Editorial Articles

The brands emerging as the most successful in engaging audiences over social media are those who’ve gone beyond ‘let’s have a Facebook page’ and are creating online communities with real value. As in the offline world, consumers group in social spaces that have a clear purpose, and are built around a common experience. 

Brands like Pampers, Weightwatchers, or Open University are successfully using ‘communities of purpose’ to engage consumers, by creating a social space with a specific purpose. A common or individual goal keeps consumers interested; information, advice and interaction with other users keeps them engaged and active within the community.

Some brands clearly have an inherent goal (Weightwatchers = lose weight; Open University = further learning); others less obviously so. Pampers – whose overall goal presumably is to sell more nappies – has created a successful community, Pampers Village, which gives mothers-to-be and young mums advice, support and help through pregnancy and their child’s early years. The brand has created a community of purpose that is relevant to the brand, and useful to consumers.

Inform versus engage?
A community, by definition, is a place where people cluster together around a common interest, shared experience or goal. This is different from an information-based website. There are some great information-based branded sites out there (Bupa is a good example of a site that provides thorough information on health issues to Bupa members); these sites are useful in positioning a brand as an expert in a particular area, and have a valuable role to play if informing is your strategy. But if getting people to act, and participate in a community is your goal (whether that’s to donate money, share experiences, lobby government, or buy products), then a community should engage audiences.

Of course, engagement is a much-overused term in social media circles. What it means in practical terms is including content with which people can interact; tools that let them share information; discussion forums and the ability to personalise content. People need a reason to interact; make sure they understand what they’ll gain from doing so. If you simply present knowledge to them, they’ll take it away, but they won’t engage. In the same way that people don’t (usually) go into a room full of strangers and start talking unprompted, they won’t barge into an online community without some encouragement. At a good party, the host will introduce groups of people who share an interest, so they can break the ice. In a good community, new members will be encouraged to get involved. That encouragement might be inviting them to ask the community a question, or respond to a specific query, or share an experience. Find the reason that your new member will want to respond.

It’s important to understand what community users want from their experience. A community won’t work if the brand doesn’t understand what its members want; users will drift away. Ask them. Listen to their responses, and watch how they act. Learn what brings them back day after day. Is it talking to similar people (perhaps people who’ve gone through a specific experience, such as treatment for an illness)? Identify the active members of the community; encourage and reward them. They will often act as your ‘hosts’.

Finally, maintain a safe and friendly environment. The biggest barrier to a consumer engaging with a branded community is if that community is hostile. Clear guidelines for users, and a well managed community will go a long way to providing an environment where users will engage with your brand, and return. 

Tamara Littleton
CEO, eModeration
Twitter: emoderation