For many leaders, this is done through creating a community. In 2010, Google had indexed over 620 million Facebook groups… imagine what that number must be today with over 2.45 billion users on the platform. Wherever it is that you’re choosing to host your online community, support should always be the number one priority.
How can we support our online communities? How can we offer value that incites loyalty and an engaged following?
People don’t join your community just for the sake of being part of a group. If someone has joined your community, odds are it has something to do with you. Perhaps they feel inspired by content you’ve shared elsewhere, maybe they look up to you as a role model, or maybe they’ve considered buying from you but want to do a little more research.
Whatever the reason, they’re likely there because they want to hear from you. So, give the people what they want! Share your unique views and insights on things. Deliver tips and tricks that might help your community to excel in whatever your relevant area is. Encourage them to cultivate their own ideas and start conversations based upon topics you introduce.
Own that ‘thought-leader’ title and lead with insightful, inspirational content.
If you’re selling programs, courses or 1-1 sessions, use your community as a resource. Once you’ve built a following, don’t neglect your market research. Spend time in your community, chatting with members and asking them about what they struggle with.
Very quickly, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of where they need support. When it comes to creating new services, you can be 100% sure that you’re offering something of value. As mentioned earlier, value and support should be the leading drivers behind creating an online community - take their feedback and create exceptional value at every turn.
Make your community feel cared for and nurtured by bringing in guests they might find beneficial. There are several ways to do this: through video trainings, guest blog posts or live Q&As. Of course, there are bonuses for growing your audience here, too. Most people who are asked to guest in someone’s community are flattered and they’ll likely talk about the opportunity you’ve given them, leading to more traffic for you. They may well return the favour and ask you to offer value in their community, allowing you to reach even more people.
Be sure that you pick your guests wisely - are they offering a complimentary service to yours? Is their ideal client in alignment with your own? Are they able to speak about something you’re sure your audience would like to hear about?
Not to bang on but… value, value, value!
Finally, be diverse in the content you share with your community and make it as accessible as possible. Video content is the most consumed form of digital content. Why? Because it’s easy to consume and it makes us feel directly connected to the person behind the lens. Whilst it might feel like a lot of production and effort, video content is much more likely to convert communities into customers because of that key connection piece. Your community deserves to feel connected to you through the support you offer, so put as much effort into creating free value content as you would paid content.
Do you have an online community? Were these tips helpful? We’d love to hear about your tribe and what you get up to.
Pop me a message and let us know where we can find you!