It’s All About Your People: How to Build Your Online Community

Does attracting a community of new customers to your business have a place in your social media marketing strategy? Hell yeah, it does!

Building a community with passionate people who want to invest in your success and journey brings so much value to your brand. 

Here are some easy ways to build and maintain your audience on your social media channels:

• Admit your mistakes and keep moving forward. Be accountable and relatable. Making mistakes is human; admitting our mistakes is heroic.

• Keep communication lines wide open. We know it can be time-consuming; however, set aside 30 minutes every day to reply to comments, messages and tags. People want to communicate with you, and if you reciprocate this, they are far more likely to continue the relationship. These interactions not only allow the person to feel heard, but they also add to your engagement rates.

• Lead with your passion. Chances are if you are passionate about a cause or movement, your community will be too. Don’t be afraid to discuss your excitement with your audience. People also like to see your side passion projects. Love an early morning run? Share that in a story and connect with other early morning runners who follow you.

• It’s the old cliche, but people love knowing origin stories. Tell your story and allow others to resonate with you and connect it to their own. What lead you here? Some of your followers may be in the same place you were ten years ago and would relish some guidance. Alternatively, you may even find a potential mentor who connects with your story.

• Focus on solving problems for your people. For instance, if you work in the fashion industry and you know shipping prices are a barrier for your customers, open up the dialogue here. Ask if they would prefer items to attract a slightly higher retail price with free shipping. The problem doesn’t always have to relate to your business. If you work in the fashion industry and your community is concerned with the ethical issue of fast fashion, write some blogs about it and educate your audience where you can. 

The more personable and human you can be with your customers, the better reaction you’ll inspire and the more they’ll flock to you.

Spending time with your online community is one of the most valuable steps you can take for long-term success. By crossing the bridge from consumers to community, you can foster a much deeper sense of love and loyalty from your audience.

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Want to see some examples of powerhouse community-oriented brands in the wild? 👇⁠

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🌟 @glossier⁠

🌟 @jasminedowling

🌟 @createcultivate ⁠

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⁠📷: @thehangedit⁠ via @shopbando⁠⠀

Building out your social media marketing strategy? Check out our top 8 tips here.

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