Imagine you just hosted the dinner party of your dreams with guests that had never met. The evening was magical, everyone felt an instant connection, conversations flowed naturally, and everyone celebrated being together without hesitation.
How did you do that?
First, picture everyone seated around the table. Who’s there?
Now ask yourself why you chose them specifically, and consider why they agreed to come.
To pull this off, you put a lot of thought into the guest list. You considered everyone’s individual likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests, ideals, and values, and how they’d align with each other and yourself. You thought about the conversations that might ensue, who should meet who, and how you’d arrange the guests to make the introductions easy. You even planned a menu with everyone’s favorites. You set out to create authentic connections, and as a result, your guests left full in belly and spirits, thanks to the community you assembled that evening.
It turns out there are many similarities between being an epic host and a Community Manager.
What exactly is community? Simply put, it’s a group of people connected by shared missions, values, and goals, and in business, it can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal.
Your community is the passionate tribe that believes deeply in your brand and wants to see you succeed above all else. They advocate for you when you’re not part of the conversation, provide sincere feedback that inspires change you didn’t know was needed, and are your most influential voices, singing your praises to anyone who will listen.
What business or brand wouldn’t want that?
Everyone can rally a community around them, so here are five tips to get you started:
Consider Why: Begin by identifying why you’re creating this community and why someone would want to be a part of it. Define the foundation by identifying the shared values, goals, and missions that will connect all members.
Ask Who: To find out who will be part of your community, identify your strongest supporters, define why they are so passionate about you, what they have in common with each other, and their individual motivations. The alignments and intersections here will reveal the personas you want within your community.
Provide Value First: Start your relationship with the community by showing you value them first. It’s not a scale, so don’t seek balance. Find opportunities to provide or demonstrate value, then do it before anyone asks.
Listen + Observe: As your community grows and develops, pay attention to what they’re doing and saying. Deepen their engagement by reinforcing their value, allowing members to feel seen and heard, taking time to engage in conversations, acknowledging their ideas, and giving them what they’re asking for.
Engage: Community grows strongest when it’s nurtured, so make the experience rewarding. Learn about the people and connect with them personally. Be present and responsive, watching for the great things they will do to advance the mission. Reinforce all of those actions by sharing your authentic appreciation in the moment.
At NCET’s Biz Bite on Wednesday, June 22, I’ll share how I built the Northern Nevada Yelp community one bite at a time over the last decade, and teach you how to apply the principles of Community Management to your business too. To register, and for more information, head to https://www.ncet.org/ncet-event-calendar/creating-community .
Michael Tragash is an award-winning marketer, storyteller, published author, connector, media personality, and Northern Nevada’s Senior Community Director at Yelp. He believes we all should know each other, and he’s on a mission to make our community smaller, one connection at a time, sharing the stories behind our storefronts and connecting us to the faces behind our favorite places along the way.
NCET is a member-supported nonprofit organization that produces educational and networking events to help people explore business and technology. More info at www.NCET.org.
