing website, or a standalone platform. Choosing the right platform, and making the decision around whether to build from scratch or use an off-the-shelf solution, is its own decision (and one that you can read more about here). The main benefits of choosing a dedicated community platform are:
.1 - utilising a space that is created specifically for achieving your objectives means you have access to a full suite of features to create an engaging and dynamic community experience. This might include forum spaces for conversation, a knowledge base for easy access to instructional or user-generated content, and the ability to register for, and even attend, online events.
.2 - having a dedicated community platform offers more control than housing your community on social media. For example, you might choose to make some sections of the community private or accessible only by signing up
.3 - drive traffic to your own website and increase likelihood of member purchasing or engagement with your product whilst they’re there!
Most successful communities offer value to their members in the form of knowledge or insights, delivered through content. As the old saying goes, ‘people come for the content, and stay for the community’ - content gives users a reason to visit, and keep returning. Specifically, content that is search engine optimised (SEO) can be a highly effective tool in driving new traffic to your brand’s website.
There are a variety of factors to consider when it comes to content:
.1 - what is your content trying to achieve? It might offer members the ability to self–serve answers to their questions in the form of a searchable Knowledge Base, driving both customer satisfaction (user value) as well as reducing cost-to-serve (business value). It might offer them the chance to gain insights around how others have utilised your product or service in the form of User Generated Content which can increase likelihood to purchase. It might give them practical how-to guides to make better use of your product which can directly influence member advocacy. The list goes on!
.2 - once you’re clear on the objective of the content, you’ll want to decide on the topics you’re going to cover.
.3 - commonly used formats include articles, videos, podcasts, courses and events. Consider the following when selecting your chosen content format(s):
- - what content does your audience already consume? Choose formats they’re used to or more likely to engage with. For example, if you know they’re more likely to engage with short-form bitesize content, don’t create hour-long videos.
- - what budget do you have for content creation? What skills do you have within your team or accessible externally? How much are you willing to invest in content creation? Costs can rack up quickly so make sure you’re comfortable with the investment required upfront
- - is there an opportunity to deliver both connection and content at the same time? If so, events might well be for you! See step 3…
For a more thorough deep-dive into community content strategy, check out this article.
Events are a common feature in most great community experiences. They have huge potential for brand advocacy (for example through attendees posting to social media), connecting your members to your brand and with each other, and delivering tangible value to your members through content (such as hearing from an inspiring speaker in a lecture-style event or gaining a new skill through a workshop). If you’ve decided to incorporate events into your community experience, you’ll want to consider:
- - what content will your events cover?
- - will your events be informative and instructional? Or a chance to network? Will they be participatory or will participants just be listening?
- - will your events be in person, online, or a mixture? If in person, you’ll also need to consider logistics like location, catering, audiovisual equipment, speakers etc
- - who will be delivering the event? Might you need to source speakers or hosts?
- - how often do you plan on running events? Consider planning ahead with a 12-month strategy. You can iterate as you go based on feedback and data around what’s working and what isn’t but having a plan upfront can really help with resource allocation and planning
- - how much budget do you have to allocate to your events strategy? Who is project managing your events?
For more on building an effective community events strategy, check out this article.
Many of the most successful brand communities, from Glossier to Notion, harness the power of their most vocal advocates and superusers through carefully designed programmes. Such programmes incentivise continued advocacy (including word of mouth, referrals, repeat purchasing and product feedback) through tapping into the underlying member motivation for engaging, such as early access to new product features, or exclusive networking opportunities. You might also want to consider the role superusers could play in helping you manage your community, as volunteer moderators, event hosts or even content creators.
For more on advocacy and superuser programmes check out this article.
Traditions and rituals are the heartbeats of successful brand communities, fostering a sense of belonging and identity among members. They create a unique bond, turning mere consumers into passionate advocates. Traditions create narrative and purpose around your brand, writing stories that resonate with your audience. Rituals evoke emotions and memories, solidifying your brand's place in your members’ lives.
Moreover, rituals provide a sense of structure and predictability, offering comfort and familiarity in an ever-changing world. From Starbucks' daily coffee routines to Harley-Davidson's weekend rides, these activities create shared experiences, strengthening the community's cohesion.
Additionally, traditions offer opportunities for participation and engagement, empowering consumers to become active contributors to your story. Whether it's through user-generated content or community events, these rituals create spaces for interaction, collaboration, and creativity.
LEGO's Monthly Building Challenges are a great example of an effective community ritual. LEGO hosts monthly building challenges where community members are encouraged to create designs based on specific themes and share their creations on LEGO's online platforms. These challenges inspire creativity, spark friendly competition, and provide a platform for LEGO fans to showcase their passion for building.
Consider what rituals might feel appropriate for your community and how you want to weave them into your annual community experience planning. They will fast become the building blocks of your community, fostering loyalty, advocacy and relationships that withstand the test of time.
Once you’ve built your community experience outline, it’s important to decide how you’re going to communicate with your community so they know what’s on offer and how to access it. If you’ve opted for a dedicated community platform, you might choose to communicate there. Alternatively you could consider email, social media or even good old fashioned post!
Building a successful community experience plan requires a thoughtful approach that considers the needs of both your business and your audience. By defining clear objectives, designing engaging programming, and prioritizing meaningful connections, you can create a thriving community that drives value for your business and fosters long-term relationships with your members. Use the template provided to craft your own community experience plan and embark on the journey of building a vibrant community around your brand.