forming a Community Strategy Jim Jacoby Carolyn Chandler

integrating community into your overall strategy

benefits of building a successful community Insight into customer needs and perceptions Ability to respond and innovate Increasing brand awareness Increasing loyalty IF you start an authentic conversation and sustain it according to expectations

Insight into customer needs and perceptions

Ability to respond and innovate

Increasing brand awareness

Increasing loyalty

Q: what can happen if you don’t have a community strategy ?

crickets target audience and need do not match right audience, weak need poor execution ineffective marketing

junk yards [email_address] non-friends unfriends lack of spam filters insufficient privacy options stale value

junk yards

[email_address]

non-friends

unfriends

Flame Wars and Spam war zones insufficient moderation lack of self-monitoring tools Flame Warriors by Mike Reed http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/

angry mobs rules instead of guidelines censorship personal data violations unfair/unclear business practices poorly communicated changes

You just sent invitations to 328 Google contacts asking them to join. Thank you for joining the Britney Spears fan club! Including that Director you interviewed with yesterday. social embarassments

risks/considerations when building a community You relinquish some control of brand presentation It brings out customer opinions, which can be negative If you don’t meet expectations, community members may revolt Moderation, security, support and response is an ongoing need

You relinquish some control of brand presentation

It brings out customer opinions, which can be negative

If you don’t meet expectations, community members may revolt

Moderation, security, support and response is an ongoing need

Q: how do you determine whether or not to build your own community ?

the decision to build your own community Is it a key element of a supported strategic objective ? Is there enough compelling value to break through the competition for attention? Be realistic! Is the company committed and able to support and nurture the community? Can existing channels be used to meet your objectives, instead?

Is it a key element of a supported strategic objective ?

Is there enough compelling value to break through the competition for attention? Be realistic!

Is the company committed and able to support and nurture the community?

Can existing channels be used to meet your objectives, instead?

Q: still want to build your own? let’s talk planning

community development model Reach people Focus understanding Motivate activity Protect integrity Reveal patterns Nurture community

creating a mnemonic for R F M P R N Acronomics.com by Erick Robertson

personal favorites R emote F riendships M ade... P urposeful R elationships N egotiated R egretfully F orums M ay P romote R epugnant N etiquette R edheads F or M eeting P rofessional R ich N eurosurgeons

R emote F riendships M ade... P urposeful R elationships N egotiated

R emote F riends M ake P retty R eal N etworks

reach people

social network

Understand and define potential members Learn from their current community behavior Define a statement that speaks to them reach people

Understand and define potential members

Learn from their current community behavior

Define a statement that speaks to them

value proposition what our product or service can do for you aspiration what we can do together

Opp example Reach people

Opp example

Awareness Interest Consideration Commitment Sign Up Repeated Use Advocacy reach people

Awareness

Interest

Consideration

Commitment

Sign Up

Repeated Use

Advocacy

focus understanding focus understanding

focus understanding What is this? What’s in it for me? What can I do here? What can’t I do here? (guidelines, seeding) Are there different roles involved?

What is this?

What’s in it for me?

What can I do here?

What can’t I do here? (guidelines, seeding)

Are there different roles involved?

motivate activity

motivate activity Understand common motivations Consider at least 3 levels personal (important!) group community Create Motivators that align with motivations and facilitate activity

Understand common motivations

Consider at least 3 levels

personal (important!)

group

community

Create Motivators that align with motivations and facilitate activity

greeting card moments

relationships self close friends/family strong removed ties weak ties general public Interest groups, most friends, close colleagues Complete strangers Acquaintances. professional connections Almost extensions of self

connection motivations: youtube self weak ties general public emulate closeness teaching/ learning entertainment celebrity/ strong removed ties close friends/family

protect integrity

protect integrity Overall site security Protecting member information Ensuring appropriate interactions Moderating Spam prevention Community self-monitoring

Overall site security

Protecting member information

Ensuring appropriate interactions

Moderating

Spam prevention

Community self-monitoring

Q: is it a still a community if the members can’t interact with each other directly ?

donation motivations: OptINnow self weak ties general public unified action solidarity trust trendiness strong removed ties close friends/family personal impact

participation motivations: OptINnow self weak ties general public unified action strong removed ties close friends/family personal impact visibility visibility visibility interaction solidarity trust trendiness

reveal patterns

reveal patterns Reveal patterns internally to allow for better understanding and reaction If appropriate, use patterns for powerful crowd features including motivators Encourage crowd filtering for good content Anticipate gaming; create “dials” if needed

Reveal patterns internally to allow for better understanding and reaction

If appropriate, use patterns for powerful crowd features including motivators

Encourage crowd filtering for good content

Anticipate gaming; create “dials” if needed

Amazon example ?

?

nurture community

nurture community Ensure a solid, open platform Listen, listen, listen Have ideas on features and communication Consider milestones by size of community Be prepared to react to feedback – and the unexpected

Ensure a solid, open platform

Listen, listen, listen

Have ideas on features and communication

Consider milestones by size of community

Be prepared to react to feedback – and the unexpected

NEC case study

Questions? thank you

Questions?

results of speaking at Business to Buttons 400 attendees overall 34 at the presentation 33 pieces of green paper 4 new potential partners 3 mad dashes in the airport 2 lost bags 25 herrings eating

400 attendees overall

34 at the presentation

33 pieces of green paper

4 new potential partners

3 mad dashes in the airport

2 lost bags

25 herrings eating