Brief #134: Turning consumers into advocates (best practices)
Welcome to Future of Marketing!
Today we're discussing the power of community-building and how it can transform your customers into loyal brand advocates, with five techniques to create a community flywheel and real-life success stories like Clio Snacks experiencing remarkable outcomes within just 100 days.
Let's dive in...
How to Build a Community Flywheel
Community-building is easier said than done – but when done well, your customers become your brand advocates, your loyal ambassadors, and your driving force for growth.
According to McKinsey:
Brands that excel at [community-building] use five reinforcing techniques to encourage the development of a community flywheel.
Those five reinforcing techniques are:
- Understand your communities
- Make your brand story talkable & credible
- Focus on “hero products”
- Fuel the conversation across channels
- Make transactions effortless
By continuously reinforcing these elements – with agility, technology, and analytics – you build a community flywheel that generates positive momentum. As communities grow, they become more robust with increased diversity of perspectives, resources, and opportunities – thereby attracting even more members and thus, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that generates conversions, engagement, and sales.
According to Forbes:
Impactful communities add value when they support members, provide a sense of camaraderie, make strategic connections, and act as a source of advice that members can apply to their own lives.
💡 Think forums, polls, ratings & reviews, and user-generated content.
“The Big Online Brand Community Study” by Vesta found 73% of consumers felt positively about online brand communities – along with the top things consumers look for in brand communities, including:
- Activities to participate in (62%)
- Member exclusive content or offers (60%)
- Rewards and incentives for participation (57%)
- Regularly updated content (44%)
- Discussion between community members (43%)
- Mission, purpose and cause they care about (41%)
As you design your community-building strategy, focus on these motivations and find ways to facilitate discussions, engage with your customers, and create a unique buyers' journey. After all, 77% of shoppers are more likely to buyfrom brands that personalize their shopping experience.
Deep dive: 10 Community Building Ideas You Need to Try
#BrandCrush: Clio Snacks 💘
Clio Snacks transitioned from a Facebook-owned community to their own brand-owned community to generate more effective support and independence.
In the first 100 days of launching their community, The Clio Cravings Club Community, Clio Snacks experienced remarkable outcomes: a 25% increase in brand loyalty, a 10% boost in emotional connection, and a notable 23% increase in household penetration.
As a fast-growing challenger brand, Clio Snacks also uses their online brand community to scale impactful user-generated content, reviews, and photos across key online channels. They leverage survey capabilities to maintain an ongoing feedback loop – facilitating co-creation with consumers and strengthening the brand-customer bond.
Clio Snacks' success story is a testament to the power of community-building. Building and owning a brand community enables businesses to increase brand loyalty, deepen emotional connections, and expand their market reach. By embracing community-powered marketing, marketers can cultivate a passionate network of brand advocates and maximize their impact in the marketplace.
