Future of Social Communities

The move to a true community repositions the topics of conversation from what the brand cares about to what the community talks about.

DEWALT, the leader in the professional power tool market, revealed that it has saved close to $6 million in research costs alone since launching its insight community.

INFLUENCERS ARE PRIORITIZING MONETIZED CONTENT AND COMMUNITIES AS AD REVENUE CAN BE UNRELIABLE

“If you look at these fan clubs or VIP memberships that have launched, it’s tied to exclusive, specific types of content being provided by influencers and celebrities.”- Krishna Subramanian, CEO of influencer marketing firm Captiv8.

Community Elements:1. Exclusivity: Early access to product. Members only merch. Access to content.2. Pricing: Percentage off sales. Shipping savings. Preferred partner pricing.3. Community: Access to communities. Members only events. Members only apps.

“People are more interested in the social links that come from brand affiliations than in the brands themselves.”

1. Start Small Scale Big

• Focus on building with your core audiences first, and let them become the advocates that recruit others

After establishing its FANography insight community, sports broadcasting leader ESPN has been able to bring market research in-house, saving approximately $650,000 in one year.

2. Own Your Community

• Brands can have dozens of non-official pages, but there can only be one official