How to Build an Online Community for Your Business

How to build an online
community for your business
by Mackenzie Fogelson, Mack Web Solutions
@mackfogelson

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SO YOU WANT TO

build a
community
AROUND YOUR COMPANY.
I’M THINKING THAT’S A REALLY GOOD IDEA.

MACK WEB SOLUTIONS @mackfogELson
2

SEO CONTINUES TO CHANGE

daily
IF YOu are not already working on adapting,
today’s the day.
it’s time.


Build a community to weather

algorithms
because those suckers are always fluctuating.


Build a community to add

equity
and more value to your business.
that means more traffic & leads, too.


Build a community to have

purpose
so that you matter vs.
just being online, because everyone else is.


Build a community to

stand out
because this process is something that pushes you to
differentiate your business.


Build a community to put the focus

on goals not tools
Which is where it should be.
because you want to grow your business.
not just rank for keywords.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

don’t get me wrong, you need

tools
like seo, social media, content marketing,
email marketing & other stuff, too.

@mackfogELson

just remember to stay

focused
on what’s really important
which is building a better business.

@mackfogELson

we know this works because
we tested this out on ourselves

@mackfogELson

and now our clients
are starting to experience similar success.

@mackfogleson

so it’s time to

share
what has worked so that you
can try it on for size.

13

let’s break it down into

stages
so that you can build a ginormous community
around your business.

@mackfogELson

focus on the goals you have for your

whole
business, not just for seo or social media
or content or marketing.

@mackfogELson

Think about these important

questions what makes your company
unique?
why do you care?
what do you want to build?
who do you want to build it
for?

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

when you

grow up
what do you wanna be?

20

What makes your company unique?

try things like:
analyze your competition

define your usp

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

Why do you care?

think about this:
besides money, what’s important?

what drives your passion?

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

What do you want to build?

marinate on this:
what’s your vision?

think both short & long term

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

Who do you want to build it for?

please remember:
every person is not your customer

it helps to build some personae

understand your conversion funnel
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

now it’s time to

identify
your goals for your entire business.
start with just a few.

@mackfogELson

you’ve gotta have the right

TEAM
who want to be part of this if you want it to
be successful.


you’ve got to have A team of people who are

passionate
and committed to seeing this thing through - even
when it’s tough - so that you don’t give up.


lots of roles to consider
project manager
community manager
strategist
designer
seo
content developer
email marketer
Outreacher
readers & learners
PR-Er
@mackfogELson

Don’t just assign team members,

elect the right ones
one person cannot carry all the weight.
Can’t be interns or short-timers.
don’t silo internal & External teams.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

a strategy is what will help you to

achieve
your goals by breaking them down into
actionable, chewable pieces that
can be measured.

@mackfogELson

Start with some preliminary

discovery work
THe what: Campaigns
the when: calendar
the how: ongoing efforts

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

Campaigns are

the what what’s going to need to be
created in order to
accomplish your goals?

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

Your execution calendar is

the when high level: plan for 2-3
months & coordinate all
vehicles.

detail level: execute
efforts & work together
to meet deadlines.
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

Planning for ongoing efforts is

the how [1] stay accountable
[2] analyze your efforts
[3] always revisit goals
[4] make strategy changes
[5] push forward

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

you’ve gotta take the time to set the team up for

success
by addressing fears, concerns & resistance.

@mackfogELson

Before you even get started, answer these

questions why are we doing this?
how much work is involved?
when will we see results?

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

Why are we doing this?

build confidence
this isn’t just about social media

we’re working toward goals that
will help us grow our business
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

How much work is involved?

convey purpose
we have a strategy that is driving us
toward our goals

we are going to rely on
ongoing training
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

When will we see results?

be realistic
discuss short & long term expectations

understand importance of commitment,
consistency & passion
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

Most importantly,

disrupt your routine
create a new routine.
commit to learning & growing.
tap into your endurance.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

your number one goal is to provide

The best
customer experience that you can possibly provide.


In order to do this, you have to

learn continuously
so that you can be creative, innovative & agile.
so that you have cool things to share.
so that you can open up opportunities that didn’t exist.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

so step away from your computer and

meet people
make new friends, find someone to mentor you, build
relationships with super cool people & companies.


then go back to your computer and

read a lot
awesome stuff inside & outside of your industry.
cool stuff that will open up your world.


all of this stuff is what manifests

serendipity
and although you can’t measure that, it’s what ends up
making the biggest difference when building community.


blog posts, video, graphics, audio & resources are all

value
that’s the stuff that attracts people to your business,
your brand & your community.

@mackfogELson

The value that you generate needs to focus on

your customer
so that it is useful & purposeful.
so that they know you care.
so that it also earns links.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

In general, you need content that’s

foundational
this is the static stuff on
your website that explains
who you are & what you do.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

But you also need content that is

community building
this is the dynamic stuff on
your blog that is less about
what you do & more about
what you know.
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

And don’t forget about working on

pre-outreach
you can survey people,
engage on social media &
get feedback before you
create your content.
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

now here’s where the good stuff happens

share all
the value
but remember that the focus is on the customer.
It’s not about you.
@mackfogELson

so i encourage you to use the

80/20 rule
80% share other people’s great stuff
20% share your own remarkable things

61

Whatever your ratio is, remember

it’s not about you
curate other people’s great stuff.
Leverage relationships with would-be competitors.
test out what works best for your community.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

And don’t forget about

outreach all those friends you’re
making? this is where you
let them know you have
good stuff to share.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

once your community is underway,

build & foster
its growth. this is ongoing and never, ever ends.


Don’t forget to

get in there
you & your team are part of your community, too.
contribute & engage on a genuine level.

@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

work to build a thriving community
listen & respond
feature people in your community
acknowledge the awesome
hold events
help each other
be human
give back

@mackfogELson

and last but certainly not least

measure
and analyze all of your hard work.
and then don’t forget to tell people about it.


You want to make sure to

communicate
weekly: stand-ups
bi-weekly: pushes
monthly: reports
quarterly: strategy
@mackfogELson
@mackfogleson

always bring everything back to

your goals
illustrate how your efforts have been working towards
the objectives you’ve set out for the company.


make sure that you

use the data
don’t just collect it. analyze it and put it to work.
make changes based on what you know.


in case you want to learn more, here’s a

link bundle
http://bitly.com/bundles/mackwebsolutions/2


ALL PHOTOS CREDITED TO

PINTEREST THANK YOU VERY MUCH


Q&A Time!

@mackfogelson
www.mackwebsolutions.com
info@mackwebsolutions.com

http://seomoz.org/webinars

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