Want to Build a B2B Community? Participate in Legendary Communities
A few weeks ago I shared a thought on Twitter about the importance of “creating” on the side.
The Tweet garnered quite a response! It looks like I struck a chord with the sentiment behind the Tweet. If you are a Marketer, you likely have an innate passion to create and tell stories. In my opinion, you should continue to create on the side, hopefully around something you are passionate about. This will help you hone that instinct.
The benefits compound over time — you extract all the creative juices that can occasionally stagnate in your everyday job, and you improve the foundational skills that make you a good marketer in the first place!
But, I’ve expanded my thinking on this topic.
Over the past few months, I have been doing a lot of thinking around Community. What is a Community? Who is part of a Community? Why build a Community? What motivates a Community?
Community building is a natural companion and extension to Customer Marketing, but my recent thinking has evolved to where I now view a true community (within B2B SaaS) as broader then just a user community.
A true Community should include not just your users and your employees (because, let’s face it, we know that type of community will skew toward advocates and marketers)….it should also be an open forum for all individuals passionate about the technology you develop, the movement you form or serve, and beyond. With the right parameters and moderation, this can include Partners, Analysts, Educators, Executives, and more.
So if you are looking to build a community, how should you go about honing the skills needed to be a true builder, moderator and facilitator? Well, you should get active in other communities on the side, of course. And, just like with anything creative, it helps to be passionate about the community, the product, and the people.
Here are a few communities I feel connected to, and play a relatively active role in:
Peloton — Ok, owning a Peloton and being actively involved with the workouts is no longer exclusive. Post-pandemic, it now seems that everyone owns a Peloton. And there is good reason for that! Beyond the heart-pounding workouts, Peloton is a brand that has transcended product and produced a true community of member that challenge each other, grow with each other, and extend and promote the benefits of exercise beyond the bike. This community feeds into other areas across fitness, music, business and more.
Yeti — A premium brand, like Peloton, but for other reasons. When you buy a Yeti product (be it a cooler, a mug, a bucket, or even a dog bowl), you are buying performance, excellence and an invitation to experience challenges that pair better with cold drinks and rugged packaging. The Yeti community is an invitation to get moving and explore the great outdoors.
Fender — This one is easy. Most people involved in the Fender may not actually own a Fender guitar (although they may own a pick, a strap or maybe a T-shirt). But Fender (like Yeti) has many a passionate fan due to the innovative and lasting design of their famous guitars. And, Fender has evolved the brand to include the Fender Play guitar training app, expanding their community beyond passionate hobbyists and musicians to beginners. A true community is inclusive for all levels of aptitude.
And finally, a community that is less traditional than the three above. The Pearl Jam community.
Pearl Jam, like many other bands and musicians, has a brand based on authenticity and longevity. Through 30 years of music and thousands of live shows, the band has generated a vibrant and rabid fan base and community that cuts across generations. Unlike other acts, Pearl Jam care about the experience they create for their community — through consistently varied set lists, evolved studio performances, seasonal “surprise” record drops and much more.
But instead of consuming from afar like usual, this year, I decided to get a little more active in the community amidst the pandemic. Unlike my other three examples, this included getting out of my comfort zone and being ACTIVELY involved.
Pearl Jam has an active community of podcasts, blogs and more, so I volunteered to contribute concert reviews for the
Live on 4 Legs” pod/website, and even joined the Better Band pod to talk about one of my favorite songs from the Binaural album, “Thin Air”:
Pearl Jam, and the podcast above is not for everyone, but it is for me. I feel even more connected to the band by taking a more active role in the community, and I feel more connected to the power of community by being involved in one.
