The word ‘community’ is often misused by communications professionals, many of whom fail to grasp the fundamental nature of community and how to leverage it. But when deployed strategically, with a clear purpose and focus on the members not the administrator, online communities can provide huge business value.

In this episode of the Digital Download podcast I talk to Gemma Went, a digital strategist who has built a successful mentoring business by building a vibrant online community. We discuss what role communities can play in the marketing process, how much time and effort it takes to build and maintain a valuable online community, how being true to yourself and vulnerable builds intimacy, and ultimately how to monetise a community.

Here’s what we discussed in this episode:

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