Community Is Not Just Another Buzzword
We promise! Here’s why community management is so important…
We hear the word ✨community ✨ so often in social media marketing that it can sometimes feel like another buzzword. But community is THE single most powerful factor in growing and cultivating an engaged audience. Here are our top tips on cultivating meaningful a community online, because commenting “love this!” on every post on your feed is not meaningful.
What is community management? 🤔
Simply put, community management is just a term referring to communication with your audience. In the social media world, it’s a strategic approach to cultivating and fostering relationships with a community of customers or enthusiasts. Its role is to sustain and grow a brand’s following, both online and offline. This involves engaging with members across various platforms and channels, such as Instagram and TikTok, to establish meaningful connections and foster lasting relationships. It’s about the way (if you even do at all!) you respond to comments, DM’s and interact with other accounts within your community. And it’s a crucial step in growing and connecting with your community.
The importance of community 👯♀️
Although community is (kinda) a buzzword right now, there’s a reason it is! Community is incredibly important in social media - It goes beyond just having a large number of followers or likes; it's about building meaningful connections, fostering engagement, and creating a sense of belonging. Here's why community matters so much in the realm of social media:
Trust and Credibility: When people feel part of a community, they tend to trust and respect the opinions and recommendations of their fellow community members. This trust can extend to the brand or organisation behind the community, enhancing its credibility and reputation.
Engagement and Interaction: A strong community often leads to higher levels of engagement. Users are more likely to comment, like, share, and participate in discussions, creating a vibrant and active online environment. This engagement boosts the visibility of content and drives organic growth.
Loyalty and Advocacy: A well-cultivated community is more likely to be loyal to a brand or cause. Loyal community members can turn into brand advocates who passionately promote your products or services to their networks, acting as unpaid influencers.
Feedback and Improvement: Communities offer a direct channel for feedback and suggestions. Brands can gather insights, understand pain points, and make improvements based on real-time interactions with community members.
User-Generated Content (UGC): A strong community often generates UGC, which can be a goldmine for authentic, relatable content. UGC not only saves time and effort in content creation but also highlights the real-world impact of your brand on your customers' lives.
Community management top tips 🤳
Let's dive into the world of authentic community management! It’s all about making your audience feel heard and seen and engaging with them in an authentic way- we don’t want to feel like a stiff millennial corporation - no shade lol. Gen-Z love to feel a brand's personality - they are looking for brands to be authentic and transparent. Here are our top tips for great community management.
Be a Listening Pro: In the world of community management, listening is your secret weapon. Keep your ears (and eyes) peeled for mentions, comments, and conversations related to your brand. Respond with thoughtful insights, emojis, or witty comebacks.
Be Authentic: Let's face it: authenticity is the holy grail of community management. Ditch the corporate and stiff jargon and embrace a human tone. Be real, be relatable, be you! The key is to humanise your brand.
Consistency is Key: Respond promptly, warmly, and with genuine enthusiasm. We recommend putting aside 20-30 mins each day to dedicate solely to community management. Consistency is key and responding promptly will make your audience feel heard and respected. Just like watering a plant, consistency is crucial for community growth. Show up regularly and maintain an active presence. Your audience will come to rely on you like a trusted friend.
User-Generated Content (UGC): A strong community often generates UGC, which can be a goldmine for authentic, relatable content. UGC not only saves time and effort in content creation but also highlights the real-world impact of your brand on your customers' lives.
Have fun with it!: Inject your personality into your comments, DM’s and interactions. We are all tired of seeing companies commenting ‘Love this!’ under every post on their FYP. Use humour, wit and kindness to create a brand persona online. A quick tip is to pick a few fun emoji’s to humanise your brand.
Summary
Unpopular opinion: community it's not about the number of followers, but the quality of connections you foster *drops mic* Building a community is an investment in long-term growth. While follower counts might fluctuate, a loyal and engaged community will continue to support your brand over time, contributing to sustained success and great community management is key in this. Keep building those bridges, and watch your community flourish.
