[S2 E9] The Immense Value of Online Communities

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:

* What the reasons are for building an online community

* Why it's good to be real and vulnerable inside of your community

* Why self-doubt is a natural part of building a community

* Why choosing the right platform for your community is so important

* The value of Facebook Groups

* How to grow a Facebook Group

* Why 1000 is the magic number for communities

* How being present and being yourself drives intimacy and sales

* What role Facebook Pages now play in marketing communications

* How advertising supports Facebook communities

* How to identify and activate superfans

* Why you only need a few superfans to be successful

* How to use funnels and lead magnets in combination with online communities

* Why community building is a long term activity not a quick fix

* How to use your community to grow your community!

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