Beyond the newsletter

An audience is not a community.

An audience is not a community.

Audience members only care about your brand and ingest your content and ideas.

Whereas community is more continual, with content, ideas and conversation flowing back and forth with the brand, members.

Audience = Talking at people.

Community = Talking to each other.

When we look at the community participation ladder, we see observers at the bottom. Folks who are listening, and creeping towards engaging.

At the top, we see folks who are fully brought into the brand and fly the flag. These folks bring invaluable momentum to your movement, your brand, and your marketing.

So, how can we get folks to go - beyond the newsletter?

1) Give them a home

We know that 74.5 of customers who have access to an online community makes them feel more valued as a customer.

Creating places and spaces for your audience to become members should be high on your priority list.

This could be an in-person event, an interactive webinar, or a social space online.

It doesn’t have to be big or grand, but it should be something.

https://steadfastcollective.com/articles/how-to-create-a-community-app-that-works-perfectly-for-you

2) Create value

Why should people join you? What’s worth joining for?

You’ll need a hook, a tool, or something that gives people a reason to join.

If you’re a luxury holiday brand, it could be access to interactive local guides.

If you’re an accountant, it could be a tax calculator.

People will join for the tool, but if you plan it right, they’ll stay for the people - the community.

3) Allow them to create value

Giving people a chance to create content and value is the best way to keep them involved while they join the ladder.

Something as simple as a top 1% dinner for your most engaged members or a tag with their names will give people reasons to stay.

If you work in IT and are known on Stack Overflow, a popular development Q&A platform, as a top contributor, you would proudly present this on your CV.

It’s a self-creating value that you’ve platformed for them.