In our digital world, almost all (potential) customers online on the go. Communication with this virtual community is a top priority and requires special care, creativity and individuality. But what role does community management play in this? What do you need to consider so that you can build and maintain your own active online community?
This blog post focuses on the significance and on the Added value of community management received and you will receive exact Tips you should definitely considerso that you can be successful.
Community management is all about the Organization and maintenance of a virtual community. These are customers, website visitors, followers and fans of various social media channels or from various online forums of a company. The focus is on the relationship between the online community and the company. The goal of community management is to Building an active and sustainable relationshipwith constant exchange and, above all, with added value for the followers.
Community management, as one can already see, has a very close connection with the Social Media ManagementA huge part of the community is active on social media channels such as Instagram or Twitter. But there are also other interfaces with other departments. One of these is the Supportsince nowadays many users turn to the seller via these media if they have problems with the product or service.
On the other hand, the public relation The tasks of the community manager are that the exchange with potential customers takes place mainly online nowadays. Everyone has access there and is therefore part of the public. Another department with an interface to community management is the MarketingThe networks are also used to showcase the company’s own products and to disseminate marketing activities.
Community management plays a central role in online marketing, especially in Social-Media-MarketingIt brings you closer to your customers and deepens and strengthens the relationship with your companyAn important point is that this will Brand awareness in virtual space, but also beyond, clearly elevated Because satisfied members often become brand ambassadors themselves and recruit new customers. This works particularly well online, as followers can share your posts directly or create their own. In addition, you can get direct and valuable feedback from the target groupwhich can be used specifically to improve your appearance or your products or services. The needs, wishes and problems of your followers can also be used for optimization purposes. Another added value is the creation of an image and the possibility of maintaining and improving this company image via social media and forums.
In order to be able to run a successful community management, you first need an insight into the activities that will come your way. Overview of daily, weekly and monthly activities You can see this in the following graphic. Above all, the daily work must be carried out sensibly and shows roughly how much effort is really involved. Community management should therefore not simply be done on the side by an employee with another specialty. Every company should Hire a Community Managerwho know exactly what they are doing and which strategy can help you to be successful. Any training, like this blog post, can help you optimize your community management. In this blog post, seven tips for you that will help you to How to use community management successfully in your companyThis includes regular monitoring, interactions and publishing of content and much more.
Promote interaction and fast response times
In order for the online community to gain added value from your channels, it is important that you offer sufficient opportunities for interaction. In general Questions A good way to ask questions about well-being or other topics is to create a Quiz either about your products or about other interesting topics, where your followers can test their own knowledge.
If this succeeds and interaction takes place, it is just as important that something comes back from you. This means that you also react quickly to comments or messages, like and reply and participate in discussions. On Facebook, for example, your pages even show how quickly direct messages are responded to on average. If there is a high number, then potential buyers are more likely to be put off.
Listen and accept feedback
A big advantage of online forums and especially social media platforms is that direct feedback Usually you also get precise information about what the potential buyers want. Through this Optimization suggestions Customer expectations can be met much better. It also shows your followers that they are being heard and that their opinion is relevant. The feedback from the online community should therefore definitely be noticed and discussed within the company. Above all, constructive criticism can be very helpful to your business.
If people are enthusiastic about your products or services, they often share pictures or similar on social media channels. You should definitely use these for your own benefit and ask whether they can share them on their channels. These posts are also known as User Generated Contentwhich highly authentic and gives your other fans confidence in your products. The followers who have shared these posts are usually happy to see them on your page and feel proud and validated. So it’s a win-win situation for both parties.
Creativity is key
In order to convince your community of a long-term customer relationship, you must, among other things, prepare dry topics in a refreshing way. Because it is important that your followers are not overwhelmed or bored by your content. Ideally, you have a Editorial planwhere they record future topics There you will always have an overview of your contributions and see how varied these are, or where there is still room for improvement. You have to find your own suitable combination of user generated content, your own content, more serious posts and funny content. However, it is extremely important that you regularly test new things and do not rest on your perfect combination. It is important to always remember that you want to offer your followers added value.
Real-time marketing
Real-time marketing is the Inclusion of current events or problems that your target group might currently be concerned about. However, things get critical when it comes to political issues, as opinions tend to differ greatly and statements in this area can also have a negative impact on your business.
Create an FAQ for frequently asked questions
Some questions from your community are common, such as: Where is your location? How does returns work? What are your opening hours?
For this information it is worth a Create a questionnairewhich makes it much easier for users to search for information. At the same time, this catalog also saves you a lot of time and the tedious work of answering questions twice or three times.
Consistent monitoring
The last tip is that you should always keep an eye on your online community. This means constant monitoringso that critical issues and possible shitstorms can be identified and responded to in good time. In your reporting, you should record successes and failures in order to avoid future errors or poorly functioning content.
Conclusion
Many people’s lives are already predominantly online, which is why Communication and presence in online forums or on social media is more important than everCommunity management plays a very important role in this. To be successful build new, close and long-term customer relationshipsyou should look into this in detail in your company and follow the advice given here. It is also definitely advisable to hire a community manager or a person in general whose focus is purely on your online community. The effort involved should not be underestimated.
We as Social-Media-Marketing Agentur We are happy to support you in building your online community. Whether it is creating an individual editorial plan with relevant content or communicating with your followers.
Frequently asked questions
One problem that community managers face is that they cannot be present on social media 24 hours a day. It is therefore important to analyze situations and make effective decisions in order to use the available time efficiently.
If you keep an eye on your channels regularly, you can identify crises early on. So before your brand is heavily criticized, you can appease the community and explain yourself. Flexibility and confidence play an important role here.
How you want to organize your community is up to you. In some cases, external programs can simplify and speed up processes, and using them would be a good idea. A popular program for this is Hootsuite, for example. It offers a wide range of functions that support social media activities.
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