The internet and fast connectivity made e-commerce thrive. Now, many are able to make additional earnings from hobbies they habitually do for fun. Social media has also integrated a marketplace feature to expand the reach of businesses. Facebook is one of the forerunners in utilizing social media for scaling one’s business.
Setting up an online shop can be done with just a few clicks. But, many are having a hard time moving to the next step. Then after a few months, they find themselves with the question, “How to grow my small business online?”.
Importance of Brand Community
Building connections has always been a constituent in the process of technological advancement. Society’s desire for constant communication paved the way for innovation in telecommunication.
As society developed throughout the years, people learned to build connections with a shared commonality – a community. It has always been refreshing to find a group of people who shares something in common with each other. At times, communities with a shared goal help in shaping the future.
The 20th century instigated the rise of the Digital Age. Now, the community is not only found in a local geographical area but is also having a presence in the Digital Space.
Companies also learned to develop communities within their brand to strengthen their corporate social responsibility. Companies learned the importance of such programs in building a relationship with their stakeholders. Starbucks is one of the well-known brands that continuously develop communities that help different groups in society.
Facebook is one of the most accessible social media platforms that online businesses can use to scale their business. The desire, grow my small business online, is common for most MSMEs – Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises- since the majority of MSMEs have built their businesses online.
Nowadays, effective marketing is understanding the importance of narrowing your target audience. With the abundance of the platform available for companies to use, advertising has shifted from general to a more specific approach.
It has been evident that creating an advertisement for a large and general audience will turn to be costly and ineffective. A broad and unspecified message will just be buried in the thousands of content being produced every day. Indeed, this is the information age. Every advertising content must be directed to a specific audience to ensure reception.
By building a strong brand community, small online business owners will be able to ensure a cost-efficient advertisement. Moreover, the brand community itself is a target audience.
Trust and loyalty in the brand can also be improved with the help of a brand community. Investing in improving brand loyalty will have a long-term benefit in sustaining a small business.
Scaling a small online business does not mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars. Here are some tools you can use to grow a brand community that will serve as your foundation for scaling your business:
1. Facebook Group
It is beyond doubt that Facebook has helped thousands of businesses grow. Even more so when they introduced the Facebook Ad and Facebook Page. The introduction of Marketplace feature has established their intention of setting foot in E-commerce. Unfortunately, the Facebook group feature is the least used by businesses. There are only a handful of brands that have established an official group to build a community. Instant Pot and Canva has proven that the brand community will thrive and grow with the help of the Facebook group. Instant Pot is probably one of the biggest communities on Facebook with 3 million members. In the Facebook group, Instant pot enthusiasts were able to share new recipes and quick fixes. The brand was also able to share contents they have produced that will surely strengthen the interest of the members with their product. Instant pot found a platform that they can freely share their advertising content and ensure that the content will reach the target audience it intends to reach.
2. Social Media Statistics
It is not adequate to only be familiar with the social media platforms available. It would also be beneficial to understand the information the social media statistics infer. A study shows that social media users spend 2 hours and 15 minutes on average online. To ensure that the brand community will sustain and grow, small business owners must figure how to create content that will capture the attention of the users.
3. Streaming Platforms
Going live and interacting with your customers provides your business a clearer insight of your customers. These type of engagements sustains the interest of your customers in building a tight community. Many brands are using streaming platforms to host online events that unite the brand community.
Having a strong online presence is essential to small online businesses. An online brand community will help small businesses scale. The brand community will open opportunities that can be easily managed by small online business owners.
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