How Community Building As A Marketing Tool Impacts Growth Strategies
Community-based marketing focuses on authentic connections, belonging, and meaningful engagement beyond traditional promotion.
How Community Building As A Marketing Tool Impacts Growth Strategies
The rise of community-based marketing is a vibrant approach weaving together the power of connection and belonging into the very fabric of brand-audience relationships. The shift is more than just a strategic pivot, and it’s a response to a deep-seated human yearning for genuine connection and a sense of belonging.
Community-based marketing isn’t just about changing tactics but about embracing a new philosophy that values meaningful engagement over mere exposure.
What does a Community look like?
There are lots of different focal points around which a community can be built. Enough people care enough about the thing to want to connect with other people that also care about it, and to talk to them about it. In the year 2022, an article written by Allie Volpe in Vox on “Why community matters so much” references the research on “Sense of Community” done by David W. McMillan and David M. Chavis, suggesting that a community is defined by membership, influence, integration and fulfilment of needs, and shared emotional connection.
In community marketing, the brand exists largely in the background. Convening a community around a particular topic establishes you as an expert and leader in this area, and forms a close relationship with the community members, who are likely to be members of your target audience.
Some of the examples of community-based marketing are:
- Sephora
- Glossier
- Peloton
- Harley Davidson
- Nike
- YSL Beauty
- Xbox
Sephora Beauty Insider Community exemplifies community-based marketing in the beauty sector. It’s a dynamic platform where beauty enthusiasts can share tips, experiences and product reviews, fostering a strong sense of belonging and engagement. It offers personalized recommendations, forums for discussion and inclusivity across a diverse range of beauty interests.
Glossier is a trailblazer in the direct-to-consumer beauty industry, skilfully harnessing the power of community-based social marketing. The brand has cultivated a robust and interactive community by engaging deeply with customers on social media platforms. Glossier actively listens to customer feedback, making them an integral part of the product development process.
Peloton has masterfully created a robust community centred around fitness and wellness, leveraging its high-tech fitness products. The brand’s approach goes beyond selling exercise equipment. Video snippets from popular classes are being shared and offer space where users can share their workout achievements, partake in challenges and connect over their fitness journeys.
Harley-Davidson’s Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) stands as a stellar example of community marketing, transforming individual experience of motorcycle ownership into a shared, collective journey. This club is more than a gathering of bike owners and is a vibrant community where enthusiasts find a strong sense of belonging and identity.
Community for Brands
In digital marketing, a brand community represents the heart of online interaction, much like a bustling watering hole in a vast digital landscape. It is where users gather to find their people, driven by common likes and interests. Members engage in real-time in these communities, building connections based on shared experiences and values. The environment fosters trust, authenticity and loyalty among users, making these groups invaluable for meaningful brand conversations.
Community Based vs Community Oriented
Community based marketing is like throwing a party for your brand where everyone invited is a fan or customer. It is all about creating a fun and engaging space where your brand’s fans can hang out, share their experiences and feel like they’re part of a special club. It is about building a desirable club for your fans to connect and interact with each other and your brand.
Community Oriented Marketing, on the other hand, is like being a tailor who makes suits. Instead of making the same suit for everyone, you listen to what specific groups of customers want and then create products just for them. For instance, if you find out that a group of your customers are really into eco-friendly products, you might start making and advertising environmentally friendly products. It is all about paying close attention to what specific groups of customers need and want, and making sure your products and ads speak directly to them.
Community based marketing is a whole new way of thinking about business. It is about building real connections, not just making sales. By emphasizing creating community, you are investing in something that can grow and bring value to both your brand and your audience.
Benefits Of Community For Brands
Unlike social media followers and email subscribers, your community members are in a close relationship with you, rooting for you, brainstorming with you, ultimately helping you to uncover ideas and opportunities, and willing you to succeed. Community members would often be the first to share new products and services that you release, actively amplifying and promoting your brand for you as they feel as though they’re part of something.
The Digital Community Leaders Survey Report states that communities enable knowledge sharing, collaboration, and creation of value, thereby helping individuals, organizations, and society thrive. The report goes on to highlight that digital communities play an increasingly essential role in 21st century lives, organizations, and societies, ultimately affecting business outcomes. Nowadays, brands “earn loyalty and growth” by participating in them, highlighting that communities “lessen reliance on costly marketing campaigns and traditional customer support methods.
