When a company’s most loyal customers speak up and engage, it can do wonders for the brand. And a great way to spark conversation is by building a brand community.

By encouraging prospects and clients to engage with your company and each other – including offering special benefits like discounts, “first looks” at new products, pre-sale product samples and customer service support – you can build a loyal community of fans that look to you for all their promo needs. It’s a way to engage with actual prospects and customers to boost brand loyalty and encourage promotion of your brand among their networks, without having to pay for digital advertising.

Doing so has measurable influence on the bottom line. Data from Impact Marketing Club reports that 68% of companies say their brand community has helped in lead generation, 57% say it’s led to better SEO performance and 55% report that the brand community has led to more sales.

Here are four ways to build a robust brand community.

1

Choose a platform.

One option for a place to host your community is on Facebook, where you can have private groups for official members to encourage engagement and comments, offer benefits and provide customer support. You can also set aside a special section of your website for this purpose. Name the community, and promote it widely to drive FOMO. Also lay out guidelines at the front end, detailing the group’s mission, what’s expected of members and what won’t be tolerated.

2

Make it fun and exclusive.

The space where your community “lives” should be a place of engagement with you and other members, as well as special benefits, like discounts or a points program. You can also lay out the details of successful case studies, ask for thoughts on upcoming campaigns, create contests (along the lines of LEGO Ideas) and bundle together new product samples sent out on a “first come, first served” basis. Let members talk among themselves as well, and don’t shy away from asking for honest feedback.

68%
The percentage of companies that say that their brand community has helped with lead generation. (Impact Marketing Club)

3

Create a consistent schedule.

Don’t just set it and forget it. Your brand community will want to hear from you – post and update regularly, initiate an email marketing campaign for members with updates, and offer customer service support for those who come with questions and concerns. Build momentum by continuing to provide what your members are looking for.

4

Promote the community.

Make sure to publicize the community on your website and social media, as well as in email marketing campaigns, in email signatures, on business cards and among new clients. Where applicable, give a rundown of the benefits of joining and plug the exclusive perks of being a member. Especially call attention to the opportunity to engage honestly with you and other community participants, and to be first in line to see and try out new products.