Every company, no matter the size, relies on the support and goodwill of its customers to survive in today’s market – doubly so in an online world, where hundreds of competitors are literally just a click away. Following are a few simple tips for building a must-see website by cultivating a vocal and passionate online community that anyone can feel proud to be a part of.


1.) Provide a Dedicated Forum for Discussion

The first rule of community engagement: Establish a dedicated, persistent venue where users can feel comfortable sharing, discussing and debating whatever’s top of mind. This outlet can take the form of a message board, blog, newsgroup, custom social network or even Facebook fan page.

2.) Encourage Sharing Through Social Media

By giving audience members the power to re-tweet stories amongst themselves, share links to items and happenings of note and embed interesting pieces of content on their own websites, you expand your company’s reach far beyond the initial distribution list, and create a sense of momentum behind any update.

3.) Make Communications a Two-Way Street

A conversation in which only one party is speaking isn’t a

dialogue – it’s a discourse. From comments sections to ongoing surveys/polls

and email submissions, you’ve got to give fans a vehicle to respond. Moreover, it’s also imperative that acknowledgement of their input be given.

4.) Be Committed

Before setting up that Twitter account or Facebook fan page,

consider: You’ll be expected to make regular updates, actually respond to users’ comments and (gasp) not disappear for days on end while reams of canned responses or ghostwritten clips serve as filler. Whether you hire dedicated community managers to help or simply split up social media duties amongst existing team members, someone’s always got to man the front lines.

5.) Say Something Unique

Instead of copying what competitors are doing, pick a unique approach

and run with it, making as much noise as possible to let others know what you’re up to. By doing so, you’ll rally others with similar opinions to the cause and perk up the ears of potential detractors, whose voices will add to the richness and context of any debate.

6.) Empower End-Users

It often pays to let community members themselves take an active role producing and self-policing content. Wise business owners will also recognize and reward top contributors with special status and titles, access to exclusive events, free product, etc.

7.) Tap the Power of Crowdsourcing

Giving people the ability to participate in the design and construction of various supporting elements provides an opportunity for them to be recognized for their work, and have a lasting impact on the community at large and product, service or subject it’s based around. These practices can quickly generate empathy and enthusiasm.

Scott Steinberg, a top-ranked international event speaker on the lecture circuit, is a bestselling expert



on leadership and innovation, and the head of strategic consultancy TechSavvy Global. His website is www.AKeynoteSpeaker.com.

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