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Online Communities Offer Business a Great Marketplace of Ideas

People enjoy being together and interacting with each other. That is the hallmark of an online community, the ideal opening for small-business engagement.


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James L Katzaman

2 years ago | 6 min read

Make the time and effort to create mutual trust and respect

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

People enjoy being together and interacting with each other. That is the hallmark of an online community, the ideal opening for small-business engagement.

As a sales and marketing professional, Nimit Bhatt savors the possibilities.

“Any group of people who share the same passion as me digitally would be an online community,” he said.

Bhatt talked with fellow marketers Ivana Taylor and Iva Ignjatovic about the benefits of growing an online community for business.

Taylor owns DIYMarketers, a company “committed to helping small business owners get out of overwhelm.” Ignjatovic is a marketing, strategy, leadership and business consultant.

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Consumer insight company GWI took a survey in which 66 percent of respondents said they love online communities because they provide the ability to connect with others with similar interests.

“I belong to many online community groups regarding photography, financial tech, weekend trips and foodie clubs,” Bhatt said. “This is because we all share a common passion. We network to get more information or to stay updated.”

Taylor also pursues several interests, although more focused on business.

“I belong mostly for the software,” she said. “I appreciate these communities because they offer assistance and resources that help me use that software.

“I’ve joined several communities, but it’s a bit cumbersome,” Taylor said. “Managing a community is an insanely difficult task. You have to literally invite people to come back and make comments. Otherwise, we all just forget.”

Video can entice people to join online groups with new or repurposed content working equally well.

Worth the Search

“Long-lasting and good communities are not rare, but it’s not as if one could find them just like that,” Ignjatovic said.

One of the challenges is bridging the gap between networks and communities.

“Networking might not lead to being a part of a community as well,” Bhatt said. “It’s like a failed attempt or the common goal was not attained.”

Establishing a true community means networking has moved to the next level.

“Networks have a more informal structure, while communities tend to have more of a formal structure, practices and norms,” Taylor said. “All communities are networks, but not all networks are communities.”

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In a CMX survey, 82 percent of community site visitors said they would be welcoming of brands that choose to participate in communities.

“A network is defined as a group of two or more computers that are connected together,” Ignjatovic said. “A community is a group of people who share common interests and who interact with each other regularly.”

A small-business community stands apart from other groups of people.

“The business community would share goals that are altogether different,” Bhatt said. “Business goals are always set to earn money at the end of the day, but other groups of people would not be networking for money.”

In other words, Taylor explained that a small-business community shares a commitment to building and growing a business.

That relies heavily on clients, which DIYMarketers details in its article, “Tips for How to Find Customers Online.”

Profit Over Entertainment

“Small-business communities have a lot at stake,” Ignjatovic said. “Hobby communities or specific-interest communities are there for entertainment more than profit.”

Depending on who is asked, digital communities are essential or past their prime.

“Digital communities are very much needed to increase your followers, for engagement and for taking action,” Bhatt said.

Things tend to be in a state of flux.

“Online communities trend up and down, but I think that they are on an upswing,” Taylor said. “Web 3.0 communities are the next big thing — again.

“Web 3.0 talks about decentralized platforms and this idea of more decentralized communities,” she said. “I can’t help but think that we are overwhelmed with communities even in central platforms.”

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According to The Community Roundtable, the top advantages to branded online communities are сustomer loyalty, reduction in support costs, branding and awareness.

“There are so many communities these days,” Ignjatovic said. “I don’t think they are in the past, but they are changing.

“The problem is too many people selling and not many buying,” she said. “Too many so-called communities are solely transactional.”

One social platform in particular holds dwindling appeal.

“I still have Facebook because of the work I do for my clients, but I haven’t used it in probably more than five to six years — perhaps even longer,” Ignjatovic said.

Whatever their location, companies would be better off seeking online groups.

“Small businesses or startups need more digital communities than other businesses,” Bhatt said. “It’s their ticket to their target audience.

“Take part in a community and gain valuable insights,” he said. “We are as of now doing that apart from other campaigns.”

Not Essential, But Good

Taylor takes a more lukewarm approach.

“I’m not sure communities are the be all, end all for business success,” she said. “It can be helpful to some.”

Just like personal communities, business groups do not magically appear and grow overnight.

“It’s a lot easier to get people into the group and grow it, but how do you build engagement when there’s so much competition with the audience for time?” Taylor asked. “With a lot of communities being pretty specific, you can spend a lot of time just on communities and doing nothing.”

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Whether online or off, every business owner strives to grow, acquire and retain customers, often through traditional in-person contact and engagement on social media.

“Online communities can be critical for many businesses,” Ignjatovic said. “The challenge is managing and maintaining a community.”

Communities are not always right for every small business.

“Generally, communities are meant to help each other to attain the same goal be it any type of business,” Bhatt said.

“You should not join communities that don’t share the same goal as you do,” he said. “That will not help you achieve anything from such groups.”

Consider communities based on individual needs.

“I don’t think communities are right for every business,” Taylor said. “You should not have a community if you don’t have the time, energy and resources to manage a community.”

Although not a sparkling high number, GWI finds that the Gen Z population trusts community sites at a rate of 48 percent — almost as much as they trust traditional news sources at 51 percent.

Invest Time and Effort

“Communities require a lot of attention and engagement,” Ignjatovic said. “If you can’t devote the time to do that, your community will fail.

“Those community trust percentages are averages,” she said. “Certainly, some communities — and some news resources — earn more trust. After all, it’s a work in progress. Trust is difficult to build and easy to lose. We need to factor that in as well.”

The ultimate goal of an online business community ought to exceed personal wants.

“Create an ecosystem where people can grow vis-à-vis the organizations as well,” Bhatt said. “Both get their share of information. “It should be a win-win for both parties.”

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Taylor feels that any community should support each other and help each other to learn and grow. One example would be Zoho Community.

“They have always done such a great job of building relationships with their users,” Taylor said. “Zoho Corporation is the same with all their different communities.”

DIYMarketers has an article, “Come to a Zoho Meetup and Join the Zoho Community.”

“An online community is a great way to begin and grow relationships and ultimately your business network,” Ignjatovic said.

“Zoho Community is amazing, supportive and does an amazing job,” she said. “It’s always a pleasure to share about the work they do.”

There are pitfalls to avoid when growing an online community. Bhatt gave helpful guidelines:

  • Post relevant content.
  • Do not overdo it.
  • Help people to gain required information.

By Invitation Only

“Take part in the conversation or the chat,” he said. “This will help like-minded people come together to help each other grow.

“Remember there are probably private groups such as on Facebook where only people who share the common goal are invited,” Bhatt said.

If in charge of the community, take the initiative,

“Seed the community with engagers,” Taylor said. “Remind them to keep coming back to engage. Zap those who don’t comply with the guidelines.”

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Ignjatovic cautioned about not enforcing the rules: “So many of these communities become spammy.”

A thriving community shares core characteristics.

“They are engaging and energetic,” Taylor said. “People post, share and contribute.”

With that, Ignjatovic has seen friendships develop and thrive.

“These communities have mutual respect and consideration,” Bhatt said. “They help each other to grow and foster an environment where ecosystems can thrive smoothly.”

About the Author

Jim Katzaman is a manager at Largo Financial Services and worked in public affairs for the Air Force and federal government. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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James L Katzaman

Jim Katzaman is a charter member of the Tealfeed Creators' program, focusing on marketing and its benefits for companies and consumers. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well as subscribing here on Tealfeed.


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