Successful businesses understand how important it is to create, maintain and grow a community of advocates for their business. This community can become the most valuable asset in the company and the only real asset that can’t be reproduced by competitors.

Understand Your Customer

Traditional demographics such as gender, location and income no longer define consumption patterns and customers. To truly understand your customer, business owners need to examine consumer behaviours and follow the evolution of habits.  

Have the Right Tools

Introduce a database with functionality that encourages you to utilise content and connect with social media, communication platforms and campaigns. Ensure you capture as much information from your user markets, ideally with an exchange of values. Customers are keen to engage with people and organisations that provide interests aligned with their values.  

Engagement Options

Businesses of today have more than one storefront, and consumers seek to engage with brands and business in multiple ways. The local “Diner” can now be experienced through dine-in, take away, click & collect and delivery it may also offer various products which include food, beverage, grocery items, cookware and clothing. This expansive range of products and experiences allows communities to increase interactions with brands and business.  

Regular and Consistent

Communicate regularly with your communities and provide them with information and inspiration that reflects your brand and encourages interaction. Ensure your communications have relevancy and resist the temptation to produce predictable information, seek to excite, inspire or inform.  

Measure and Review

Ensure that you allocate time to reflect on data and trends periodically. Opening rates, likes and response measures will help guide future communication and overall community values. Business operators must embrace and understand their communities, a clear and concise strategy will deliver considerable efficiencies in marketing, improve business retention and extend the lifetime value of customers.