Mike Sansone

How to Profit From an Online Community

Do it Right and Everyone Benefits.
When done properly, a community effort on a business site can be profitable for both business and consumer. The business gains a loyal customer; the loyal customers get to engage with like-minded people – and the business. However, if it’s not done right, it will be a ghost town and backfire.

You may have visited sites that have community efforts. Most these days are ghost towns. Click into a message board and you’re likely to see the most recent post is from two months ago…or a post that simply says “test”. This will hurt the credibility of the business. It’s like putting up a neon sign in a window saying Now Open and having the doors locked.

In times past, online communities were built too fast and without forethought. The atmosphere was more like a ghost town than a community.

The complaint became that community doesn’t make money. Mopping the floor and emptying the trash doesn’t make money, but if you don’t do it, you’ll lose customers who come into a dingy store.

So how do you “do” community right? There are three tools - listed below in order of importance – and four actions to consider after you activate the community. Do it right, and your bottom line will improve.

The Tools Available
Forums. Message Boards are the most engaging form of community available. Always have been. Always will be. Start small in building your sections and buildout as certain subject matter becomes popular. If you build too many sections at the start, you’ll have a permanent ghost town before you can spell (critical) MASS.

Blogs. Web Logs, or the more popular term – blogs, have become the rage. It’s a form of community in that everyone can speak their own mind, but it’s almost like an editorial with replies being “letters to the editor”. There is not much give and take in the conversation.

Chats. Unless a chat room’s purpose is for an online Q&A event or a scheduled gathering, an always-open chat room has more risks than rewards. Be very hesitant to keep one open on your site. One form of chat that can work is the “live” support chat which acts like an instant messaging tool. If you staff it yourself, it can be labor-intensive. If you outsource it, who knows how well the support team knows your product or service. Either way, it can be costly. If you do launch it, make sure it is available during normal business hours or you will lose credibility.

PAVE the Way to Profits
Remember, community has never been a “build it and they will come” issue – although some disagreed in the late 1990’s. There are four active roles you must prepare to take on. Miss on one of these, and you may miss your target altogether. Using the acronym PAVE, build your community and be Patient, be Accessible, be Visible, and be Empowering.
•Be Patient
Build out your forums and be patient. If you have a newsletter or Blog, promote the forums every chance you get. One technique to start conversations is to create multiple users for you to use and post under each of the names at the start.

•Be Available
Either yourself or someone on your team should always be available to the forum for help, answers and solutions as it applies to your product or service. Have a “feedback” or “rants and raves” section and respond to posts.

•Be Visible
Take an active part within the community discussions. Not just as a moderator or monitor, but as a member. Your customers will benefit from your presence and you will always have a focus group available.

•Be Empowering
Ask members who have made quality posts if you can use their writings in your newsletter, brochures or blogs. They will love the celebrity status and you will gain the much-needed proof by always having quality testimonials. It will also encourage others to continue to post. Share the spotlight and give the community a “sense of ownership” in the discussions.

Keep your community focused at the start. Let it grow naturally and see where it goes. Listen and learn from your customers. Will you be able to count how much your efforts count towards your profits. Probably not. Nevertheless, do you mop your floors and empty your trash?

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