Showing posts with label b2b online communities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label b2b online communities. Show all posts

Is Your B2B Community Made of Cyborgs?

In the B2B world, automation has taken over in a big way. And while conversations have become virtual and communication has transformed radically, communities are still made up of humans and customers are real.

Unlike in a manga or anime series where cyborgs seamlessly communicate and connect wirelessly, a B2B online community is about building real connections and relationships. How many companies automate their responses on social media? If bots are the ones who like, pin, tweet and poke, do we as people have a voice at all?

Whether through blogs, discussion forums, surveys or support case groups, there are many online avatars that can be used to engage with your audience relevantly.

The community concept in a B2B sense is about creating brand awareness, connecting with customers, improving satisfaction, building business network and attracting new customers. It is about connecting with real people and not a data segment or an automated process. 

In the end, creating an online B2B community just because everyone is doing it is not going to revolutionize anything. You need to strategize plans, design goals and objectives, identify target users, develop resources, build relationships, manage connections, improve associations and connect holistically with the online community your business lives in!


Find Your Niche in a Niche within a Niche

91% of business buyers use social technology,
Out of which, 69% use social networks for professional purposes. 
Source:  Forrester Research

More B2B companies are realizing the importance and impact online communities create. It has become a platform where businesses can share ideas, publish content and build relationships with each other. 

B2B Online Communities
Through B2B online communities you can create a collaborative platform, promote customer education, improve brand loyalty and facilitate insightful exchange. There are various avatar which include, blogs, discussion groups, live chats, media sharing, surveys / polls, knowledge base and support case groups.

However, building an online B2B community just because everyone is doing it is not going to revolutionize anything!

In order to connect holistically with the online community your business lives in, it is important to strategize plans, design goals and objectives, identify target users, develop resources, build relationships, manage connections and improve associations.

In order to conceptualize your community’s concept, a simple checklist will help you understand how you can launch a B2B community relevant to your business. Find out more with ‘The Art of Creating an Online B2B Community to Maximize ROI’

Created Your Niche Community Yet?


B2B online communities provide a platform for organizations to connect strategically with their audience at a deeper and meaningful level. It opens doors to discussions in order to understand problems and find solutions. Moving away from chaotic social media interactions, private online communities may not boast of thousands fan followers, however the select few who are members are high value and genuinely wish to connect.

Online communities work great when your customers are open to sharing information, when they need to exchange notes about a product or service purchased, when they need to find ways of capitalizing on it, and are willing to participate in user groups.

Interactions in forums like online communities help in increasing customer intimacy, building brand affinity, improving awareness of new product launches, recent trends and opinions on future strategy executions.

Creating an online B2B community just because everyone is doing it is not going to revolutionize anything. Strategize plans, design goals and objectives, identify target users, develop resources, build relationships, manage connections, improve associations and don’t forget to connect holistically with the online community your business lives in!

This is only a snippet of the extensive benefit B2B online communities provide. If you wish to know more and create your own niche community, explore ‘The Art of Creating an Online B2B Community to Maximize ROI’