5 Community Marketing Examples for Engaging Audiences

Communities form wherever people are. This is a fact guided by their instinct to gather around a common interest, trait, or even a temporary benefit they get by forming a community.

Recently, there’s been some kind of shift within marketing that favors building a brand community to take advantage of this phenomenon. We at Vivian Agency think it’s fascinating that it took this long!

Let’s look at all the ways brands utilize community engagement to cultivate brand loyalty through real-life community marketing examples and how you can leverage these ideas to build your brand’s community.

#1 - Glossier

The cosmetics brand Glossier is known for starting the whole “clean beauty” trend when it debuted in 2014. In an era where exaggerated eyebrows and cartoonish-looking facial contours were the norm, Glossier was pushing for a more pared-back, subdued approach to makeup.

The brand built its social media presence on celebrating real women, grabbing Instagram selfies from its fans and using them alongside photoshoots of professional models.

Lesson: Boosting User Generated Content?

Tapping into the treasure trove of social media User-Generated Content (UGC) can be an excellent way of rewarding your loyal customers with visibility through your brand.?

You can use social media management tools to scrape any Instagram hashtag or Facebook group that mentions your brand and reach out to the audience directly from there. Aside from gaining valuable insights into what your audience wants, you can also make them part of your marketing strategy.

Most of the time, your community members will tag your brand in their public posts for a chance to get noticed. Ask for permission to use their images and testimonials, and you’ve got yourself some UGC!

While shoutouts and comments are appreciated, putting the UGC centerstage on your official social media platforms is a surefire way of making your online community feel part of the brand. You can even choose your next brand ambassadors that way!

#2 - LEGO

Lego is a legacy toy manufacturer that has garnered a cult following among adult enthusiasts. The brand releases special edition building sets that are only sold for a limited time, making collectors more tied to the brand than ever as they anticipate new releases.

The brand nurtures this connection and encourages community building through its online platform, Lego Ideas. There, fans, young and old, can share their hobby, learn new techniques, and even enter contests -voted for by forum members- for a chance to have their ideas released as a special edition set!

Lesson: Utilizing Customer Ideas

Utilizing your fans’ enthusiasm as an engine of creativity is an excellent strategy for keeping up audience engagement and generating new ideas for your brand. Most of the time, your audience members want to feel like they have a chance to make a difference in how the brand works, and this could be one way to accomplish that.

It’s also important to mention that selected designs get more than bragging rights. The winners also receive 1% royalties from all sets manufactured and sold by Lego. A pretty sweet deal!

#3 - REI

Recreational Equipment, Inc. is an American retailer of outdoor goods and services. The company has been in business for over 85 years, making it an established presence in the field.

REI utilizes a customer co-op approach to business. For $30, a customer acquires a lifelong membership that gives them many huge perks, including:

• Free U.S. shipping
• Co-op rewards (typically 10% on eligible purchases)
• Offers & coupons
• 20% Off bike & snow shop services
• Up to 33% off rentals
• Voting on board elections

All of this, plus other member-only benefits, falls under the company’s membership umbrella, which isn’t that common for companies nowadays.

Lesson: Adding Value to Customers

For such an established brand, REI sure has kept the main draw for its target audience consistent throughout the years. The company knows that adding value to customers’ lives doesn’t have to be only performative but rather include real-life experiences and perks that matter to the outdoorsy type.

The result is astounding customer loyalty and a sense of belonging to the co-op. This is more than just a marketing strategy; it is a true community in every sense of the word.

#4 - Harley Davidson

Speaking of communities, what real-life brand community is as notorious as HOG, the Harley Owners Group?

For a yearly membership fee, HOG members enjoy exclusive access to Harley Davidson events, parties, discounts on hotel stays, roadside assistance, and more perks tied to the biker lifestyle. The main difference between this membership system and the previous one is that you can “upgrade” your experience by paying H-D a little bit more of your money.

Lesson: Creating Tiered Memberships

Tiered memberships are a means of creating an investment funnel into your brand. Instead of offering the same benefits to all members of your community, you hide some of them behind a higher subscription tier.

It might be controversial, though, as some customers see it as a predatory practice that tries to get people to pay more money than they don’t necessarily have to.

That said, HOG is a tried-and-true example of a thriving brand community that utilizes this strategy. The truth is that some people are willing to pay extra to get exclusive perks because they matter to them, and they think it’s worth it.

If your brand’s business has this kind of engaged community, maybe this style of membership is for you.

#5 - Lush

Community marketing might be centered around cultivating an engaged audience, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Sometimes, you can increase brand awareness by doing good, and that’s what Lush Cosmetics is after with its Charity Pot program.

The program donates 100% of the purchase price of Charity Pot lotions to local, grassroots charities, campaigns, and not-for-profit organizations working in the fields of human rights, environmental protection, and animal welfare.?

Lesson: Promoting Social Responsibility

Using your company’s reach for charity isn’t a new concept. It’s known as corporate social responsibility and is considered a hallmark of ethical business practices.?

However, pushing for the active participation of your customer base is an excellent way to cultivate an inclusive community environment based on social responsibility and positive brand values.?

While your existing customers will enjoy the feeling of doing good through their purchases, this strategy can also help you tap into new markets.

Combine Real-Life & Social Media Strategy in Community Marketing with Vivian Agency

When customers actively participate in making your business popular, they feel like they have a bigger stake in your success. Your brand can benefit tremendously from combining the effects of real-life and online forums to spread the word about how awesome your goods or services are.?

The previous strategies, in particular, can work wonders for online word-of-mouth marketing. All you have to do is build an effective program that integrates all the pieces.?

What do you think of these community marketing examples? Let us know in the comments, or share your own methods with us!

If you’d like more information about Vivian Agency, contact us here.