The document discusses building communities through case studies and best practices. It covers how Alex Brown Racing built a community through content marketing, social media, and discussion boards. It also explores why people join communities, the value of communities for branding and market research, and how to build a community through appropriate architecture, content strategy, and community management.

1. Building Community
Case Studies (see Examples from class notes):
• AlexBrownRacing: Advocacy
• Clear Admit Consulting
• University: Applicant communities
• Red Bull: Brand
• Fan communities (Free Marketing space)
versus Brand communities
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

2. Building Community
Case Study Alex Brown Racing:
• Content Marketing
• Frequency of updates
• Transparency & Signal Value
• Growth: Viral & Google Ads
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

3. Building Community
Case Study Alex Brown Racing:
• Started with a blog, needed to expand
• Discussion board design (usability & folders)
• Managing conversations
• Managing troll behavior
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

4. Building Community
Case Study Alex Brown Racing:
• Brand co-creation (Mission statement)
• Adding additional social media vehicles
– Strategic and deliberate
• YouTube video contest
– Rules for viral growth and SEO
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

5. Building Community
Case Study Alex Brown Racing:
• Evolution of Goals
– Community leads
• Managing the Brands
• A Tribe (Seth Godin)
– Common cause
– Enabled by communications technology
– Disrupts the status quo
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

6. Building Community
Types of Communities:
• Advocacy
– Tribe
• News Organizations
• Brands
• Consulting Firms
• Crowd Sourcing
• Academic Institutions
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

7. Building Community
Why do people join communities:
• Seeking value
• Engaging with like-minded people
• Maslow—Belonging
• Ego
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

8. Building Community
Why do people join communities:
• To contribute content
• Brand advocates
• Passive versus active members
• It is their free choice to join, and to leave
• Rules ?
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

9. Building Community
What is the value of building communities:
• Branding
• Engaged consumers
• Nurture brand advocates / Evangelists
• Develop and build Trust
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

10. Building Community
What is the value of building communities:
• Listen: Market research
• Engage: Customer support
• Co-creation activities
• Content travels (viral): you want the nodes
• Widen reach
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

11. Building Community
How to build a community:
• Communities happen
• Communities are not built
• Appropriate architecture needs to be designed
– Discussion boards / blogs / subreddit (core)
– Social networking vehicles (extension)
• Content Marketing Strategy needs to nurture
• Tree metaphor
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

12. Building Community
Community Architecture:
• Web-site / blogs
• Discussion Boards
• Subreddit
• Social Networking Sites
– Increase reach
– Community around content versus brand
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

13. Building Community
Community Management:
• Creation & Nurture (Tree metaphor)
• Content Marketing Strategy
• What’s the value?
• Content and Community Oversight
• Benevolent Dictator
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes

14. Building Community
Community Management:
• Direct engagement with community
• Listen, empower, adapt
• Managing trolls, bad actors
• Thick skin
Digital Marketing alexbr.brown@gmail.com University of Delaware
#buad477 follow @alexbrownracing http://www.udel.edu/alex/classes