How do you develop a community strategy?

Imagine that you are the owner of a small subscription business. Your company has a website and a few social media profiles, but you’re not seeing the results you want. Customers are not engaging with your content, and you’re not getting the leads you need. You’ve heard that building a community can help solve these problems.

However, you like where you define the community purpose. Can you make the community align with your overall company strategy? How much community experience is required to make things work. What should expect from the process? And the most important on where to start.

What is a community strategy? 

A community strategy is a plan for building and managing a community around a particular product, service, or idea. It includes a description of the community you want to create, the goals you hope to achieve, and the methods you will use to engage and activate members. It will lay out a clear vision of what community success looks like.

What are community members?

Community members are people who come together to interact with each other around a particular product, service, or idea. They are the lifeblood of any community, and the success of a community strategy depends on their engagement and activation.

What is community building? 

Community building is the process of creating and nurturing a community around a particular product, service, or idea. It includes the identification of potential members, the development of relationships with them, and the provision of tools and resources that will help them interact and collaborate.

Building a community is important because it allows you to create a place where customers and potential customers can come together to engage with your content and each other. A strong community provides value to its members by giving them a place to share knowledge, ask questions, and connect with others who share their interests.

Also, community building is important for businesses because it can help you attract new customers and create loyalty among existing ones. When done correctly, a community can become a powerful marketing tool that helps you promote your products and services and grow your business.

Why are active community members important?

Active community members are essential to the success of any community strategy. They are the ones who engage with your content and each other, and they play a crucial role in helping you achieve your goals.

There are several reasons why active community members are important. First, they help you attract new customers and create loyalty among existing ones. When customers see that others are engaged with your community, they are more likely to become involved themselves. Second, active community members can provide valuable feedback that can help you improve your products and services. And third, they can help you promote your business to a wider audience.

There are several ways to encourage active participation in your community. First, make it easy for members to interact with each other by providing tools and resources that facilitate communication and collaboration. Second, make sure that your content is engaging and relevant to your community members. And third, provide incentives for participation, such as discounts or exclusive access to content.

What is a community manager?

A community manager is a person who is responsible for building and managing a community around a particular product, service, or idea. They play a vital role in community strategy, and their job is to ensure that the community remains active and engaged.

There are several reasons why a community manager is important to community strategy. First, they act as a liaison between the community and the business. They are responsible for ensuring that communication between the two is clear and effective. Second, they are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the community. This includes moderating discussions, providing support to members, and creating content. And third, they are responsible for driving growth and engagement in the community.

How to identify KPIs and other success measures

There are several ways to measure the success of a community strategy. One way is to look at KPIs or key performance indicators. These are metrics that help you track the progress of your community and assess whether it is meeting your goals. Some examples of KPIs that you might track include the number of active members, the number of engaged members, and the number of new members.

Other success measures that you might track include the level of engagement in the community, the quality of content, and the satisfaction of members. You can also look at how well your community is performing in comparison to other communities in your industry. By tracking these metrics, you can get a clear picture of the health of your community and identify areas that need improvement.

What are some examples of community strategies?

Activating your members

The number one strategy has to be finding ways to activate your members. This means getting them involved in the community and making sure they are contributing to its success. There are a few different ways to do this. While it’s outlined in the community strategy, the heavy lifting is done by your community managers

One way to activate your members is to give them a sense of ownership. This can be done by giving them a voice in the community and letting them know that their opinions and ideas matter. You can also give them opportunities to lead and contribute to the community. This will help them feel more invested in the community and its success.

Another way to activate your members is to make sure they have a positive experience. This means providing them with valuable content and resources and making sure they feel welcome and included. You can also offer incentives to encourage them to be active in the community.

Finally, you can activate your members by giving them a sense of belonging. This means making them feel like they are part of something larger and that their contributions are important. You can do this by creating a sense of community and kinship, and by giving members opportunities to interact with each other.

Content Strategy

Creating relevant and engaging content is one of the best ways to build a community around your product or service. When content is interesting and useful, members are more likely to engage with it and each other. This helps to create a strong community that is invested in your product or service.

There are several things you can do to create engaging content. First, make sure that your content is relevant to your community members. This means writing about topics that are of interest to them. Second, make your content easy to consume by formatting it in an easily digestible way. And third, make sure to include calls to action that encourage members to interact with each other.

Social Media Strategy

Social media is a great way to build a community around your product or service. It provides a platform for members to interact with each other, share content, and collaborate. And because it is online, social media allows you to reach a wider audience than traditional methods like email or print advertisements.

Social media also provides valuable insights into the interests and needs of your community members. By listening to what members are saying on social media, you can get a better understanding of what they want and need from your product or service. This information can be used to improve your community strategy.

Finally, social media can be used to drive traffic to your website or blog. This is important because it helps to increase the visibility of your community and get more people involved.

Enhanced co-creation and collaboration

Enhanced co-creation and collaboration is a good community strategy because it encourages members to work together to create content and products. This helps to build a sense of community and kinship among members. It also allows them to share ideas and feedback, which can help to improve the quality of the product or service.

Co-creation is a good community strategy because it encourages members to work together to create content and products. This helps to build a sense of community and kinship among members. It also allows them to share ideas and feedback, which can help to improve the quality of the product or service.

In addition, co-creation can help to increase the visibility of your community and get more people involved. This is because it allows members to share their work with a wider audience and get feedback from a larger group of people.

Finally, co-creation is a good strategy for building a community because it helps to build trust. When members work together to create something, they are more likely to trust and respect each other. This is important for building a strong community that will last.

Collaboration also helps to build trust among members. When members trust each other, they are more likely to engage in the community and contribute to its success. Finally, collaboration can help to reduce costs by allowing members to share resources and expertise.

Collaboration is a good community strategy because it allows members to work together to create content and products. This helps to build a sense of community and kinship among members. It also allows them to share ideas and feedback, which can help to improve the quality of the product or service.

In addition, collaboration can help to increase the visibility of your community and get more people involved. This is because it allows members to share their work with a wider audience and get feedback from a larger group of people.

Finally, collaboration is a good strategy for building a community because it helps to build trust. When members trust each other, they are more likely to engage in the community and contribute to its success.

What are the steps required to develop a community strategy?

Developing a community strategy requires careful planning and execution. By following these steps, you can create a thriving community that will help you achieve your goals.

1. Define your goals:

The first step in developing a community strategy is to define your goals. What are you hoping to achieve with your community? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or build loyalty among customers? Once you have defined your goals, you can begin to develop a plan to achieve them.

2. Know your audience:

The second step in developing a community strategy is to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your community? What are their needs and interests? What motivates them? By understanding your audience, you can develop content and activities that will appeal to them and encourage them to participate in your community.

3. Choose the right platform:

The third step in developing a community strategy is to choose the right platform. There are many different platforms that you can use to host your community, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. You need to choose a platform that will allow you to achieve your goals and reach your audience.

4. Establish rules and guidelines:

The fourth step in developing a community strategy is to establish rules and guidelines. These will help to ensure that your community is organized and functioning smoothly. They will also help to prevent problems from arising.

5. Manage the community effectively:

The fifth step in developing a community strategy is to manage the community effectively. This includes moderating discussions, providing support to members, and creating content. A community manager is a vital part of effective community management.

6. Measure your success:

The final step in developing a community strategy is to measure your success. This can be done by tracking KPIs, engagement levels, satisfaction rates, and other metrics. By tracking your progress, you can identify areas that need improvement and make changes to your strategy accordingly.

Conclusion

Developing a community strategy is essential for any organization that wants to build a strong and lasting community. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a thriving community that will help you achieve your goals. It’s not easy to create all of the web assets for success. However, it is manageable.

If you’re looking to create a thriving community and achieve your goals, partnering with SubscriptionMaker is the perfect solution. We can help you develop a community strategy that will reach your target audience and drive results. Our experienced team can provide support and guidance every step of the way, and we’ll work tirelessly to make sure your community thrives. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you build a successful community.

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