Community marketing ideas are strategies used to engage the audience in an active, non-intrusive prospect and consumer conversation. This is the kind of marketing that normally focuses on the needs of existing customers. These are tactics involving the formation and engagement of brand presence for easy interaction with the community and existing customers. This kind of marketing mostly occurs in places such as Facebook groups, Twitter accounts and online message boards. The communities give the members the place to make their needs known and then give business enterprises an opportunity of responding to these needs and make customers feel important. Therefore this kind of marketing emphasizes the existing relationship between customers and the brand the business already has. Through creating and maintaining proper connections and relationships with the current customers via online communities or in-person, everyone who is involved benefits. Businesses will receive valuable response to their products and the handle on their interactive presence, while the customers will feel valued leading them to give give their loyalty to the businesses. These businesses will make their brand stay by actively involving word of mouth promotion, free product trials, active community involvement by all employees, and a deep concern for the needs of the customers. This type of marketing removes the distance between the brands and their customers by ensuring that there is a more loyal customer base and a better overall reputation. Community marketing is made up of two types: organic and sponsored. In organic community marketing, customers begin interacting with each other without the help of the brand. It means that customers can start interacting through twitter accounts and many other forums. Customers can get in touch with each other and ask questions, create their own assumptions about the product, and share the feedback. It is therefore important for companies to take some steps and monitor the discussions of the brand in order to know when the product is not meeting the requirements of the public. Sponsored is the type of community marketing which is developed by a brand itself. It involves the creation of correct social media platforms which allow the interaction of customers with the brand and other customers. Monitoring these interactions well and taking it seriously by responding to the questions and concerns of the customers, you will create loyal customers who will view the brand as an ally. These forms of marketing will help in connecting existing customers with the brand and with each other.

Community Marketing Ideas

Community marketing ideas are strategies used in generating intimacy and mutual values that your business desires. Start with good message and then build the community around the message. Some of the ideas you can use to create a community around your message are: Twitter and Facebook Social media has actually redefined the word community and has turned it into something that is globally and value based. Twitter and Facebook allow you to target the community geographically, but also enable you to create a community that is mission based. For example if you are marketing the cookie business into your geographical area, it’s best to create the Facebook page and invite any of your local friends. After inviting your friends, you can then invite the friends of your friends in your local area. By doing so, you will be expanding the community and network. Tweet about local events in order to re-create the physical community online and open another channel for communication. Create a Blog Through creating the community into the virtual space, you are actually controlling the environment where your message is delivered. Another idea is to expand your message by creating a blog. The blog is actually a biographical log of the business and how it associates itself with the community. Use the blog to tell more about your experience in the business. Talk about the community children and the neighbors at large. Use your blog to speak directly to the community allow anybody else in the internet to watch and enjoy. School and Religious Institutions  Sometimes the local community you represent is truly local. It is the school the children go or the religious institution that you attend. Creating a marketing campaign around these social centers that you are involved in is actually part of community marketing. This can be effective and convenient in expanding your markets. Let these schools know what you’re up to or be there at the religious institution, getting involved with the community while marketing your product. Remember to have your business cards available and any sign that says about how to follow you on Facebook. The Power of Postcards It is then time for you to pull up everything together with the use of the postcard. Create a community event and then invite the neighbors. Make sure you keep the mailing within a small area for neighbors to see that you are just few blocks away. Ask for contact information when visitors arrive and encourage them to find you on Facebook and Twitter.  On your invitation, put your blog and facebook information and remind these potential customers that you are from the school or church in the local community. How a Community Marketing Plan is Developed Customer communities can be formed naturally on their own, or it can be up to your business to develop some groundwork for the community and draw customers to it. Most companies are responsible for the development and maintenance of an appropriate brand image within the community. First, the company must know where to gather their community customers from; depending on the demographic your product appeals to and the various platforms that will be appropriate. When you choose the right place for building community promoting effort, the brand will be more likely to drive more participation. Decide what you want for your customers to gain from the interaction. Will the community be the place where you get some special offers, share stories with many other loyalists, receive troubleshooting advice, or all of the above? The desire for mutual benefit must be one of the primary goals of the marketing campaign, and it must be done in the right brand voice. Conclusion Community marketing ideas are one of the best methods for the company to employ in developing the brand voice. Because, the communication between and within the community is two sided and the brand has a lot of opportunities in interacting with potential customers. Through the interactions, a brand can assess exactly on how it is perceived and come up with adjustments accordingly.