How to Use Content Marketing to Build a Brand Community?

Content marketing and communities go well together. The keyword is connection, according to Karen Vandenbossche, Co-founder & Managing Director of BeContent. She explains the strength of the combination and concludes with a few tips.

A community grows by working on connection. One of the best ways to build long-lasting relationships is by using content marketing to connect with your target audience and gain valuable insights into your market or audience.

Communities are formed by like-minded individuals who share an interest in a particular topic or a relationship with a brand or company. Brands that can bridge the gap and connect these like-minded individuals are in a unique position. It’s not just about building a connection between your brand and your customers, it’s more about connecting people with other people so they can share and feel welcomed in a community of individuals with common interests, goals, and above all, passions.

Values and Passion

A brand community should encompass all aspects and values of the organization or brand. People love to belong to a community where others share the same values and interests. They are fueled by the enthusiasm they receive from one another and want to share things that they know others will identify with and find interesting. People who are passionate will speak and share with enthusiasm what is important to them. This helps attract other like-minded individuals who are passionate about the niche and the market you are in.

#Sharingiscaring

It starts with a two-way conversation. The content you put out into the world must be valuable and relevant at every stage of your customer journey. If the content isn’t high-quality or is too commercial, they will immediately see through it. Consumers now know the difference and are only open to content that is relevant or useful to them. Influencer marketing is gaining ground because of this. Friends, family, and experts are considered more credible. They act as ambassadors for your brand.

For example, JBC has its ‘Momsters’. These momfluencers gladly share their daily relatable stories and photos with the ‘JBC family’ community. They share their stories via social media, on the JBC blog, in newsletters, and in the magazine.

A community is formed to help people and cater to their diverse interests, not just to boost brand sales. People are eager to join a community because they are looking for answers, recommendations, support, status, inclusion, shared values, and ways to give back. In many cases, people are more interested in the various social aspects of being part of a brand community than in the brand itself. Social networking has become an important part of daily activities.

Not Broader but Deeper

One way to reach specific target groups within your community is by creating subgroups. When a limited number of people are brought together who all share a deeper understanding or similar interest, they are more likely to connect because the space is more intimate and direct. A subgroup can further connect those who might not have found each other otherwise. A subgroup can be made exclusive for various reasons depending on a brand’s goal, such as premium members, testers, and volunteers.

To help subgroups grow, you can create specialized content aimed solely at this target group. Once you have these subgroups, you can use them for various purposes, such as gathering opinions and other niche data. For example, ask members of a community subgroup what they think about an upcoming campaign you plan to launch, ask them about current activities, or get feedback on a new product or service before it is released to the public.

Community Membership Programs

Membership programs, both paid and unpaid, give customers a sense of special privilege. Marketers can treat customers like subscribers and provide them with premium content to improve and extend customer relationships. Special content shared with smaller groups and not the general public strengthens and retains customers for a longer period. The opportunity to share and learn from smaller groups can receive special insights and data; they may receive special discounts, freebies, sample products, and other rewards for participating in a brand sub-community or membership program.

Nurture Your Ambassadors

When you succeed in building a brand community, you have created a powerful part of your business. A brand community and its subgroups form a group of your most engaged customers. This group of customers inevitably becomes your most influential spokespersons. They are a valuable resource that can provide various insights. They will share their positive experiences with your brand, spread your news, buy your products, and tell you when you’re doing things right and when you’re not.

Content marketing is a great way to build a community. By creating and sharing content that adds value to your consumers, niche, and market, you bring people together. It is important to understand your customers, to know what they stand for, and how your brand fits into their lives.

Make sure you know the channels where your community is located and know when they are open to your content. Your brand doesn’t always need to take center stage, and the content you create doesn’t always have to place your brand at the forefront. Think carefully about their needs and create high-quality content that they will enjoy and benefit from. Create content that matters.

Finally, know that building a brand community takes time. It’s a long-term strategy, just like content marketing. But by creating a community, you grow your most influential customer base and improve your overall marketing strategy.