The hype of community- but what does it mean?

Community.... I have touched on it several times, it is a funny, funny old word.

For many people when the word comes up they instantly think of Instagram or Facebook.

These are what I consider to be a passive communities.

In the nicest possible way, the brand is the overlord- it dictates what is said and when. People can comment and respond, but it is driven by the brand.

The other definition is much more in line with the real definition of community- a collection of different voices. This is seen via peer-to-peer conversation, with individuals leading different conversations.

It is the second version of where I think we are going and is what I think should be a core focus of all brands.

We live in a stage where attention spans are teeny. Even when consuming your brand messaging, it is focused attention. They will often be half doing something else- case in point is the evening Netflix/Instagram scroll.

It is estimated that 85% of ads are performing below the attention threshold to build any real brand connection (huge, huge problem- and will be talking about this next week).

As a brand, you need to create ways to increase the duration of time with your customers so that you build those memory structures and you are top of mind when the time comes to purchase.

I was lucky enough to speak with Paris Richardson community manager at Trinny London a beauty brand that is helping women rethink their beauty regimes. Founded by Trinny Woodall (THE Trinny from Trinny and Suzanne fame), it has been going for 5 years and has now built a community of over 130,000 women which they call the Trinny Tribe.

Firstly, it's important to note that there was no overnight success. The team have been building and nurturing it almost from the start. It is also important to note that this is not a quick buck-making scheme, this is the long game and should be considered a retention tool, to build that long-term customer loyalty.

Top tips

Community is an extension of your brand, you should be cutting the experience in the same way as you would a retail environment or event.

Engage, listen, and feedback. Make sure you’re pro-actively involved in your communities discussions and conversations, listen to what they are saying and feedback to the brand where relevant.

Have a basis of a structure and define your rules and values upfront. What are you offering your community?

Brand ambassadors can be a powerful resource and a way for you to have a voice for the brand heard when you are not in the room.

Think about the shareability of the group, how can it be founded and shared out to like-minded people? (ideally you want members to be doing this on your behalf).

A close-knit group can be a big plus, regional Tribes have been a big part of Trinny London's community success.

You might be reading this and thinking that this is not applicable to me, my brand is for the older customer.

This is where you are misguided. Trinny have done significant behavioural research with partnering agencies and found that community is vital across both demographic and psychographic groups, so it really should be part of your marketing strategy.

I would love to know who you think is doing community well?