Effective online brand communities can create tremendous value for your brand and business. From growing brand awareness to establishing a community of die-hard raving fans of your product or service, building your brand is a critical component of an efficient marketing plan. Let’s find out more about online brand communities.
RELATED: Tips to Build a Great Online Community
In This Article:
- What Are Online Brand Communities?
- Why Should You Use Online Brand Communities?
- Online Brand Communities Features
- Differences Between Online Brand Communities and Social Media Platforms
Online Brand Communities and What You Need to Know
What Are Online Brand Communities?
To simply put it, an online brand community is a place where people with a common interest in a product or service may gather online. In this space, your customers may join and communicate with your brand and other like-minded individuals linked to your website. In addition, an online brand community is all about your customers embracing your brand’s values and sharing their lifestyle.
But this isn’t only restricted to those who have already purchased your goods or service; it also includes folks interested in your brand or what you have to offer.
Most people who make up your online brand community have some emotional attachment to your company. When someone buys anything from your company, it’s not just about the transaction. As a brand, it’s essential to cultivate an environment that encourages actual interaction with your customers. In the process, it converts them into actual brand advocates.
RELATED: Key factors of a successful online community
Why Should You Use Online Brand Communities?
There are many different reasons why you should start using online brand communities in your business; here are some of them:
Marketing Efficiency
Compared to other marketing channels, an online brand community provides a highly scalable approach to promoting your brand, especially for resource-strapped organizations. The ability to link and run your customer acquisition, retention, and brand loyalty initiatives in a single simplified and holistic location may enhance the efficiency and efficacy of other marketing tools.
If you want to stay on top of the latest trends and collect customer feedback, online brand communities might be a great place to start.
RELATED: Marketing on Social Networks
Increasing Brand Awareness and Reach
Authentic user-created content, traffic, and conversion to brand efforts are generated through online brand communities. With the power of word-of-mouth, a social-proof strategy may help bring in new members of the brand’s community.
As well as keeping in touch with your present customers, online brand communities may also help you find new ones. As 92 percent of consumers trust online material from their loved ones more than any other form of communication, you can use social media to educate the public about your company and eventually convert them into customers.
Access and Ownership of First-Party Data
Engaging with your online brand community members allows you to gain vital zero-party and first-party data that can be leveraged to provide exciting and tailored experiences for your consumers. The depth of these encounters gives not just convenience but also a sense of being recognized and respected by a company that fosters long-term consumer loyalty.
Online Brand Communities Features
Engagement is a key component of establishing an online brand community. You can employ several interactive components to encourage community members to participate, such as polls, conversations, or offers.
While many brand community platforms have interactive components, phpFox goes above and beyond with over 30 activations that include promotional offers, events, in-store visits, content, and much more:
- Trending Hashtag
- Site Statistics
- Shoutout Box
- Sponsor Box
- Ratings & Reviews
- Discussion boards
- Advocacy campaigns
phpFox also includes a progressive profile procedure that collects consumer data and continues to provide each member with a highly tailored community experience.
Differences Between Online Brand Communities and Social Media Platforms
Understanding what brand communities are and how they may benefit your brand strategy is critical. It’s also crucial to recognize what should and should not be considered a brand community.
To be more specific, we’re referring to forums run by third parties that have just a loose connection to your brand, like a Facebook page.
Data Limitations
Third-party groups and forums own the precious data you collect through them, meaning there will be limitations for the data you see and interact with. In addition, they will often demand advertising to get your post distributed to the public.
On the other hand, with an online brand community like phpFox, you retain ownership of the data and use it for personalization, media optimization, and continuous marketing.
Not Your Branding
While you may use banner photographs and a profile picture to brand your Facebook group, it’s still Facebook at the end of the day. Their branding is visible on every surface, from their emblem to their color palette.
An online brand community allows you to build a space that fully and honestly reflects your business’s identity. It is much easier to customize phpFox using this program than with any other.
Lack Management
As a result, both you and your customers are subject to the regulations of the third-party area that you utilize. What you and your community can accomplish is restricted by them (or not do).
Having your own online branded community means a third party won’t dictate to you. You have complete control over your messaging, and there is no need to be concerned about the platform’s negative reputation.
Now that you understand what online brand communities are and how exactly they can benefit your business, what is your next plan? If you plan to build an ideal online brand community of your own, phpFox can help you with it.
PhpFox helps businesses from different fields and industries to build their online brand community with various built-in features allowing them to be more proactive in connecting with their potential customers.
CONTACT US NOW! Let us know how we can help you achieve your branding goal!
UP NEXT: