The Importance of Community Management for Any Brand or Business
It’s no secret that social media plays an essential part in any brand or business. Online communities exist for almost every imaginable industry, and often, members of these communities will consult a business’ social media page as a deciding factor before completing a purchase.
For companies that actively regulate and use their social media, more opportunities will present itself to connect and interact with customers (and potential customers) at a more personable and effective level. Managing these communities on social media can be crucial to the long-term success of your business, and with the rise of mobile applications like Yelp, Facebook, and Instagram; the ability to see and respond to customer concerns is made increasingly available. It’s no surprise that, according to Sprout Social, the top choice for receiving customer care is now through social media.
Managing these pockets of communities, however, can be time-consuming and a full-time job. For this, you can consult a company for community management who can best provide you with the help you need. As this role becomes readily intertwined into the daily routine of your business or brand, the following benefits of community management will come to fruition.
Brand Presence
Community managers work as your brand advocates, introducing your product/service into new corners of the umbrella industry. So, as you become more active online through community management, your brand presence will also improve. A company for community management achieves this by regularly following up with your social contacts and maintaining those relationships, but also focusing on acquiring new relationships by reaching out to new networks and community niches. Doing so increases the number of potential customers for your business, as your brand presence and reach spreads out further into different social bubbles. Regular interaction from a community manager with existing social contacts and potential customers may even earn you the backing of social media influencers as earned media. With a growing brand presence, you may also see increases in a level of engagement from your consumers.
Better Reputation
As your brand presence grows and engagement increases, keep in mind that it’s only becoming easier to access and see discontent with and complaints about a brand’s service/product through social media as customers turn to applications like Yelp to rate their experience. By being immediately reactive to strong opinions, positive or negative, a company for community management will build a better reputation for your brand as well as see a closer relationship to your customers while you grow within their communities. If your business or brand is consistently interacting with your communities by answering complaints or reaching out to influencers, you’re simultaneously fortifying your relationships with your customers and building brand loyalty. In investing in community management, brands develop a trustworthy and customer-oriented image.
Receive Feedback
As consumers engage more with your community manager, a company for community management will be able to give your business feedback on how your brand is perceived in the minds of the consumers. Community management also can moderate the success of a brand’s digital presence based off the feedback received. By understanding customer complaints and compliments, your business can make more strategical moves.
Rise in Sales and Web Traffic
The end goal to community management for most is to increase web traffic and see a rise in sales. As community management discover new niches to target, push brand presence farther, and receive feedback on the success of your online profiles, a business can actively adapt to consumer trends and see a rise in sales and website traffic.
Without community management, your business risks losing a customer to a competitor or cultivating bad PR due to lack of communication. Sprout Social states that expected response time over social media is from 0-4 hours, but in reality, response time can take up to 10 hours. With community management, however, your business can be proactive when dealing with your consumers digitally, learning more about the fabric of your business’ industry, learning how to attract new customers, and building a loyal relationship with your current customers.