By Daniel Murray

How do you build a loyal customer base? By giving them the best experience you can through great content.

Mark Kilens is CMO at Airmeet, the all-in-one platform for your virtual and hybrid events and webinars.

He joins Daniel as they get into the weeds of how to start creating an experience for your audience, the importance of community, and how events can create communities.

You’ll also hear what Mark learnt as former VP of Content and Community at Drift and as VP of Hubspot Academy.

And if you LOVE The Marketing Millennials drop us a five-star review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/marketingmillennials, I really appreciate your support!.

Follow Mark:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markkilens

Twitter: twitter.com/MarkKilens

Keep up to date with the latest news from The Marketing Millennials:.

Follow Daniel on Twitter: twitter.com/Dmurr68

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing

Sign up to The Marketing Millennials newsletter: workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials

The Marketing Millennials Ep 99 Blog

3 Ways to Build Community: Why Content is King

In a digital world, online communities are not only popular, they’re a necessity.

It’s no longer just about website forums or social media groups. Content creators have discovered new ways to build online communities that allow users to interact and share content in real time.

This article will explain why content is king when it comes to building community, and what you need to do as an entrepreneur, blogger, or business owner to build your own thriving community.

Why Content is King

In the 1980s, Ford and Chevy were the kings of car sales. But the car industry is now ruled by Toyota, BMW, and Honda. Why? They invested in a new business model and created a new kind of car ownership experience that changed the industry forever.

The same goes for the internet. Content is king because it is the primary attraction for almost every internet user. People are drawn to content.

In fact, we consume about 93% of our daily information through our eyes. That’s a lot of content!

Defining Community

A community is a group of people who interact and share information with one another online.

A strong community is made up of members who have a similar purpose, share interests, and can collaborate together. When it comes to building community, you need to prioritize member interaction above all else.

3 Ways to Build Community with Content

1. Create a platform for user-generated content: Let your users post and share their own content. This will establish your community as a place where people can post their thoughts, ideas, and interests. It allows members to feel empowered and engaged with your brand. You can encourage content creation by providing prompts, questions, and categories where your members can post. 

2. Create an ad-free environment for your community: If you are charging people to join your community, they will expect an ad-free experience. A common expectation among paid members is that they will experience something ad free. If you don’t deliver on this expectation, you risk losing members. 

3. Offer exclusive benefits for community members: If you want to really attract and engage your members, you need to offer exclusive benefits, creating a sense of value and exclusivity. When people feel like they are getting more value out of your community, they are more likely to stay engaged.

Takeaways

The vast majority of customers expect far more than just a transactional arrangement, buying into a community that shares their values and beliefs, and that is highly responsive turns a one-time customer into a brand ambassador. 

While it takes and requires a degree of momentum, it’s an activity that’s well worth the time and dedication of any marketing team.

Hook your customer in with high quality, relatable content, keep them engaged with a dynamic relationship.