This may well be the most important question any business owner or employee can ask themselves… and there’s an answer. It requires patience and persistence, but it will increase your brand awareness and expand your community. Drum roll please, da da da da da…. it’s communication!
tIME FOR A LITTLE STORY
Picture yourself going to a party. You don’t go to many parties, so you’re excited to be there. The week prior you go out and buy an outfit, you may have even gotten a haircut… if you’re really going for it, a new pair of shoes are on the agenda. You want to make the effort, because there’s something that’s going to happen at this party, which is very exciting for you and all those attending… you’re going to have conversations.
The day has arrived, and as the party nears, waves of emotions rush over you… the self-talk goes into overdrive.
“I wonder who’s going?”
“I hope people like my dress”.
“Why isn’t my hair doing what I want it to?”.
“I hope I don’t come across weird”.
“I hope people like me”.
“I’m feeling a bit headachy, I think I’ll stay home”.
We as humans have a negativity bias that gears us towards adverse thinking, so every time you feel a little anxious, just remember, it’s quite likely that others feel the same way. So… knowing what this party means to you, the determination kicks in, and you go into preparation mode. Finally dressed, you book the taxi, and off you go.
You’ve arrived, a little nervous, and scanning the room you see interesting people everywhere… and guess what, they think the same about you. But then something happens. You start feeling anxious, the nerves are getting to you – here comes that negativity bias – and you start to convince yourself to leave. But then… someone engages in conversation, and suddenly, your confidence slowly builds.
By the end of the night, you’ve talked to various people, learned a bunch of new things, numbers have been exchange, you say a few goodbyes, hop in the cab, then finally arrive home… the effort was worth it because one thing still remains, the exhilaration you feeling when you’ve been valued. It makes you want to do it again, and again, and again. You wonder why you were ever nervous in the first place. That’s how we build confidence, and it starts with putting yourself out there.
the moral of the story
This is tale as old as time. Yes, sometimes you don’t get the conversation and that sucks, but that doesn’t mean you stop trying, because sooner rather than later, you’ll find the people you can relate to. So, what’s this got to do with building a brand community? Well, like all strong brands know, if you’re not creating the opportunity for conversation, then there’s no way to engage. That’s why communication is so important. How else are consumers going to find the brand, let alone talk about the brand, if you’re not communicating the brand? Again, yes… sometimes people don’t engage, or sadly, they can be rude… but you keep going because your brand solves a problem, and one day, someone who needs that will come calling.
If you take anything away from this piece, I want it to be this… in the above story, the brand isn’t the person, it’s the party. Your job is to invite as many people as possible to have a conversation. That’s how you build a community, that’s how you build trust and loyalty… and that’s how people champion your brand.
Don’t segregate, initiate.
Let there be conversation.
If you liked this piece, check out some of my older ones…
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