value of communities by maria sipka

Your Relationship Ecosystem

How businesses leverage community tools to better connect with their key stakeholders

By Maria Sipka | CEO www.linqia.com

WEBINAR TO PAC MEMBERS | 1ST SEPTEMBER 2009

Communities are rarely used for direct selling…

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.. but rather as a relationship conduit

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1.  Corporate Voice Community

2.  User-Generated Content/ Micro Site Campaign

3.  Enthusiasts Community

4.  Associations/ Subscribers Community

5.  Loyalty Community

6.  Innovation Community

7.  Peer Support Community

8.  Event Community

8 Community Types

Source: Awareness

2,000+ social networks

160 million communities

1.6 billion people online

950 million social network members

350 million community members

The Numbers

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See community tools as means to liberate your key stakeholders

Collaboration Channel

Communication Channel

Before Now

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Which means the rules have changed

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Take off your marketing, PR, advertising, sales, market research… hat for a moment

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…and put yourself into the shoes of your key stakeholders

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Understand the role of online communities in your relationship ecosystem

A brief journey to…

Your Offering

Results/ Pulse Check

Retention

Setting Objectives

Community Planning

Acquisition/ Uptake

The Relationship Cycle

Phase 1

Phase #1

Your Offering

Results/ Pulse Check

Retention

Setting Objectives

Community Planning

Acquisition/ Uptake

What are you thinking of offering?

Is there really a need?

Who are your key stakeholders?

How do they currently behave?

Before you start…

Research Validate Crystalize

Phase #2

Your Offering

Results/ Pulse Check

Retention

Setting Objectives

Community Planning

Acquisition/ Uptake

What does success look like?

Over what period of time?

How are they tied to your business goals?

How and when will you measure success?

Paint a picture…

You can’t manage what you don’t measure

Phase #3

Your Offering

Results/ Pulse Check

Retention

Setting Objectives

Community Planning

Acquisition/ Uptake

What is your budget?

What internal + external people will you need?

Build or white label?

Where will you gather content?

Can you source sponsors?

The community plan

If you don’t have your own plan you become a part of somebody elses

Phase #4

Your Offering

Results/ Pulse Check

Retention

Setting Objectives

Community Planning

Acquisition/ Uptake

How are they segmented?

Where do they hang out?

How will you reach out to them?

What’s are the different carrots you’ll offer?

Go get them!

Focused Targeted Authentic

Phase #5

Your Offering

Results/ Pulse Check

Retention

Setting Objectives

Community Planning

Acquisition/ Uptake

When do you know you’ve achieved success?

How does your community fit into your stakeholders life?

Formalized referral?

Integrating your CRM?

Return on investment

The proof is in the numbers

Phase #6

Your Offering

Results/ Pulse Check

Retention

Setting Objectives

Community Planning

Acquisition/ Uptake

Keeping your relationships engaged

Deepening relationships

Loyalty initiatives?

Evangelists

Don’t give up to early!

Aim to distribute the workload by engaging your community

Transparency + Engagement +

Consistency + Collaboration +

Celebration + Simplicity +

Measurement = Community

Keep in Mind Always…

Maria Sipka Founder/ CEO www.linqia.com www.themoderatorcommunity.com

Tel: +34 626768788 maria.sipka@linqia.com  

Barcelona | Geneva | Silicon Valley 

TwiJer:  

@mariasipka  

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