Community Marketing: key learnings for the journey

I have recently made a discovery listening to the podcast on Community Marketing by #FINITE and Dominique Farrar, Head of Community & Communications at Spendesk. It is about a new type of marketing role dedicated to building User Communities - a Community Marketer.

Developing User Communities is one of the Account Engagement tactics which enables the upskilling, sharing and collaboration within your customers' organisations through building relationships with their workforce. This in return delivers high-quality leads and builds awareness.

If you are involved in Community Marketing, the podcast is a great overview of recent developments in this area. Here are few learnings based on the podcast points and my experience in developing User Communities to give you a flavour:

#1 How do we define a Community? The definition of the Community implies that its members make an effort to connect, consider themselves as a part of the community and there is a well-defined community development programme deployed by its owners.

#2 Upskilling of its members is a strategic role of the Community which provides a great environment for sharing and learning.

#3 Community is not about quick wins, it is about long-term positive impact on the business with existing correlation to business metrics. Prepare for a journey and be patient.

#4 Buy-in from decision-makers who have the vision for the long-term impact of the Community is key for success.

#5 Community requires a dedicated role to achieve its goals; this is more than just sharing content or moderating a chat. It is about building relationships and trust.

All the best on your Community development journey!

#marketing #communities #accountbasedmarketing #accountengagement

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