One of the greatest strengths that online communities provide, is the customer insights and first- hand business intelligence that comes from them. Harley- Davidson has even turned its own forum in to a revenue- generating centre. Unlike the previous generation of hobbyists, now it is full- time entrepreneurs who are raking in the moolah from their websites focused on topics as far- ranging as food, music, fitness or gardening. Online communities have in the long run, a massive potential for digital marketing. To create such a site that eventually the users will pay for, one needs to start with a substantial user base. Once created, the entire messaging has to be centred around the content displayed on the site. Here social media is of great help. One needs to be heavily involved, right from the go. The entrepreneur must make sure, the site never turns in to an internal clique. Relationships need to be managed in a way that they flourish online. One can’t ignore the simultaneous sales balance though, though the online community must never resemble yet another sales channel.

Source:https://hbr.org/2019/09/how-to-create-an-online-community-that-people-will-pay-for

Uploaded Date:14 October 2019