As the number of competitors in a given field rises, maintaining steady social media growth becomes more of a challenge. No sector is immune to problems with organic reach and audience engagement, which is why companies need to start establishing themselves in the social media sphere.
Ben Lang, Notion’s second marketer hire, was discovered through social media. They learned of his devotion to Notion through the Notion fan page and the Notion Made Simple Facebook group.
They’ve since put a lot of faith in members of the public to serve as brand ambassadors. Numerous user and Notion-focused social media communities exist, many of which are centred on Reddit but also include groups for other social networks.
Let’s look at GymShark as yet another illustration.
Building a loyal customer base of people who support GymShark’s goals and use their products has been a priority from the company’s inception. GymShark’s creator is always emphasising how important it is to put the customer first, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that his company’s ethos centres on customer service.
To interact with others who share similar interests and develop personally and professionally is the primary purpose of any social media community. It’s an online hub where users can find and share information selected by an established entity and promoted by its fan base.
Slowly but surely, a group can form even without constant encouragement from the company. Dedicated members of the community can keep it going indefinitely.
What exactly does a social media group provide that makes it worthwhile to join?
For highly engaged social media communities, the return on investment is around 7,071%. There has been a dramatic increase in participation in online communities since the pandemic.
Constructing an online following: 6 strategies
It can be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to building a following on social media. Making the right online community is crucial whether you’re a B2B or B2C brand or an individual working hard to grow your business or services.
Adding value to people’s lives in the era of infinite scrolling on social media is challenging. To stop people from clicking past your content, you need to have a conversation with them in a way that is both interesting and genuine.
Get your friends and family involved; you have to make some connections first
Building a social media following relies heavily on “word of mouth,” as was previously mentioned. It’s important to enlist the aid of those you already know in the beginning stages.
Inspire them to use your social media channels and start conversations online.
Gather the gang together and get everyone involved. That’s true, and it can be uncomfortable and annoying at times, but hey, it’s all a part of the procedure.
Engage with other users by posting questions and comments
Posing questions to them is a great way to get them involved. It’s possible that at first, your community won’t have enough enticing qualities to sustain itself. Now is the time to take the initiative.
Make them feel valued by soliciting their input. You can make them feel more invested in your company and its future by soliciting their feedback. This is how they progress from passive observers to active participants in your online group.
Encourage community involvement by telling personal stories
Telling stories is a great way to convey the values of your company. What’s more, the experiences of your customers can help you see your business in a new light. They give your brand a more personable sound.
Customers can provide you with testimonials by posting online about their experiences with your products and tagging your business in the posts. If you want to learn more about your customers, you could also conduct interviews with them. It doesn’t matter what method you use, telling the story will demonstrate the value and impact of your products and services to the world.
Work with other brands to achieve greater success
Working with others on social media raises your profile among more than just your followers. When a famous person shares your name, you instantly become more trustworthy. It’s a great way to meet new people and grow your network.
Below is an example of a series that Microsoft and NatGeo launched together. They highlighted women working in STEM from around the world to highlight the challenges they face. It demonstrated how they are shattering expectations.
Make yourself available to the locals
The importance of dependability in developing an online community cannot be overstated. You earn the members’ trust by being there for them whenever they need you.
Moreover, it is crucial to respond quickly if a member of the community is unhappy with the services they have received. In this case, social listening can be of assistance. It’s a method of keeping tabs on the people who are discussing your company online. You can use this to make your brand more approachable to the community’s members in any setting.
Distribute content made by users
Sharing instances when customers talk positively about you online is another use for social listening.
Genuine user reviews will do more to bring in new customers than any advertising campaign. They do the marketing for your company by demonstrating the quality of your product. What you want is for people in your community to talk about you and spread the word enthusiastically.
Finally, some thoughts
To strengthen your brand, join a social media community. However, they also aid in locating enthusiastic clients who are willing to actively promote your business and products. Once you’ve established such a group, you can implement a variety of initiatives designed to help its members grow as individuals, make the most of the resources available on your platform, and even do some good for the world.
However, this requires constant attention to social listening and the monitoring of online conversations if success is to be achieved.
Manually attempting this will be a low-capacity option.