How to Engage and Grow Your Audience?

Arguably, the best branding decision Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta made regarding boAt was coining the term ‘boAtheads’.

As an aspiring lifestyle and youth-driven brand in 2016, Aman and Sameer understood that community building was of the essence for the success of their company.

And they were right!

To build a strong emotional connection with their buyers, they began calling them ‘boAtheads’ across platforms. By doing so, they created ample opportunities for organic social media engagement, fully harnessed the potential of user-generated content and positioned their customers as more than just buyers but as members of an exclusive club.

Within 5 years, boAt had crossed Rs. 1,500 Cr (US$ 171.53 Million) in revenue and even filed for an IPO in the Indian stock market.

So, what’s our key takeaway?

The success of businesses in the digital age relies on their ability to foster deep emotional connections between their brand and customers. It is the final key to long-term and sustainable growth.

Building a brand community involves creating an engaged and loyal customer base around your brand or product/service. It swims beyond sales and into the vastness of cultivating a sense of belonging, shared values, and meaningful interactions among your audience.

But how can businesses build a thriving brand community? Here are our top tips:

Clarify your Brand Purpose and Identity

Communities are built meaningfully. It is, therefore, necessary for businesses to reflect inward before building a brand community. By doing so, they can clearly define the brand’s purpose and identity.
Ask yourself:

1. What does your brand stand for? What are its missions and values?
2. Who is your audience? What are their interests, aspirations, and pain points?
3. What makes your brand unique? Why should people connect with your brand over others?

A well-defined brand identity ensures that your content, messaging, and interactions are consistent and resonate with your target audience.

Create Valuable and Relatable Content

The success of the word ‘boAtheads’ can be credited to its fun, entertaining, and catchy qualities.
In today’s digital age, content is king. It needs to either inspire, educate or entertain the audience. For instance, Zomato and Swiggy’s popularity only skyrocketed after their entertaining banter online.
Your brand must have a reliable and packed content calendar including content that:

1. Tells your story
2. Provides educational value
3. Engages visually
4. Encourages conversations.

Leverage Social Media and Digital Platforms

The introduction of digital platforms and social media has positively changed the marketplace. They are powerful tools for community building and sustenance.
Study your audience thoroughly to map out the most effective and active social media platforms for your brand.

Create a social media plan accordingly, keeping in mind the following tips:

1. Post content that encourages conversations and allows interactions.
2. Use engaging formats such as live Q&As, behind-the-scenes footage, games and giveaways.
3. Encourage user-generated content by giving your buyers a platform and asking them to post about their experiences.

Nurture Two-Way Communications

Communities are built on conversations, not broadcasts. Listen and mindfully engage with your audience. You can do so by:

1. Asking for feedback making them feel valued.
2. Creating spaces for interactions such as Facebook groups, Discord servers, and private communities- giving members a sense of belonging.
3. Celebrating community members by highlighting their stories, featuring their content, and rewarding engagement.

Network, Collaborate, Influence

Collaborations are an excellent way to expand your audience base.

1. Partner with like-minded creators and brands
2. Engage in cross-promotions with other brands
3. Join industry discussions, podcasts, and events

Reward Loyalty, Encourage Advocacy

Communities create loyal customers. Loyal customers in turn become your biggest brand advocates. It is essential to keep them engaged. Here are some ideas on how to do so:

1. Offer exclusive content to members, such as early access, premium resources, and other membership perks
2. Host giveaways and loyalty programs that reward participation and encourage involvement.
3. Empower your buyers into becoming ambassadors by encouraging superfans to spread the word about your brand.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

Stay consistent in showing up for your customers. We know consistency builds trust, and trust keeps communities together. Additionally, consistency across branding lends authenticity and an air of professionalism to the brand. It is also advisable to consistently track your engagement metrics and course-correct wherever necessary.

Branding and design specialists like Dolphin Branding know the importance of building brand communities for the sustainability of businesses. We recognised that building a brand community isn’t about numbers—it’s about creating genuine connections.
When your audience feels seen, heard, and valued, they become more than just customers; they become ambassadors of your brand.

That is why we incorporate community-building strategies when providing your business with design and branding solutions.

We can help you make brand communities out of buyers.

Are you ready to start building your community? Drop us an email at: [email protected]