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Right on, WSJ - The Fans Do Know Best!
August 19, 2009 |
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by Adam Farren
The Wall Street Journal published an insightful article this week titled "Creating a Successful Online Community: The Fans Know Best," written by a pair of associate marketing professors. It's ultra-relevant to Huddler's business model and presents an opportunity to discuss the subjects we love most. Namely, what makes an online community successful; how brands can leverage these communities to drive awareness, customer loyalty, and sales; and best practices for creating or marketing in forum communities.by Adam Farren
The article talks first about the haves and have-nots among web forums:
"The haves are the sites where visitors like to hang out, exchanging ideas and information, chatting freely about the product or company...(whereas) the have-nots...tightly control what visitors can discuss--often, the product only--and offer few ways for them to interact."
On Huddler sites, everything is created from the bottom up, by the user; whether it's a discussion thread, wiki, or product review, what gets discussed is what our participants want to talk about. Contrast this with tightly controlled sites where content is dictated by what a site owner or brand advertiser might want to see. The difference is what makes forum content powerful; people are thinking about products because they choose to do so, and because they are passionate about them. If brands can join into these discussions without dictating what's discussed, there's an opportunity to make an authentic connection with core consumers.
Easier said than done, however; many brands are afraid of forums because the content is not controlled, and because they may be criticized or read complaints about their products. But intelligent marketers should embrace and address these criticisms, rather than ignoring them. As Drs. Dholakia and Vianello wrote:
"Part of giving up control is also giving visitors the freedom to complain and criticize the brand, or to wax lyrical about a competitor, to their heart's content. If a company's brand community restricts discussions, unhappy customers will simply go to one of dozens (and for many brands, hundreds) of enthusiast-run communities and vent just as much. The company loses the opportunity to gain insight from customers with potentially valuable criticisms.
Allowing customers to post criticisms and complaints is a good way to spot small problems before they become big ones. The company can respond both on the forums and by taking concrete steps to correct legitimate problems such as service issues or faulty product features.
When customers are free to say whatever they want about the brand, and draw comparisons with competitors without restrictions, this freedom results in greater degrees of credibility and trust in the information found in the community. Also, when complaints are handled well, customer satisfaction and loyalty skyrocket."
All of Huddler's partners are "enthusiast-run communities", and we firmly believe that customers should be free to say whatever they want about a product or a brand. And, brands should be free to respond! What better way to serve the customer than to hear the criticism, take action, and respond in the forum with a solution? That communicates credibility and respect for the needs of the client, which in turn results in repeat purchases, positive buzz online and in word-of-mouth conversations, and invaluable insight into what customers are thinking and saying about the brand.
The WSJ article also makes a recommendation to companies and marketers who want to harness the power of forums - monitor and support unofficial brand communities. To quote one last time:
"Many companies have no systematic programs in place to monitor and support unofficial brand communities. Some are not even aware of their existence....But systematically tracking and engaging these communities opens up a host of potential benefits for companies. Not only will marketers gain access to some of their most devoted and influential fans here, but they will also find more ideas for innovations; sharper criticisms of existing product problems, along with ideas for fixing them; and more sincere providers of customer service."
At Huddler, we believe there's great value in the content and participation on our partner sites. And we're uniquely positioned to provide companies with an opportunity to join in on this conversation. It's a great service to our users to give them access to representatives of the companies that fit their passions. And Huddler's power users not only buy products, they also review and recommend them to other enthusiasts in forum discussions, social media and word of mouth.
Why try to chase down elusive "market mavens" with magazine ads, a Twitter account, and a branded Facebook page when this only resonates with one out of every thousand who see them? Instead, our Industry Insiders program will bring brands directly to the most engaged, passionate users in the marketplace.
Huddler forums are the destination for enthusiasts, and the go-to location for millions of people looking for insight into their next product purchase. And Industry Insiders is where serious brands will show up when they're ready to participate in these purchase decisions and make a real impact on the web.
That's a taste of the concept, and all we've got for now - but more details are coming and the code is already flowing, so stay tuned.
Categories: New Features | Press
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