Are you looking for additional ways to interact with your audience online than just posting to social media?
Does your business feel stagnant because you are constantly using the same old marketing strategy since the very beginning to find ideal clients?
Your ideal clients demand to be noticed. To have a seat at the table. They want to connect with you on a more personal level, rather than just seeing you generically posting to social media on a daily basis.
Online communities such as Facebook groups, Reddit, Patreon are all successful because they connect you with your audience. These communities offer support, advocacy, and insight to the most pressing issues. Not to mention, they are a useful tool when it comes time to promoting your launch.
So, what’s so great about these online communities?
It gives you and your audience a voice to build stronger relationships. Many communities reduce marketing costs because they are free OR your audience pays YOU to be a part of them. And better yet, communities give you instantaneous feedback and insight.
Let’s take a look at each of the 3 online communities I’ve mentioned so far and why I highly suggest you incorporate them into your marketing strategy when it comes time to launching your business, new offer, or products.
Facebook Groups:
Facebook groups are a place for like-minded individuals to congregate and network. For you, as a business owner, they are especially important in order for you to promote yourself.
For my own business, I post in Facebook groups 5 days a week twice a day! This is so I can make sure I remain visible and on top of mind for my future clients.
One of my clients asked me the other day when I was trying to convince her to use Facebook groups for her own business, “How many clients have you gotten from Facebook groups besides me?” And I responded, “40% of my clients come from Facebook groups and 60% come from referrals from people I’ve met in Facebook groups.” True story.
If it wasn’t for Facebook groups, my business wouldn’t be where it is today – and that’s proof enough for me that Facebook groups are a necessity in your marketing strategy!
Reddit:
Are you creating content that would be valuable to your audience (if not, you should be)?
Hopefully, that was a yes, so why not share that content on more platforms?
Reddit is an excellent choice when it comes to sharing content or searching for content that is industry specific. You could easily look like an expert in your field if you utilize Reddit correctly.
The more you comment, the more you share, the better your ratings are on Reddit and the more visible you can become. It’s the perfect community for sharing those smarts of yours!
Patreon:
The first time I discovered Patreon was when Boho Beautiful just announced their online community. I thought it was fascinating that they were getting paid to have people join this community to connect and become closer with them and the work they are doing. Which made me decide to create one for myself.
Before I became an OBM and started running my business full time, I was solely focusing on a creative project of mine, a travel blog. DatesintheStates.com is my blog that chronicles the dates my boyfriend and I take throughout the United States.
We created a Patreon where people could join different tiers of the community and receive free gifts, access to news and content not shared on our blog, and so much more.
Patreon makes for a very special online community that your audience can potentially benefit from. The best part? YOU can make some great money running it.
So, when it comes to promoting personalized online communities like Patreon, what are some of the best ways?
Running an online community like Patreon can make you some really nice money IF you find the right people to join. Here’s a few tips to get you started:
- Invite your contacts. Friends, family, past business contacts. Invite anyone and everyone you can. Maybe they won’t join, but they will know it exists and could potentially join in the future or tell someone they know that would better benefit from it. Either way, it’s a win win.
- Enlist new members through promotions. A great marketing strategy you can take on when it comes to launching a new product or community is by giving away something for free. So, if you are looking for people to join your community, give them something in return that they would want. Better yet, host a giveaway for a free months subscription to a community or something along those lines. Get creative.
- Partner with influencers. No one wants to join a community that has NO ONE in it. So, sign a few people up for free to be your “influencers” to encourage others to join.
No matter what type of online community you choose to incorporate into your online strategy, I guarantee you will begin to see more conversions and engagement with your ideal audience.
What online community intrigued you the most? Be sure to let me know!
Do you already know what online community you’d prefer to utilize, but don’t have the time to take on yet another project or strategy?
That’s ok! As an OBM, this is exactly how I serve my clients, by getting them engaged and visible in different communities and online platforms. Whether you need a strategy set in place and someone to hold you accountable OR someone to take on the everyday tasks of running a community or participating in one on your behalf, an OBM like myself can certainly take hours off your plate.
Book a FREE call with me today and let’s discuss what your online community strategy could look like: www.calendly.com/crystalstatskey
