The Importance and Benefits of Online Communities

Blog post by: Melissa Ignasiak
Since the introduction of social media in the early 2000s, the definition and concept of a “community” has evolved. Neighborhoods now exist online, and the impact of these communities on a company’s brand is more significant. By building an online community, a company can discover what its target audience values and develop a meaningful way to deliver the product.
The history of social marketing can be broken down into two generations. The first generation had the brand as the center of discussion, with very little interaction between fans. However, now that social media has become more developed and universal, the cycle of communication involves much more interaction between fans. While about 81% of consumers still prefer to find information for a purchase off the product’s website, 58% of consumers have joined an Internet community based on a friend’s Facebook post.
For companies that are still stuck in the first generation of social marketing, the first step is to build an online community. An online community allows consumers to exchange ideas, discuss their problems, and share enthusiasm for their products. These communities are also useful for the company to gain consumer insights. However, building an online community requires more than just updating a Facebook status. It requires getting to know the target audience through questions such as who are they, how do they live, what motivates them, and what are their expectations? Getting to know community members can help a company better understand what its consumers are looking for in a product in order to deliver it in the best possible way.