A Close Look At Community

Community is prevalent, yet often invisible due to its commonplace nature.

Which communities are you a part of? Individuals we’ve interviewed struggle to answer this initially. With simple prompts, groups start to roll off the tongue — neighborhood groups, weekend sports gatherings, university alumni groups and brand fan clubs among others.

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Communities are groups of people that intentionally engage around a shared characteristic. While communities have existed since early civilization, the internet has catalyzed a new age. The ease of forming communities across borders, has enabled individuals with even the most niche of interests to find belonging. Communal engagement has also increased in frequency with the shift online.

In an era of privacy changes that make individual targeting more challenging, businesses are increasingly seeking to reach consumers within the communities they participate within. The fostering of value-driven and authentic customer relationships this enables has tangible business appeal.

So, what are the different types of communities?

Communities exist in many forms. They can broadly be categorized into 6 core archetypes.

• Geographical communities are groups of people that reside in close proximity to each other. These include traditional hyper-local communities. Members are typically united by a shared culture or history, with local events often playing a central role.
• Interest communities are comprised of people who share common passions or hobbies. Examples include running, yoga or birdwatching. These communities serve as platforms for members to share their knowledge and affinity for the topic. Members also seek others whom they could partake in these hobbies jointly with.
• Demographic communities share similar life experiences or situations. They are typically drawn together due to a strong emotional attachment to a subject. For example, alumni of a university or new mothers. In these groups, members engage on the basis of their unique stories. A culture of open seeking and sharing of help or advice is common.
• Action communities congregate due to a shared desire to effect change. Examples include groups committed to wildlife preservation or equal rights. Members coalesce around clear goals and outcomes. Progress, milestones and individual accomplishments that further joint goals are celebrated.
• Professional communities are collectives of individuals that are likeminded in their desire to advance a certain set of skills. Members leverage these communities to network with others in similar roles. Mentor relationships typically arise from these contexts, and members are drawn together by practices and activities that encourage the sharing and documentation of best practices.
• Brand communities are typically catalyzed by the brand in focus. Many are product centered, wherein the community helps members understand how to use the product better. Some extend to encapsulate a lifestyle or practice members typically engage in while using the product. For example, Gymshark’s community is an avenue for members to motivate each other to achieve their fitness goals — Gymshark’s apparel just happen to be worn while they pursue those goals! Brand communities can thus take on some characteristics of interest or professional communities.

For community builders, it’s important to understand the type of community you intend to develop. This directly impacts the objective members have when joining it, and thus the discussion or activities they seek within it. It affects who you look to have join your community. Its thus the first key in successful community building.

The “So-What” for Businesses

While all businesses should have a strategy to engage relevant communities, not all should look to build their own.

Businesses should consider if their brand or product naturally taps into an innate characteristic that individuals identify with. This could include an interest, cause or personal goal. If the business is able to identify an under-served need amongst people that share that characteristic, which could be met via community, that could be a good reason to establish one.

Alternatively products which are associated with a steeper learning curve or can be used across a broad range of scenarios, could warrant a community to help individuals learn to use them better.

There are many valid considerations for building a proprietary community. Often times though, a business could benefit simply by looking to work with or engage with existing communities that are relevant to their product or company values.

Whether its building or engaging community, businesses need to be prepared to invest meaningful upfront time and effort for these initiatives to be successful. Yet the tangible payoff for successful communities initiatives means these investments are often worth it.

Increase brand loyalty

Brand affinity naturally increases when members feel a sense of belonging in a community of like-minded people. This is particularly the case if the community is able to successfully encourage a culture of peer-to-peer support.

In addition, a Customer Thermometer survey found a brand’s willingness to listen to feedback inspires brand loyalty for 64% of customers. Active community participation is an effective way for brands to do so.

Drive customer advocacy

Individuals naturally advocate for products or services they feel strong attachment to. Communities help foster emotional resonance as the benefits of using the product or service is amplified by the common experience shared by members. Members gain a source of motivation to pursue their aspirations or a channel to obtain relevant advice or information.

Customer advocacy can be a business’s most effective sales channel. According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family members over forms of ads. While McKinsey found that word-of-mouth marketing generates twice the sales of paid ads, and leads to higher quality customers with 37% higher retention rates.

Customer feedback and insights

Communities can also provide businesses with valuable feedback and insights about their products and services. This can help businesses to identify areas for improvement. It can also inform the product roadmap, while providing latent source of demand when those products are subsequently released.

Community can be a powerful unifying force if properly understood. For businesses, communities can be a distinct source of competitive advantage with the right investment. What communities are you part of?