We may all have complained at some point about how the online world has ruined our real-world communities. We long for the "good old days," where there were familiar circles of acquaintances, platforms for brands to voice themselves, and spaces for customers to express their thoughts.
However, the way we utilize technology has, in many ways, fostered broader and sometimes even more meaningful communities.
How the Internet Has Changed Community Building
A great community isn’t just a product or service—it’s a result. Whether it's Wikipedia, Salesforce, or Facebook Groups, the value you, as a user, derive from it makes it a great community.
Connectivity has given rise to new forms of collaboration and shared experiences in ways that were unimaginable decades ago. Here’s how we’ve opened up our collective intelligence:
Global knowledge repositories like Wikipedia.
Democratized funding through platforms like Kickstarter. For instance, the video game Star Citizen raised a record-breaking $550 million through crowdfunding.
Interest-based user groups, enabling communities like Harley Davidson Owners Groups to grow to previously impossible numbers—there are now 1,700 local user groups worldwide!
Collaborations and innovation, especially in tech. According to Zipdo, 78% of companies use some form of open-source software.
Platforms connecting us with brands we love, like Lego Ideas, where users propose new Lego concepts and watch their ideas come to life.
What truly matters isn’t just what these communities offer but the value they provide.
The Value of Community for Brands
Building a community around your brand or business brings a host of benefits:
Customer Support and Engagement: Users often help each other solve problems, reducing customer service costs while increasing satisfaction.
Brand Awareness: Members who share experiences and interact with the brand become ambassadors, boosting visibility within their networks.
Education and Guidance: Members can exchange insights, advice, and resources, fostering learning and skill development, which indirectly acknowledges the brand's authority in its field.
Content Creation: User-generated content from the community can be a goldmine for brands, driving engagement and offering authentic material for marketing purposes.
Event Coordination: Engaged communities can ensure successful participation in events, enhancing the brand’s public image.
Technological Development: Communities often push innovation through collective knowledge, skills, and feedback, leading to better products and services.
Product Feedback: Insights from customers allow brands to make data-driven decisions, often resulting in products that better meet customer needs.
Lead Generation: When users find value in a community, they’re more likely to convert into leads and, eventually, customers.
Relationship Building: Interactions within the community create strong bonds, loyalty, and trust between the brand and its customers.
Defining the Value of a Community
The concept of value in communities often gets intertwined with strategies like webinars, social media promotions, or content generation. But in the context of a community, value refers to the tangible benefits you consistently deliver to members and the returns your company receives.
Member Value: Members usually seek to:
Solve problems
Enhance skills
Advance their careers
Have fun!
Company Value: Companies aim to:
Expand their user base
Grow their ecosystem
Resolve support issues
Strengthen their brand
To define a community's value, you must carefully consider how these two sets of values intersect.
Finding the Right Value Proposition for Your Community
Identifying the right value proposition requires a deep understanding of your members' needs. One effective way to do this is by identifying the challenges or pain points your customers face. Simple questions like “What ruined their morning?” can yield insightful answers.
Think of it this way: If two people walk into a dentist’s office, who is more likely to demand immediate attention—the person seeking whitening treatment or the one in severe pain? The latter, of course, because pain triggers action.
For instance:
If the pain point is inefficient onboarding, the value proposition could be streamlining the process or providing comprehensive training for their team to use your product more effectively.
Building a Community Website
At the core of a community website is a hosted space that fosters discussions, project collaboration, customer support, and more among a group of users (whether they’re customers or technical professionals). These spaces are live, ongoing, and both organic and interactive.
It’s important to note that community website templates are distinct from generic website templates. Community-focused platforms offer advanced features such as topic categorization, moderation tools, advanced customization, analytics, integration options, and more—all thanks to the specialized community software they’re built on.
Using Baklib Community Templates
With Baklib’s community templates, you can create a fully functional online community website in just 5 simple steps.
Essentially, a community website bridges the gap between businesses and their audience. It transforms passive consumers into active participants, fostering a sense of belonging and community. It’s a treasure trove of insights, enabling businesses to align their products more closely with user needs and preferences.
