Using Online Niche Communities to Grow Your Business

*Note this is the introductory entry on the Meliora Strategies PR Blogcast. Future entries focusing on issues related to public relations will be published directly to the PR Blogcast page. Entries focusing on political strategy can be found on our Political Blogcast page.

Social Media is revolutionizing society. It’s changing the way we do business, the way we talk to family and friends, the way we interact as human beings. Not surprisingly, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, are forcing PR practitioners to rethink old philosophies and adapt strategies to an ever-changing digital world.

Much has been written about the benefits of blogging, tweeting, bookmarking, and online marketing. For further information, I would recommend clicking here, here, or here. However, for the purpose of this blog I would like to discuss one platform in particular – online niche communities – which could hold enormous potential for your organization, despite receiving far less attention than their social media counterparts.

Niche communities are interactive websites that offer customers, clients, constituents, or supporters a place to interact, provide feedback and invest themselves with your organization and its mission. If the purpose of social media is to generate conversation at the personal level, than an active online community is the equivalent of hosting a dinner party for your clients.

TwitterMoms, the influential “moms” network, and RebuildtheParty.com are two examples of these types of community websites that have successfully tapped into the consciousness of their members and spurred activism at a low-cost. In fact, 78 percent of TwitterMoms members connected through – shocker – Twitter. Rebuild the Party on the other hand, which aims to rebuild the Republican Party from the ground up following the disastrous 2008 election cycle, provides a home to eager activists looking to express their vision for the future, discuss policy, politics, and current events, and network with like-minded individuals.

The most crucial attribute with social media in general and online communities in particular, is user-generated content. Successful communities don’t pitch their members. They aim to strike up a conversation about their company and its products or mission, build goodwill, find influencers and expand their network.

There a three components to building a successful community.

The first is establishing your organization as a trusted resource and expert. As the community host, companies can open up discussions around specific business or industry topics through blog postings or forums, and then answer subsequent questions or provide advice to members. With social media, you have to earn the right to be heard. If your organization refrains from direct pitching temptation, and instead focuses on building relationships, you will be able to strengthen your reputation through positive word-of-mouth.

The second component of any successful online community is finding “Influencers.” Developing a strong community following is based upon your ability to attract active members and then reward them for their work. Monitor your forums to find those individuals who do a great job expressing your message for you. Highlight their activities, reward them with publicity or if you have established trusted personal relationships, make them community administrators. Readers are much more willing to trust independent sources and reviews than those pushed by professional company or industry spokespeople. And, in the event that a crisis erupts, these active members may be helpful in smothering the fire before it can spread.

Finally, make existing members feel invested in your mission. Ask for feedback on products or services, reward members for publishing thought-provoking content with prizes, or invite their participation on conference calls. If possible set attainable goals, such as contributions for a common cause, than encourage members to help your organization reach its target.

Establishing a successful online community can prove tremendously beneficial for your organization. With consumers increasingly capable of drowning out noise, and the effectiveness of traditional news media strategies waning, organizations must be willing to adapt. Online niche communities can boost credibility, stimulate conversation, and increase your organization’s visibility at a fraction of the cost.

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