Recent advancements in technology have largely been built around bringing people closer together, regardless of where we are throughout the world. Why, then, are people still feeling so disconnected from others in their community?
Well, we are all aware that simply posting content and messaging online isn’t exactly genuine communication. Regardless of whether it is nurturing personal relationships, or those between brands and audiences, to really succeed in establishing an authentic connection is through consistent community management. In this article, the team at Clearwater have broken down what this is, why it is so important, and how to successfully engage with your online community.
What is Community Management?
Community management was really born out of social media followings developed by brands and public figures. It revolves around how your business and teams create or identify organic opportunities to interact with those following or subscribing to your online platforms.
This can take various forms, from brands replying to content left under their posts, creating posts where people can ask questions around products or processes, or even hosting online events where your community can meet and converse. All of this is in aid of establishing a genuine connection between your brand and audience, providing a human representation to something that might otherwise seem faceless and ‘corporate’. While many might see it as too time-consuming and not rearing a good return on investment, it actually works to help both new and existing followers feel appreciated, adding excellent social proof during purchasing considerations.
How to Conduct Proper Community Management?
Encourage & Respond to Feedback from Customers
Customer experience is paramount to a successful business, and it is from your audience you will learn your strengths and weaknesses. Naturally, some business owners may be reluctant to encourage voices of disapproval of their service, but it boils down to how you respond. Customers are more likely to offer criticism than praise, after all, but should you reply to these comments with gratitude, appreciation, and commitment to refining your offerings, audiences can get valuable insight into your business’s attitude towards improvement.
A great example is to introduce Instagram polls that pose specific questions you would like more data around, such as before new product launches or the type of content you are posting, encouraging and maintaining a constructive discourse.
Take Customer Support to Social Media
While you may have dedicated customer support staff waiting at standby on the phones, emails, or chatbots, do not neglect your social media accounts. It is becoming more common for customers to make their first stop for information on your social media accounts, and if they cannot find what they need on Facebook or Instagram, they will actually send a message to your inbox, or comment on an existing post. Therefore, having someone in your team that knows how to appropriately communicate with these individual enquiries and messages can cover your wider customer support at all angles.
How to Build Your Community Management
Naturally, if you are going to focus on community management, you will also need to lend some effort to maintain the growth of your followers. Begin by recognising where your audience is spending most of their time online, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or somewhere else. While all similar in nature, these different platforms will hold diverse content that attracts specific consumers.
Once you have this covered, you can get busy with your tactics for wider community management:
- Define Metrics: How are you going to measure the success of community management? There are a variety of ways, such as post engagement (likes, comments, shares), social mentions, and even the amount of user-generated content (UGC). These metrics will be unique to your business objectives.
- Grow Your Active Followers: Community engagement isn’t worth much if you are only speaking with a fraction of your total followers. Instead, be as reactive as possible with audience activity on your platform, encouraging conversation, rewarding UGC, answering questions, and even partnering with other brands to share sentiment on key social issues, such as equal rights and climate change.
- Speak with a Consistent Voice: Your audience wants to communicate and engage with a brand that holds a consistent voice, so be careful to select the one you want to take and stick to it. This brand voice can be fun and spirited, more serious and informative, or casual and laid-back, reflecting the image you would like to project for your wider business that will resonate with a target market.
