What is a Customer Community? (+Examples) |
One-directional customer relationships are so 2005. The greatest brands of our time don't just talk at their customers, they engage with them and build lasting connections. That's how a community of customers comes into.
In this post in this article, we'll talk about the definition of customer-centric community, using academic research to show what makes a customer community distinct. We'll discuss the advantages of a customer support community as well as provide customer relationship examples.
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What is a customer community?
A customer community is a dedicated space that hosts a relationship between a brand or company and their customers. It can allow for inquiries and responses, information exchange, customer education or promotions, as well as customer support and feedback. This relationship could be built in different ways, for example, through the use of email, a website and social media or a dedicated online forum.
The most important thing in this context is RELATED. Community-based customer services aren't just spaces for companies to launch sales pitches. The old saying is that people want to do business with people they "know, like, and trust," which is what a customer community does best. It allows this trust to grow.
Community of customers can be theoretically understood by examining what's known as " Social Identity Theory :" when people become an integral part of any social group-that includes good customer communities-they feel an identity, motivation, self-worth and self-worth.
Here are a few stunning examples of the kind of customer communities, be they free, enterprise communities, or brand community paid for achieve...
- A non-profit onboarded 9,000 nationwide members.
- A faith-based community expanded to 470 leaders in more than 67 countries.
- An entrepreneurship org. launched to 5,000 members and has recouped its capital investment in a community app for customers in 2 1/2 weeks.
- The health-focused launch of 100 high-ticket members increased the ARR by $40,000.
- One community started an add-on 13-week course that added $100k to revenues in only two months.
- A personal finance group generated $130K in five days with their latest course.
- One socially-minded SAAS firm incorporated a user-community application with regular meetings and experienced a 70% rise in engagement and contributions.
What a customer community isn't
Knowing the theory behind community-building helps us understand why great customer communities are not your email list or your Facebook page. For you to reap the advantages of a community, you need to have at the very least members that believe they belong.
In this regard below are some the things that a community of customers is not:
- An email list
- The number of followers on social media you've got
- Your Facebook group's members. Facebook group
- The amount of likes for your latest blog post
- The people calling the customer service line
- The chatbot users you have
As we've identified that the primary ingredient of customer communities is belonging and belonging, it's clear why these things aren't a customer-centric community. These are all interactions that involve your brand, but they're not connected to the feeling of belonging.
The closest thing here could be a Facebook Group however, even here we find very lack of brand connection and belonging. It's difficult to make use of Facebook for the kind of dynamic relationship and member-led engagement that grows a real brand-related community.
Why you should build a customer community
The advantages of a customer community
Access member-led expansion
A new generation of businesses with high impact built on the concept of membership communities. In fact, community is so powerful a business McKinsey identified it as the ultimate business model of the future and a flywheel for communities.
We've seen the explosion of growth companies led by members, including customer communities. If paid, they can create incredible recurring revenue opportunities. However, the community can also put development in the hands of an autopilot.
The term "community" has been used to describe it as "a enterprise that expands itself," due to the mix of member-generated content, excitement driven by members, AND AI tools to simplify the management of your community makes it's easier than ever to create those human connections that propel your company.
This is the reason why the big brands such as Logo, Apple, and Nike are all leveraging which is resulting in massive profits. (See the below examples. )
Do not think of funnels. Nothing beats a user community to grow a brand automatically.
Increase brand loyalty
A study in 2022 suggested that vibrant communities for brands can have such a profound impact on loyalty to brands, as the community is a significant element of the identity of an individual. The close relationship between identity in social settings and brand loyalty is a deliberate process that can influence perceived value and customer satisfaction.
Transforming customers, subscribers, or fans into members is something you should not take lightly. Unlike all of those relationship types, members belong.
And belonging instead of buying is an essential part in establishing a community flywheel.
Enhance CLV
It is well-known that the customer's life-time value (CLV) is influenced by retention, but very few brands get it right. In a study, SurveySparrow found that the top brands had a nearly 94% retention ratio, despite the fact that the retention rate was just 4% for some industries.
Though brand loyalty can be valuable by itself however, it can also lead to a higher lifetime value. It's a simple fact, because retention and connection-again by converting buyers into members can increase your CLV more than anything otherwise.
It makes it easy to sell your.
One of the things that was discovered in the research of community flywheels revealed was that selling is radically simpler when you have a group of people.
The traditional sales funnel is focused on moving all potential leads through sales sequence, losing more and more until you find the small portion that buys.
With a customer community there's no need to make this. Most members of the "leads" are always welcoming, and unless they decide to leave your community, they'll be part of your network whether they're ready to buy yet or otherwise.
This creates an incredibly wealthy sales environment, where you don't need to depend on fake deadlines or pressure simply keep cultivating the relationship and delivering value. You'll be amazed at the incredible results you get whenever you attempt to sell an item. A lot of our communities have told us that they even have members asking for things to purchase.
That brings us up...
Find the best feedback
Customer feedback is vital. But HubSpot's team of researchers found an average of 42% businesses don't survey their clients or collect feedback!
If there was a more effective method to collect feedback than sending out surveys expecting a response?
Enter: the customer community. In our conversation with the women's clothing brand-Oiselle Volee-about their customer community and they shared something amazing. The Oiselle customer base was providing members with a space to belong to. It also provided an important feedback loop for the development of products. It was possible to get immediate feedback regarding product ideas or new products. Sometimes, they even had customers requesting items they had not even thought of.
Set customer service to autopilot
We've highlighted Apple as a great customer community model below. Apple uses their customer community to provide customer support and even gamifies the entire process so that the most dedicated Apple users show up at no cost and provide answers for free!
This is a clever approach to bring brand loyalty to work, that allows users to channel the sense of belonging which customers feel for the brand into something that brings customer service alive.
Instead of dialing a 1-800 number or waiting on chatbots, users are able to get answers through the forum. That's powerful.
Transforms can occur
People buy a product or service because they want to purchase something. Usually, that something involves a change that is of some kind, whether it's a clean kitchen (i.e. oven cleaner) for example, or losing 10 pounds (ie. running equipment), to have the perfect garden (i.e. a gardening magazine) as well as to enjoy Saturdays in the backyard with the family (i.e. grilling out). ).
If someone is buying the tent does not necessarily mean that they are able to camp. This is where a great customer-based community can be found. If you are able to go above the transaction, and help the customers to succeed using the product or service you offer and you'll have enthusiastic supporters who'll share the news with them about your business to their acquaintances. A customer base isn't just about make more sales. It's about helping customers achieve.
There's more! A vibrant customer-based community can provide valuable feedback on your products and services. Feedback that you might otherwise have to purchase.
Because of these and other reasons having a user community is a great idea. What are you wasting time for?
Find out how you can use to create a thriving customer-based community right here!
Harness real engagement
If your idea of customer engagement is hoping your social media posts get 15 likes, you're in the wrong ballgame. The customer community is a way to create real customer engagement, real connections with your customers. Remember, we said that the aim is for a customer to be part of the community.
It's incredible when you are able to take off the treadmill of content of social media and create genuine engagement, which people love.
8 fantastic examples of communities for customers
1. Topstitch Makers
Some amazing examples of communities for customers right here on . Take a look at Leigh Metcalf, who built an Mighty Network (AKA a "sewcial network") to serve as part of her sewing and fabric business: Topstitch Studio and Lounge. Her Mighty Network, Topstitch Makers provides classes and weekly sewalongs that help members to stitch their way to successful outcomes.
2. Duolingo
Duolingo is the app that made language learning fun, easy, and pretty very affordable (freemium)! And behind the scenes, Duolingo has a dedicated volunteer community that devotes itself to answering user language questions and improving the quality of the application.
Sold on the idea that EVERYONE ought to have access the language of learning, these enthusiastic polyglots also volunteer their time to incorporate different languages and new modules on the site!
3. Oiselle
Oiselle is a female-focused clothing brand for runners that wants to go above and beyond selling products and assist its customers learn and connect with others. They've built an Mighty Network, Oiselle Volee built around the love of exercise. At first, it was just an opportunity to connect with a running partner, but the spread of the disease has expanded the scope of what it was that the Oiselle community can do; it's 4000 members who can access an area to connect via real conversations, and vibrant online events.
4. Lego
Lego is a multibillion dollar brand, known to kids because of its amazing construction capabilities and is referred to by their parents as tiny mines that can hurt you the moment you step onto them.
Just kidding!
Actually, Lego is loved around the world by kids as well as adults, and an army of dedicated builders offer their thoughts on the Lego user community. The members can also choose which Lego builds are worthy of stamping approval to become authentic Lego kits!
5. Peloton
Peloton gained prominence in the midst of the epidemic when we were all doing our exercise in our homes. Peloton created a thriving user community for exercising. Participants can share scores, video chat during their sessions, and support each other in the Peloton Facebook group.
6. Adobe
Adobe products are devoted to producing: videos, images as well as music. They're industry standards. But ask anyone who's ever utilized any Adobe product and they'll inform you that they're not easy to learn.
The Adobe Customer Community provides a space for people to discuss questions and solutions, as well as suggestions for getting the most of their software. Their motto "Come to get help, and be amazed," pretty much sums their philosophy, which begins by helping users discover their applications, and takes customers on a quest to learning how to master their craft.
7. Apple
Apple has built a thriving customer base that also can also serve as a customer service platform. Apple has also gamified their experience to ensure that users earn more points, and also have access to greater community moderation features when they progress to higher levels. Users who get to the upper levels also gain access to an exclusive community.
Yes, you're thinking it, gamifying your customer support such that your customers would are willing to provide one another with assistance is quite a brilliant way to make application of a community for customers.
8. Shopify
For a great customer community take a look at Shopify. As Shopify helps their customers build shops to market their products, the Shopify community is dedicated to training and education as well as answering questions and even hosting live gatherings.
Ready to build your own community of customers?
No matter if your community for customers will be a non-profit enterprise or community-based one, or an e-mail subscription to bring an extra income Join us to build your community using Mighty!
Mighty integrates classes and content with community and commerce. Our spaces are flexible and allow you to create a community for customers unlike any other. We mix in discussions, chat & chat, livestreaming and classes, live events and more (if you want). Choose the features you want (and switch off the rest). ).
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 significantly easier to establish a vibrant customer-centric community in less than a few hours working a week.
With Mighty Pro You get G2's top-ranked community software on your own branded app-that's your app in the App Store and Google Play Store. Plus, when you build using Mighty Pro, you'll work with our team consisting of Account Managers and Community Strategists that have built the size of 7-figure creator brands as well as 8+-figure subscription companies.
Call us today and we'll show you what we could build together.