Successful business owners have a tendency to make everything work for them. When an issue comes up, instead of reacting to simply fix the problem they step back and ask “How can I use this to better my business?” Instead of settling for a solution that’s “good enough”, they dig deep and find the best solution possible – across the board. It’s a trait that underlies everything they do.
Effective marketing is one of those areas that differentiates the successful businesses from the “so-so” ones. More specifically - because specifics count - having a healthy online community is one of the primary measures of success marketers look for. If people aren’t talking about you online, visiting your website, or interacting with your Social Media, then you’re not where you need to be.
Your company’s online performance is making more of an impact than you think. If your presence is already healthy, it’s because you know the hard work that it takes to build a good community and how valuable that is for your business. If you don’t have one, or it’s suffering, rest assured that it’s not too late. Take some notes – and then take action to start recovering lost ground.
- Stay In Touch
When I first started working, I had a tendency to let things sit in my inbox for way too long. I’m talking days and days of unopened emails. Worse than that, sometimes I would read an email, write a reply, and then let the draft sit for the rest of the day while I agonized over every line. I wasn’t doing this because I was lazy, I was just overthinking my message.
I learned very quickly that not responding is never, ever okay.
When you’re facing an online community, you have to be comfortable with the reality that you’re always accessible and that speed counts. If someone comments, say something back. If someone compliments, thank them. If someone complains, own up and see if you can fix it. There’s always a course of action that lets people know you’re listening, but you have to
Be open with your followers and let them know that you appreciate them. Your success depends on the generosity and involvement of other people, and the more you remind them of their importance the more loyal they will be.
- Be Patient
Most famous artists didn’t become overnight successes. They put in years of work, sweat, and tears to build a name and a following, and then they diligently applied themselves to make sure they delivered as an artist.
While it shouldn’t take you years to develop a good following, the same principles apply to building an online community around your business. Success is a long term goal, which can mean taking a hit in the short term. The keys are to stay focused on where you’re gaining, and take action when you see that one of your strategies isn’t working. There are always dozens of things that can be improved, as long as you know where to look.
- Don’t Neglect Your Website.
While Social Media deserves its attention, your website will always be the epicenter of your online community. If your site fails to work as intended, then you’re going to constantly be frustrated by a lack of return on any investments you make in marketing efforts.
One of the biggest aspects of websites that gets overlooked is the sales funnel. As a general rule, the shorter the sales funnel, the better your engagement will be. If it takes too long to get through your sales process then it’s likely that you’re giving too many opportunities for people to back out. Shortening the sale can certainly mean more money for your business, but more importantly it effectively creates an affinity that can keep people coming back.
A final thing to consider is the freshness of your online content. Creating an engaging blog and refreshing your look with the changing seasons are two great ways to give your community a reason to keep coming back to your site. It also helps create a favorable reputation around your brand, which leads to future growth.
If you’re considering ways that you can grow internet communities around your business, the team here at Spynr would love to talk with you. Get in touch with us and start the conversation today!
