The Sixteenth most important thing to know about building winning brands is creating a sense of community builds emotional connections and loyalty. Communities also facilitate add-on sales. Online, this can be accomplished through Web 1.0 & 2.0 techniques:
•Directories (with hypertext links to specific pages on other sites)
•Message Boards. They are more cost effective and more controllable than chat rooms.
•Chat Rooms
•Surveys/reviews
•Daily tips, tricks or rules of thumb
•Daily quotes (especially related to the website or blog’s main topic)
•Personal user lists kept on your site
•Guest books
•Matching people with like interests (search and browse techniques)
•Custom published web magazines
•Extranet sections (password protected areas for clients/members with value added services)
•Online events
•Featuring regularly updated news headlines on topics related to the site’s purpose
•Searchable library of articles by subject matter experts
•Become a portal site – that is, an entry site for people looking for information and links on a particular topic.
•Track where consumers are going. Ask them what they like. Change the experience based on their responses. (Site Intelligence provides a detailed analysis of how people use your website.)
•Provide ample opportunities for community members to interact with each other over time. Several companies specialize in helping websites create online communities, including RealCommunities and PeopleLink. Web 2.0 companies like TypePad and WordPress offer robust blogging platforms that create and inspire community building around brands.
•Embrace podcasts, widgets and social networking sites that stimulate interaction and community. Offline, communities can be created using the following techniques:
•Membership organizations (Harley Owners Group (HOG), Hallmark Keepsake Collectors Club, Pond’s Institute)
•Community-based, grass roots events (Adidas holds streetball festivals and track and field clinics)
•Customer contests (Crayola Kids Coloring Contest and New Crayon Color Contests, Mars also created a New Color Contest for its M&M brand)
The Blake Project Can Help: The Brand Storytelling Workshop
Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education
One comment
Ivana Taylor
August 1, 2007 at 8:52 am
I’ve found that several of my clients’ customers are crying out (figuratively and some literally) for a way to connect with each other so that they can interact about a particular product and service. In this case, these customers feel that they are part of something special and unique and want to connect with other people like them. I’d love to hear, see and learn more about this topic. More specifically HOW organizations or groups are using these tools successfully.
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