Jun
9
Written by:
Myra Norton
6/9/2010 11:26 AM
Doug, who specializes in helping clients develop a Community Analytics capability in their organizations, sent me this great post. I like the author’s thoughts about building a strong online community. He notes that the role of brands is to be facilitators – not dictators:
Your role is to create an environment, through both your mass and micro (one to one) communications, that facilitates this [bonding with the members of your community and working toward a common goal]. This means in public you might recognize top members, talk about the community and plan events. In private you might build relationships with key members, introduce members to each other, ask for opinions and suggestions and work towards a greater good.
Here’s what I would add to Richard’s suggestions:
1. You actually can recruit folks into a community who aren’t currently passionate about your cause – you do this by first recruiting and building advocacy with those they trust.
2. Recruiting and engaging with the right people first – the trusted voices of the audience you seek to engage – leads to much faster and broader community development.
Understanding who is important to your audience is just as important (if not more so) as understanding what is important to them.
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