Social Communities: Diamonds in the Rough by Gillian Muessig

Social CommunitiesGILLIAN MUESSIG

Diamonds in the Rough

eCommerce 1.0

product quality – return policies – solo experience

eCommerce 2.0

review/compare – COD – delivery speedeasy returns – social outreach

eCommerce 3.0

brand communities – personalized experiencesocial shopping – responsive sites

If social commerce…Then social communities

If / then…

These are not communities

Social Platforms

Nature of Communities

You know you want one

Shared Values

Shared Goals

Shared Experience

Shared Experience

Shared experience trumps the other two by a country mile

The more intense the experience, the stronger the community ties bind

Apply it to ecommerce

Portable – Personal - Participatory

Pinterest was born for you

Isitayes app

Personalization requires exclusivity

Finding Raving Fans

How to ID raving fans

Buy from youBuy oftenBuy lotsBy high ticket items

Possibly all of the above…..

Tell their friends

Finding diamonds on social platforms

Finding diamonds in niche markets

Find other common ground

It’s not about you

Create targeted content

Human branding

Icon branding

Gamification

Exclusivity breeds desire

…where people know your name

Incentivize sharing

Incentive is about more than cash

Help!

Recap• Tight niche markets• ID your buyers who share• Find interests OTHER than your product• Create content relevant to your buyer

but not about your product• Incentive sharing

Community-building tacticsBlogs + Blogging

Comment Marketing

News/Media/PR

SEO

Social Networks

Word of MouthQ+A Sites

Forums

Online Video

Podcasting

Webinars

Research/White Papers

Infographics

Social Bookmarking

INBOUND MARKETING!(AKA “free” traffic sources)

Direct/Referring LinksType-In Traffic

Email

Thank you!

Gillian MuessigAnne Kennedy

Outlines Venture Group