Building A Community

While most of this marketing training focus is online as a LOCAL Business you need to buld a community. People do business with people and having a strong network and referral base is key.

Today’s audience wants to be part of a community. They want to find a space to engage with brands online, as well as connect with other like-minded people. Apart from it being something that your customers want, building an online community can improve ONLINE engagement by up to 21%. In fact 66% say that their community impacts their customer retention. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Communities give members a platform for getting to know a brand better — as well as each other. Online groups enable people to see different sides and layers of your brand, which ultimately strengthens their connection with you.

You can’t extend your company culture without involving your employees. If your culture internally isn’t great, if your employees don’t buy in — it’ll be hard to get that out to an audience. Likewise work with your external network. Follow your suppliers, tradesmen, sub-contractors (where possible without a conflict of interest) on Social Media and make a point of mentioning or tagging them we possible.

Here’s 8 Ways to Build a Community.

1. Networking

Ultimately it’s about pressing the flesh and getting to meet local influencers and potential clients in your area. Networking doesn’t always mean going to business events or organised networking groups. It can be as simple as letting people you already know become more aware of what you do and who you do it for. 

Organised networking groups include ones like Business Network International, your local chamber of commerce or business women’s networking groupsif you are a husband and wife team.

However, you shouldn’t overlook non-business networks such as sporting clubs, local training groups and your family and friends. Extending a special offer to these networks will also raise awareness of what you do and drive direct leads and sales.

2. Events

Most communities will organise local community events. These include family fun days, food and wine festivals, and fundraising events. Your local council website will usually have an events listing and you can participate in a number of ways, including volunteering or paying to participate. Offer to supply goods or services in return for brand exposure. Or for a fundraiser, put together your own team and supply branded shirts, etc, for the event.

3. Sponsorship

There’s a reason why you see bigger brands like Coles or Woolworths engaging in marketing programs that support local schools with sports and music equipment. It works.

Grassroots local area marketing involving the sponsorship or support of local groups builds trust and goodwill. Think about ways you can get involved at some level.

Any sponsorship opportunity should be leveraged by being able to promote an offer to the membership or community involved in the group and also communicated to the local paper.

4. PR

Getting in the local press reminds everyone who knows you or who has seen your brand of who you are and what you do. Good angles for getting in the local press include:

• Winning awards – everyone loves a local success story
• Volunteering time or services for a cause or a local who needs help
• Promoting a passion beyond work
• Providing a column or editorial
• SEO – Google Business Profile
• More than one in five Google searches in Australia are now local, so having a strong local online presence is critical

5. Social media

Social media advertising is very measurable and highly targeted. Running Facebook promotions, sponsored posts and ads will all help grow your following and drive people to your business as well as raise awareness locally. 

6. Branding/signage

Brand everything as much as possible especially if you have a shopfront and / or display homes. It leads to a high awareness amongst the community of my brand and driven direct leads.

7. Maximising your efforts

Good relationships are built from consistent communication and showing people you care. In order to maximise your efforts to build awareness, there’s some essential activities you need to combine with your marketing efforts

8. It’s all about the (data)base 

All of the awareness you generate should somehow drive people through to your email database. Promote your website at each touch point and offer visitors a reason to join your database, whether it’s for special offers or promotions or quality content.

Your database combined with regular communications to the people who are in it will maximise any return on investment from the local area marketing you’ve undertaken.

Next Course is all about Google Business Profile and local search …