What is a customer community? (+Examples) |

Customer relationships that are one-way are what they were in. The most successful brands of the time don't only talk to their customers, they engage with them and form meaningful connections. That's where the customer communities come into.

In this post in this post, we'll speak about the meaning of a "customer-centric" community. We'll use the latest research in academia to define what makes a community that caters to customers distinctive. We'll discuss the advantages of a support community for customers and also provide an example of the community-based relationships.

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What exactly is a community?

A customer community is an area that acts as a central point for creating the relationship between a brand or brand with their clients. It allows for customer inquiries and replies, information exchange as well as educational opportunities for consumers, promotion opportunities, or customer service and feedback. It is constructed using various ways, such as by email, on a site and social media platforms and even a particular online forum.

The most important word in this context is RELATED. Customer services that are based on community don't only serve as places for companies to drop advertisements. According to the old saying, customers want to conduct transactions with those they "know they like and can are able to trust," which is what customers' communities do the most effectively. It gives them the chance to allow that trust to expand.

Community of customers can be theoretically understood by examining the concept of " Social Identity Theory :" when people join any group of people-which includes great customer groups-they experience a sense of belonging as well as self-worth, motivation and sense of identity.

Here are some incredible examples of how communities, whether free, enterprise customer communities or even paid brands communities can do...

• A non-profit has taken on 9,000 National members.
  
• A faith-based community expanded to 470 people spread across 67 countries.
  
• An entrepreneurship org. is now open to 5,000 members and they made back the initial amount they invested using a mobile app that connects customers 2 half weeks.
  
• Health-focused launches to 100 high-ticket members increased the ARR by the amount of $40,000.
  
• The course was offered by one community for 13 weeks. It added $100k to income within just two months.
  
• A personal finance group produced $130K in five days by using their most recent training.
  
• One social-impact SAAS firm integrated a user-community application with regular meetings and saw a 70% rise in engagement and contributions.
  

What does a community of customers do not do

Understanding the concept behind building community can help us comprehend the reason that they're not on the email address you have on facebook page. To reap the potential benefits of community, it is essential to be able to have at least members that feel like they belong to the same community.

With this in mind below are some the features of a community that are important to customers. Does not include:

• An email list
  
• How many social media followers you've got
  
• Members of your Facebook group. Facebook group
  
• The amount of likes of your blog post
  
• Callers are directed to the customer service phone
  
• Chatbots are users of chatbots.
  

We've discovered that the basis of community-based customer relations is belonging. It's not difficult to understand the reason why they aren't communities of customers. All of these interactions are involving your business, but they do not convey the sense of belonging.

One of the closest things we could get to this could be the concept of a Facebook group However, in the group we can see an absence of connection to brands and a sense of belonging. Facebook isn't a viable option for Facebook for the sort of real-time connection and user-led interaction that can grow a true fan base.

The reason you should create an online community to serve your clients

 The benefits of having a forum for customers

Access member-led growth

The new breed of business that have a high impact, based around membership-based communities. Indeed, communities are an extremely profitable business model that McKinsey has identified as the most effective strategy for businesses in 2020. This is an example of a flywheel of communities.

We've witnessed the growth of organizations that are managed by their members, including customers communities. In the event that they're purchased, they may create incredible opportunities for recurring revenue. However, the community relies on the development of its members on autopilot.

It's been said that community is "a enterprise that's developing by itself" due to the mix of community-generated content and the energy generated by members and AI-powered tools that simplify the management of your community means it's now easier than ever to build relationships with people that will drive your business.

That's for the reason that big names including Logo, Apple, and Nike have all been leveraging, which results in huge profit. (See the following examples. )

Do not think of funnels. It's impossible to beat a strong user base to boost a brand's image on autopilot.

Enhance the brand's reputation and increase its loyalty

The 2022 study concluded that vibrant communities of brands have an impact the loyalty of brands. The community can become an integral element in the character of a person. Actually, the strong link between social identity and loyalty to a brand is an intentional process that can influence perception of value and customer's satisfaction with the brand.

The process of transforming customers, subscribers or even followers to members shouldn't take at face value. As opposed to other interactions, members form a part of.

Belonging instead of spending is the most important aspect in establishing a community flywheel.

CLV to increase

We know that customer lifetime value (CLV) is driven by retention. But only a few brands consistently get it right. According to a study conducted by SurveySparrow, SurveySparrow observed that the best brands had an almost 94% retention rate, even though retention was at or below 4 percent in certain sectors.

Brand loyalty is not a valuable thing by itself, it does lead directly to a higher lifetime value. It's a simple fact that retention and returning to customers through the process of converting them to members could increase your CLV more than anything otherwise.

It makes selling effortless.

One thing that was discovered in study of community flywheels study of flywheels in community settings showed is that selling becomes radically easier when it is in a group.

The conventional sale funnel is designed to guide every lead you can get through sales only to lose them until you reach the tiny proportion that can buy.

If you have a customer-centric community, there's no reason to make this. The majority of members in the "leads" will always be warm and, unless they choose to leave your community, they'll stay in your ecosystem regardless of whether or not they're ready or not.

It's an ideal environment for sales, where you don't need to rely upon deadlines and pressure. Simply continue to nurture and provide worth and see the incredible outcomes when you try to promote an item. Some of our communities inform us that they have people asking members for items to purchase.

Then we come to...

Find the best feedback

Customer feedback is crucial. However, HubSpot's research team observed that: 42% of firms do not ask their clients for the time to solicit feedback!

Did you know there was an easier way to collect feedback rather than creating questionnaires and then just waiting for answers?

Meet the community of customers. In our conversation with the women's clothing brand Oiselle Volee about their community of customers we heard something amazing. The Oiselle customer group offered members an area to connect with. Additionally, it provided a vital feedback loop that could be used to improve the design of new products. It was possible to get immediate feedback on product concepts or the creation of new products. Sometime, they'd even have customers requesting things they'd never even considered.

Automate customer service

We've chosen Apple as a fantastic customer-centric model in the next. Apple uses their customer community to offer support for customers and also to gamify the entire process to ensure that only those who are the most loyal Apple users can join the community to answer questions at no cost!

This is a fantastic method for using brand loyalty by leveraging the feelings of belonging which customers feel for the brand to create something that is productive, making customer service come to life.

Instead of dialing a 1-800 number, or waiting for chatbots, users have the option of getting their questions answered in the forum. That's powerful.

Transforms can occur

A majority of consumers purchase or services as they want some thing. Most of the time, it's an alteration related to some sort, for instance you're trying to get rid of clutter in up your home (i.e. oven cleaner) for example, or dropping 10 lbs (ie. running equipment) or even to create the ideal garden (i.e. a gardening magazine), or to spend weekends in the backyard with family (i.e. barbecue ).

If someone is able to purchase a tent, that isn't a guarantee that they'll use it. It is here that a well-established customer community is found. If you can surpass the sales, and assist your clients achieve success with your service or product then you'll be surrounded by raving supporters who'll share the news to their acquaintances about your company. Customer communities aren't just to increase revenue. The goal is to assist your customers succeed.

There's more! A vibrant customer-based community can offer useful feedback on your products and services and could need to be paid for.

In light of this as well as other reasons, it is clear that developing a customer community is a great benefit. What are you waiting around to do?

     Discover how you can make use of it to create a vibrant community of customers here!

Harness real engagement

If your idea of engagement with customers is the posts you post on social media will have fifteen people who like them, you're playing the wrong strategy. Communities of customers can result in authentic customer engagement and relationships with customersRemembering the goal is to make clients become an integral part of the community.

It's stunning when you step away the content of social media and create genuine engagement that people enjoy.

8 awesome examples of customer communities.

1. Topstitch Makers

There are numerous incredible examples of communities that cater to users right here . Look at Leigh Metcalf, who built an Mighty Network (AKA a "sewcial network") within her fabric and sewing business: Topstitch Studio and Lounge. Topstitch's Mighty Network, Topstitch Makers provides a platform to gain knowledge and offer regular sewalongs, to assist participants in their quest to attain the successful business they envision.

2. Duolingo

Duolingo app has made learning a new language simple, quick, and quite cost-effective (freemium)! On the other hand, Duolingo has a dedicated group of volunteers that dedicates themselves to helping its users answer their questions about language and making the app better.

The platform is based on the notion that EVERYONE should have access to languages Polyglots who are zealous give their time to bring additional languages and programs onto the platform!

3. Oiselle

Oiselle is a running clothing company which aims to go over and beyond the sale of its products and help its customers connect with and learn from the rest of the world. Oiselle has created an Mighty Network, Oiselle Volee founded on the passion for exercising. It started out as a place that you could meet a running partner, but it was expanded by the pandemic, and has now encompassed all the things that the Oiselle community can do; there are 4000 members that can access an area to connect via real conversations, and vibrant virtual gatherings.

4. Lego

Lego is a multibillion-dollar brand beloved by kids for its amazing building potential and is often viewed by parents as little mines which could cause harm if you walk on them.

Just kidding!

In reality, Lego is loved around all over the world by children and adults alike, and an army of committed builders share their thoughts about the Lego customer base. Members are able to choose which Lego models will be given the seal of approval to be authentic Lego kits!

5. Peloton

Peloton became popular during the outbreak when everyone was trying to stay fit within the comfort of their homes. Peloton created a powerful group of users who exercise. Members can exchange scores, chat via video between sessions and also encourage fellow members in the Peloton Facebook page.

6. Adobe

Adobe products focus on producing images, videos music, as well as other media. They're standards in the industry. However, ask any person who has ever had the pleasure of using one of the Adobe software and they'll be able to tell you that they're not easy to understand.

The Adobe customer community provides customers to post questions and receive responses as well as share their tips on getting the most value from the program. The slogan of the company "Come to receive help and feel inspired" basically sums up their philosophy, which begins by helping users to discover the applications they use, as well as taking the user along a path to mastering their art.

7. Apple

Apple has created a vibrant user community, which also serves as a customer service platform. The company has even made the game playable so that users earn more points and also have access to greater options for community moderating at the top levels they progress to. Participants who make it to top levels are also granted access to an exclusive community.

If you're considering it, gaming the customer service so that customers be willing to assist the other with help is quite a brilliant approach to build an online community of customers.

8. Shopify

If you want to experience a fantastic customer-centric community take a look at Shopify. Since Shopify helps their customers build shops to market their products. The Shopify community is committed to facilitating training and building knowledge through answering commonly -asked questions, as being able to organize live events.

Do you have the skills to establish your personal customer base?

It doesn't matter if your community for customers will be one that is a non-profit or it is a community-based model, or an e-mail subscription to bring an extra income Join us to build your community by using Mighty!

Mighty connects classes as well as information as well as community and commerce. Flexible Spaces allow you to build an unrivalled customer experience unlike any else, mixing conversations, livestreaming, chat and chat and live events, classes, and even online (if you'd like). You are able to choose the features you would like (and keep the others unaffected). ).

Mighty gives you a suite of member-management tools to make it easy to run the community, and our AI community-engine-Mighty Co-Host(tm)-automates things like member profiles, landing pages, course outlines, and even discussion questions. It's much easier to build an active customer base with only a few hours of each week.

Additionally there is Mighty Pro You get G2's most popular community software in the basis of your own named application. It's your app that is available on both the App Store, as well as Google Play Store. Google Play Store. Additionally, if you build with Mighty Pro, you'll work alongside our team of Account Executives as well as Community Strategists that have helped grow seven-figure brands for creators and eight-figure subscription-based businesses.

Call us right now to show you what we can build together.

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