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September 14, 2020 Content Chat Recap: How To Build And Maintain A Thriving B2B Online Community

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Online B2B communities have been immeasurably valuable for companies of all sizes, helping to connect the brand and its audience to strengthen connections, exchange ideas, and ultimately provide value to the community members. The problem, though, is that online communities require a significant investment to get started, and keeping a community running has its own set of unique challenges.

In this #ContentChat, we are joined by David Berkowitz (@DBerkowitz), founder of the Serial Marketers community, to discuss what it takes to build and maintain a thriving B2B online community. Read the full chat recap below, where we discuss why a company would want to start an online community, how to determine the best platform for your online community, tips to drive community growth, and how to sustain your community long-term.

Q1: Why would a company want to establish a B2B online community? What business goals can a B2B community support?

B2B online communities can provide a range of benefits and opportunities for companies, including increased customer acquisition…

Engagement with community members, which is especially important as brands assess how to stay connected with their audience without meeting in person…

Strengthened thought leadership…

Opportunities for customer or partner testimonials…

And social listening and idea generation, just to name a few.

Derek raises a valid question: Are online community members usually representing complementary products or service offerings? Per Erika, most B2B communities are gathered around a shared specialization or industry, so there is likely competitive overlap within most online communities.

Q2: I have an idea for a business community but don’t know where to start. What are my next steps?

Start with the basics when building a business community: who is your audience, what value will they gain from the community, and what are your goals? Be clear on what you want to accomplish, and then assess what resources you will need.

Research other communities across platforms to understand how they work and how the members engage to assess how your community can borrow from these ideas. If possible, join a community to get a first-hand look at how it works.

Create a small board or committee with a few of your colleagues to work through the initial community plan and inform its direction from the earliest stages.

As David notes, no two communities will function the same. Be prepared to overcome your own unique challenges as your community develops, but research and planning stages are crucial to maximize your potential for success.

Q3: How do you decide which channel/platform is best for hosting your online community? What are the key distinctions between the leading community platforms?

Platforms will vary greatly in terms of functionality. Use the goals of your community to create an initial list of your must-have features.

Research which channel(s) your audience is most active on. While some platforms may have the features you need, it could be difficult to get your audience to join that platform.

Twitch and Discord, for example, are two viable community platforms, but they have historically been connected with the gaming community.

When in doubt, ask your audience in a survey or through 1:1 conversations to better understand their wishes for an online community.

Many communities use a mix of platforms to meet different needs. Focus on no more than two platforms when getting started, and clearly detail how each platform will be used.

Q4: What tips do you have for driving initial community growth?

Start with a small group of brand loyalists or high potential members to see how they use the community. Use them to guide any changes you make before opening the community to a larger group.

Ask your community members directly how you can improve their experience.

Invite notable industry guests to interact with your community (such as through Q&A sessions or on Twitter chats), or partner with other communities that overlap with the interests of your community.

Engage with people on social media that are involved in your industry.

Consider creating an awards or recognition program for the community that drives awareness of your community.

And, above all else, be consistent with your activities and have clear rules and guidelines for your community.

Some sure-fire ways to ruin your online community? Purchase all of your members, and bombard them with promotional content.

Q5: How do you sustain the success of an online B2B community?

Most marketers would agree that sustaining a community is hard work. The moderator will play a pivotal role in encouraging participation, soliciting suggestions, and curating topics and activities that are of most interest to the group.

As community champions arise, enable them to take on a bigger role in the group.

Consistency is essential for a thriving online community. Provide a regular cadence of relevant content, opportunities, and activities to sustain your community’s interest.

And keep an eye on your KPIs (see Q6) so you can refine your strategy based on what works best for your community.

Q6: How do you measure the success of an online community?

When you set your initial community goals, identify the KPIs you can track.

Engagement metrics and membership growth are two common online community KPIs.

Be sure to have a full understanding of a KPI and why you did or did not meet your goal before making a judgment of your community’s success.

Q7: What are some pitfalls to avoid when managing an online B2B community?

Pitfall: Waiting to launch new programs until the timing feels right.

Best practice: Launch new programs as they are ready (even if not “perfect”) so you are regularly providing value to your community. You will quickly become burnt out or risk hitting an output plateau if you focus on making everything perfect.

 

Pitfall: Allowing too much spam or self-promotion from the community members.

Best practice: Have a dedicated self-promo channel or day of the week.

Pitfall: Primarily focusing on your brand’s needs instead of your community interests.

Best practice: Focus all community activities on providing value for the members.

Pitfall: Company leadership does not understand the value of the community other than as a sales channel.

Best practice: Educate company leadership on the goals of your community and explain the long-term value that a community can bring.

Pitfall: Being discouraged by a lack of community growth or running out of activities or content.

Best practice: Remember that running a community is a marathon, not a sprint. Plan a steady cadence of content, topics, activities, etc. to keep your community engaged in the long run. It will take time for your community to grow, but consistently meeting (or exceeding) their needs will eventually lead to growth.

Pitfall: The community is taking an increasing amount of your time.

Best practice: Even from its earliest days, build a team to support your community.

Pitfall: Becoming too focused on gaining new members.

Best practice: While finding new community members is important, you must also focus on retaining your existing members. Focus your activities on providing value to them and improving their experience with the group. Over time, your existing members can become advocates that help bring more members into the community.

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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