Why Adding Followers Alone Won’t Build Your Community

Lately there seems to be an ever increasing amount of $ offers to increase your social media following. Sorry, but this demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of how social networks function.

“The quality of the communities you build is much more important than the size of your following”
Someone famous in Source Title

But wait, there’s more. Despite the billions of dollars being poured into online communities almost 70 percent of customers never participate. Why?

Here are some of the reasons why communities fail.

· Lack of planning

· Outdated content

· Uninspired discussions

· Low engagement

· No way to build relationships with other members

Many communities also lack the power of Brand Advocates - A.K.A. Superfans, who are passionate about promoting and interacting with your brand anywhere they can.

Brand Advocacy and community go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.

What is the link between Brand Advocacy and building a community?

Without brand advocates to attract and engage members through interesting discussions and content, communities turn into virtual ghost towns. Conversely, if advocates don’t feel a sense of community engagement, they won’t get the recognition they need to continue participating, which means nobody is spreading your brand’s message!

"I have learned from beBee that my influence will be determined by how well I place other people’s interest first" Donald S. Grandy

As most of you know we Canadians are crazy about Hockey….. eh! Brands can take a lesson from pro sports teams and realize that when you can create an authentic connection with a supporter, you’re one step closer to turning a fan into a Brand Advocate. Hockey fans feel a connection with their respective teams and players. It spills over at work, their neighborhood, and man caves. Getting into the right conversations, and creating authentic engagement with hockey fans throughout the regular season and playoffs, provides a lasting connection, and turns a fan into a Brand Advocate/Super Fan.

Hockey Superfan Aged Two -  Becomes Viral Sensation

https://youtu.be/ugCZShiNIZw

Although sports are part of the fabric of Canada, brand advocates and super fans go beyond hockey and Canada. The principles of building a community of Brand Advocates – AKA Superfans, however, remains the same.

Hey! Wanna buy 10,000 followers on Twitter? Probably Not!