Wikipedia says that online community is a virtual community whose members enable its existence through taking part in a membership ritual. At 3 Ways Digital, we have come to learn that online community is simply the aggregation of a customer and prospect list that is interested enough in you to engage somehow. The trick is creating the programs that make regular interaction with that community a part of your marketing program. Rituals come later;-).
Your marketing challenge is to provide low-hurdle ways to encourage the “deposit” of a little information about your prospect in exchange for something they find valuable. Think of this as the exchange of digital currency. Ideally your item of value is something that can be reused with other community members and demonstrates your ability to service that prospect. Most likely this is some form of thought leadership piece like a blog subscription, or downloadable document.
At 3 Ways Digital we’ll help put into action the valuable exchange that marks the beginning of a longer term relationship with a prospect. We’ll help you answer questions like:
- Where do I find prospective customers online?
- How/how often should I be communicating with them?
- What do I have that would be value to my community?
- How much information should I ask my community to provide me?
- How can I leverage a little prospect information into a long-term relationship?
- What are my legal obligations regarding prospect data?
The creation of regular communication programs is essential to any marketing plan. 3 Ways Digital can help with the content development and management so you can run your business day-to-day!