Capturing CommunityMarketing/Sales

CAPTURING COMMUNITYHow to Build, Manage and Market Your Online Community

Online communities break through the media clutter and engage

your target market on a personal level. Marketers, managers, and

entrepreneurs can use them to drive user-generated content and

create long-term value online. When aligned with your organization,

online communities create a venue for audience interaction that

becomes a tangible business asset.

By Michael SilvermanFounder & CEO Duo Consulting

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In Capturing Community, Duo Consulting CEO Michael Silverman

gives you the tools and techniques required to create powerful

online communities. Drawing from his years of experience and the

wisdom of leading social media marketers, Michael shows you: in online communities.

online community.

success.

the community, from technology to promotional channels.

How to build, manage and market your community online

by Michael SilvermanCEO Duo Consultingmsilverman@duoconsulting.com

About.me.com

Blog

Social Network

Facebook continues to fall flat in encouraging business-to-business communication and professional growth.

CommunityCommunities connect around a common interest

Participants offer opinions, insights, and passions

Bridging social capital is “making friends with a stranger.”

Social vs. Community

More community vs. individual-focus

Less “noise” in the community

And more opportunities to meet others in your field

Associations

People united around a common purpose

A place to continue the conversation, promote in-person events, build helpful content for members.

Opportunities for entrepreneurs

Community Types

Location

Activity-based

Demographic

Goal-oriented

Brand-sponsored

Demographics

Goal Oriented

Amex Open Forum

Purpose

Accurately reflect your identity

Be inspirational - engage your audience

Provide a venue for influencers

Build relationships

Built In Chicago is a resource for ‘digital professionals' working to build great web and mobile businesses.

Our mission is to connect, educate and promote the growing digital community in Chicago.

Brand

Define a purpose for your community

Reflect that purpose through your brand

Understand your audience

Go narrow - Stay focused

Stand for something

Authenticity

Nobody wants to interact with a personality-less corporate drone - they join for real, personal interaction

Demonstrate the value for members who take part in the conversation

Introduce topics and incentives that engage the community

Community Platform

Tech Support

User-Communites that provide tech support can be of tremendous benefit to companies

Symantec Connect

Start Me Up

Seed your community with members and content

Seeding revolves around people, like everything else that makes a community successful

Viewpoints

Get People TalkingConversations are central to an online community

Goal is to facilitate member communication

Easy to share

Incentivize Interaction

First you understand your member’s motivations

Then provide incentives and create barriers to entry

Publications

Trade rags have traditionally focused on creating editorial content is the number one job

For community managers, it should never take precedence over the conversation

SEO

Come for the content, stay for the community

Create high-value, compelling content

Put interests of the community above that of editorial

End with questions to open the discussion

Audience

The people that power the website.

Spectators

Critics

Creators

Social GraphCentral location for personal information

Simplify use - provide a “test run”

Company profiles = Fan Pages

Find your social connections (social graph).

Login with Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn

Incentive Systems

Getting Started

Your job is to act as a catalyst

Encourage engagement, recruit members and organize groups

Shape your community - but let it define itself

Stand back and listen - Get people talking

Catalysts

Catalysts are ‘action' elements that encourage interaction from members.

Catalysts benefit the community as a whole.

Create an enticing environment makes members want to come back for more.

Focus on what members want. Your homepage should include the freshest, most up-to-date content.

Photos and video are strong elements of engagement for your community.

Encourage visitors to sign up for an account in stages

Best Practices

Monitization

Advertising, Sponsorships & Partnerships

Premium Content & Merchandise

Brokering & Commissions

Personal Opportunities

Take-Aways

Someone’s gonna do it - might as well be you

Facilitate the conversation to make it happen

Know your audience & build relationships

Let the community define itself

20 W Kinzie, Suite 1510Chicago, 60654 - 312-529-3000

msilverman@duoconsulting.comMSilvermanDuo - 312-529-3000