Despite the world being more connected than ever by technology, people are still suffering from loneliness and isolation. For both personal and business relationships, there is a lack of connection. People are missing the essential component of community, so businesses are starting a new practice for customers and employees alike. This is known as community management.
Community provides a space where people can connect and feel like they belong. Businesses create communities both internally for their employees and externally for customers. Investing in human connection allows a company to elevate its brand beyond just being a service or commodity. To customers and employees both, the brand becomes something worth investing in. They are far more likely to care about a brand that cares about them.
What is Community Management?
Community management is about building an authentic community for customers, employees, and partners to interact in different ways. Brands use in-person and online opportunities to bond with their audience. This gives them a place to connect, share, and grow.
Six main types of community management use different combinations of online and in-person interactions. Not all types of community management are suited for a company, so the different options provide flexibility.
-
Customer Support and Success
This type of management generally takes the form of FAQs, forums, or a community website. The forum allows people to get together and discuss, ask questions, and help each other out. You can also answer questions and strike up conversations. A community website allows you to provide member-focused support and help them help themselves.
-
Product Ideation, Innovation, and Feedback
Firstly, create a safe space where your target audience can share their thoughts about your products and services. Encourage them to suggest how you can innovate and improve what is offered. Make surveys available and create focus groups to get better feedback.
-
Acquisition and Advocacy
Promote brand loyalty by interfacing directly with the people who are most excited about the brand. Whether it’s your team leads or your customers, turn them into brand advocates. They help spread community awareness and promote your business.
-
Content and Programming
Create content and programming for your members. You can even encourage user-generated content as well.
-
External Engagement
Providing your target audience with a sense of belonging that exists outside of your business. Social media management can create connected communities. This helps their audience connect more with each other and the brand.
-
Internal Engagement
Boost morale within the company by better connecting employees, vendors, partners, and suppliers. Using platforms that increase internal engagement and communication creates a feeling of community, even if they aren’t face-to-face.
Beyond the Brand Community
Community management can stretch further than just brand communities. People build communities all throughout their lives. Accordingly, local sports, churches, schools, and hobby groups come together to create communities.
Community is defined as people living in the same area, or a group of people with common interests. Of course, you can create a community with your neighbors or your fellow sports parents. These groups tend to be a little more organic and need a little less community management. Though they can still benefit from someone cultivating meaningful conversations and maintaining good interaction standards.
Why Do You Need Community Management Services?
Community management services basically help set the tone and voice for a brand or group and help to humanize them. It also gives the target audience a place where they can feel free to speak up and feel heard. Using real conversations, you can gather new ideas and get unadulterated feedback from members.
With Community management, you can:
- Increase brand awareness among your audience.
- Lead about what your audience wants and expects from you and what they need.
- Build relationships between audience members and your brand.
- Provide support for members as they need it.
- Boost interactions, conversions, and sales.
- Be of value to your audience beyond the products and services you sell.
At this point, community management is a big industry. As a result, the right community manager greatly benefits a brand’s status and its growing community. Moreover, it takes intentional investment into the community and inspires customer loyalty in return.
Equip Your Community Managers with the Tools They Need
Build customer and business relationships with ease using the StayTouch app. Provide an instantaneous exchange of information, share digital business cards, and, finally, explore scheduling and time management functions. Visit the StayTouch website to learn more about community management with our app.