Online Communities and Marketing

08/01/08 FastWonderBlog.com 1

Online Communities and Marketing

Dawn [email protected] Wonder Consulting

http://FastWonderBlog.com


Agenda● Introduction: Community is Key● Case Studies and Best Practices● Engaging with Existing Communities ● Building and Managing a New Community ● Incorporation into Existing Online Marketing Efforts

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Agenda● Introduction: Community is Key

● Types of online communities and ways to participate● Why you need to engage with online communities● Community “ownership”● Guiding principals for participation

● Case Studies and Best Practices● Engaging with Existing Communities● Building and Managing a New Community ● Incorporation into Existing Online Marketing Efforts

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What is this thing we call community?

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In Person Community Activities



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Broad Community Sites



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Corporate / Customer Communities



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Virtual Communities


Why Have an Online Community● People: gives people a place to engage with

your company● Product Innovation: get product feedback● Evangelism: help you grow evangelists for

your products from outside of your company● Brand Loyalty: engagement can drive a

tremendous amount of loyalty for your products

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Community Ownership● The community "owns" the community● A company who starts a community:

– owns the infrastructure– facilitates the discussions– moderates and keeps people in check

● If the company doesn't play nice with the community, the community will take discussions elsewhere

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Guiding Principles: It's All About the People● Focus on the individuals: Participate as a

person, not a corporate entity● Be Sincere: Sincerity = believability & credibility● Not all about you: Community is about

conversation, which is by definition two-way● Be a Part of the Community: Don't try to control

the community● Everyone’s a Peer: You are not the expert;

knowledge comes from everywhere 10


Play Nice

Translation:Play Nice: Be polite and respectful in your interactions with other members

"I'm the Lorax who speaks for "I'm the Lorax who speaks for the trees which you seem to the trees which you seem to be chopping as fast as you be chopping as fast as you

please. please.

NOW...thanks to your hacking NOW...thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground, there's my trees to the ground, there's not enough Truffula Fruit to go not enough Truffula Fruit to go

'round.'round.

And my poor Bar-bar-loots are And my poor Bar-bar-loots are all getting the crummies all getting the crummies

because they have gas, and no because they have gas, and no food in their tummies!"food in their tummies!"


Agenda● Introduction: Community is Key

● Case Studies and Best Practices● What works well● What to avoid● Dealing with the difficult (topics, members, etc.)

● Engaging with Existing Communities● Building and Managing a New Community● Incorporation into Existing Online Marketing Efforts

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What Makes a Community Work?● Open, inclusive and transparent● A company who listens (to good and bad)● Actively engaged in the community● Encouraging new members● Making it easy for people to participate● Integration into other relevant areas of the

site● Responding to criticism (never deleting

negative comments) 13


Companies with Communities to Avoid● Community is lip service, not a serious

endeavor● Pushing marketing messages takes

precedence over 2-way collaboration● Community software / configuration /

policies that get in the way of collaboration● Neglected communities where no one in

the company monitors or responds

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Flickr: Community Done Well● Clear and simple guidelines (ex. Don’t be

creepy. You know the guy. Don't be that guy.)● Easy to use and intuitive to participate

(comments, favorites, tags, notes)● Transparency about people (profile, favorites,

groups, etc.)● Private, public● Little things: Comments you've made

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Dealing with the Difficult● Negative Comments: Do not delete negative

feedback. Respond constructively● Spammers: Put aggressive measures in

place to deal with spam● Pain in the ***s: Put them to work if possible

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Don't Feed the Trolls

Translation:Don't encourage the trolls. They want attention. Resist the urge to give it to them!

““oh-oh!” Sally said. oh-oh!” Sally said. Don't you talk to that cat.Don't you talk to that cat.

That cat is a bad one, That cat is a bad one, That Cat in the Hat. That Cat in the Hat.

He plays lots of bad tricks.He plays lots of bad tricks.Don't you let him come near.Don't you let him come near.

You know what he didYou know what he didThe last time he was here.”The last time he was here.”


Agenda● Introduction: Community is Key● Case Studies and Best Practices● Engaging with Existing Communities

● Where to participate (and where not to participate)● How to avoid being spammy

● Building and Managing a New Community ● Incorporation into Existing Online Marketing Efforts

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Where (and how) to Participate● Industry Communities (PCWorld, etc.)

– Participation by technologists (not marketing)– Find people passionate about the topic and have

them participate as part of their job● Blogging (corporate & personal)

– Talk about ideas, thoughts, & industry trends– Comment on other blogs with insightful information

● Social Media sites– Engage as people on Facebook, Twitter, etc. with

discussions about your job as one part 19


Where and How NOT to Participate● Do not participate on competitor's sites

(considered slimy & bad manners)• Do quietly monitor competitor’s communities and

learn from them● Do not participate in communities solely to

pimp your products. If you can't participate as a person with diverse interests, then have someone else do it

● Do not mention your products in every post or comment. Talk about the industry first & your products second

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People are Watching You

Translation:People see everything you do in the community.Be a good example of the “right” behavior.

““My eyes see. My eyes see. His eyes see. His eyes see.

I see him. I see him. And he sees me.And he sees me.

And so we say, And so we say, ““Hooray for eyes! Hooray for eyes!

Hooray, hooray, hooray... Hooray, hooray, hooray... ... for eyes!”... for eyes!”


Agenda● Introduction: Community is Key● Case Studies and Best Practices● Engaging with Existing Communities

● Building & Managing a New Community ● Articulating the strategy and purpose● On domain or Off domain: strategic decision● Structuring the community● Managing communities over time

● Incorporation into Existing Online Marketing Efforts

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Clear Purpose is Key (start here)● Do you need to build new or can you

leverage an existing community● What do you hope to accomplish and what

are your goals for the community?● What is your overall strategy and how does

the community fit with it?● What are your plans for achieving your

goals and how will you measure it?● Do you have the resources (people & $) to

maintain it long-term?23


Refresher: Why Have a CommunityBuild these into your strategy / purpose● People: gives people a place to engage with

your company● Product Innovation: get product feedback● Evangelism: help you grow evangelists for

your products from outside of your company● Brand Loyalty: engagement can drive a

tremendous amount of loyalty for your products

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On Domain or Off Domain: Strategic Decision● YourCompany.com

– More focus on your products– Clarity about who facilitates the community– Authority source for product info (features, etc.)

● Off-Domain (YourIndustry.com, etc.)– Focus on a segment or industry– Accept discussions about competitors– Possibly better perception of neutrality– Slightly less authority about your products 25


Community Managers

What do we do?– Ongoing Facilitation– Content Creation– Evangelism– Community Evolution

What Skills do we need?– Patience– Networking– Communication– Facilitation– Technical Skills– Marketing– Self-Motivation– Workaholic Tendencies– Organization

““Jobs of the future, #1: Online Jobs of the future, #1: Online Community Organizer Community Organizer

...... If you were great at this, I'd imagine If you were great at this, I'd imagine you'd never ever have trouble finding good you'd never ever have trouble finding good

work.” work.” --Seth Godin--Seth Godin


Make it Fun

Translation:Have fun! Lighten it up occasionally!

Why do you sit there like that?Why do you sit there like that?I know it is wet.I know it is wet.

And the sun is not sunny.And the sun is not sunny.But we can have lots of good But we can have lots of good

fun that is funny!fun that is funny!

I know some good games we I know some good games we could play.could play.

I know some new tricks.I know some new tricks.I will show them to you.I will show them to you.

Your mother will not mind at Your mother will not mind at all if I do. all if I do.


Agenda● Introduction: Community is Key● Case Studies and Best Practices● Engaging with Existing Communities● Building and Managing a New Community

● Incorporation into Existing Marketing Efforts● Participation and motivation● Promotion ● Incorporation into other efforts

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Why Do People Participate?

● Motivation is complex (multiple influences)● If people aren't motivated, they won't participate● Promotion must take motivation into account 29

PassionPassion

DevelopDevelopSkillsSkills

LearningLearning

Status &Status &RecognitionRecognition

CareerCareerAdvancementAdvancement

SocialSocialFunFun

FinancialFinancialGiftGift

CultureCulture

WorkWork


Promotion● Use existing promotional vehicles to reach

your customers● With any new community, run a limited beta

for customers. Get their feedback and let them help promote it to others

● Augment traditional community efforts with social media: corporate & personal blogs, audio, video, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

● Incentivize people to join & participate30


Promotional No-No’s● Do not use your community to sell anything

– Use your community to get people excited about your products

– If you get people excited, they will figure out how to buy it.

● Do not promote your community on competitor's sites (slimy)

● Do not use social media (twitter, facebook, blogs, etc.) with the sole purpose of pimping– Talk about your ideas, thoughts, and products

with a personal spin (what YOU are doing)31


Incorporation into Existing Efforts● Look at your overall strategy● Find the places where community fits in:

– People can engage with your company– Product Innovation & get product feedback– Evangelism to help you grow evangelists (outside)– Brand Loyalty for your products.

● Articulate a clear purpose for the community● Promote it using traditional channels● Use social media to further grow your

community32


Be Flexible

Translation:Be flexible. Improvements and ideas come from unexpected places.

Never budge! Never budge! That's my rule. That's my rule.

Never budgeNever budgein the least! in the least!

Not an inch to the west! Not an inch to the west! Not an inch to the east! Not an inch to the east!

I'll stay here, not budging! I'll stay here, not budging! I can and I will I can and I will

If it makes you and me and the If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still.whole world stand still.


Conclusion● Community is Key● Clear purpose, plan, and strategic

alignment with existing efforts● Engage in a variety of communities● Incorporate communities into existing

online marketing efforts● Play nice, be flexible and have fun

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Q & AAdditional Resources:● http://fastwonderblog.com/starting-point/● http://www.web-strategist.com/blog● http://www.onlinecommunityreport.com/● http://www.communityguy.com● http://bestengagingcommunities.com/

● Contact info: [email protected]


Backup Materials

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No Community is Perfect● Things will go wrong

– Your community software will have bugs– Someone will get defensive or irate– Companies have PR nightmares (remember Pentium floating

pt issue?)

● In great communities, the company responds effectively– Addresses the issue and works to resolve it quickly– Keeps the focus on summarizing and fixing, instead of blaming

and justifying– Maintains open communication channels

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Reputation Systems● The Good

– People like points & recognition

– Encourages participation

– Highlight and reward key members

● The Bad– They will game it!– Does this make it

worthless?

● The Practical– Transparency– Members award points– Adjust over time


Participate Where it Makes Sense● Your own community● Related communities where your audience is

already participating● Blogging (personal and corporate)● Audio & video (YouTube/Vimeo/BlipTv)● Twitter● Facebook● Many others

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Community Structures and Adoption● Emergent

– Pros: Easy to implement, User buy-in, Unanticipated structure

– Cons: Writer's block, Off-topic● Highly Structured

– Pros: Control, Clear expectations– Cons: Restrictive, Inflexible, Community resistance,

Structure that doesn't work for community● Adaptive

– Pros: User buy-in, Some control, Evolve in unanticipated positive directions

– Cons: Less Control, User traction required

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Traditional Promotion (Customers)● Use your existing promotional vehicles to

reach your customers● Tell them about your community efforts● Share your strategy & purpose with them● Incentivize them to join & participate● With any new community, run a limited beta

for customers. Get their feedback and let them help promote it to others

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Social Media Engagement● Augment traditional community efforts with

social media● Blog about your community efforts on

company & personal blogs (make sure your blogs are listed)

● Use Audio / Video to share information relevant to your community. Host it on popular sites (YouTube, etc.) and embed it in your community

● Talk about what you are doing on Twitter, Facebook, and other social sites

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Business

Online Communities and Marketing