Have you been to the Facebook Group for Community Managers recently? There are many active discussions & people write interesting things on the wall! (as opposed to spam!). There’s an interesting conversation on the topic of – 24/7?
Sometimes the conversation provides topics for me to blog on. Cristina is asking for help with her research for her Master’s studies. She asked:
If in a community the activity is high, the awareness and recognition of a tourism product will win good position on the net. How exactly? Which kind of activities are in your opinion the best for Destination Brand Placement?
Community activity creates content. That content is noticed by search engines. So an activity community contributes greatly to Search Engine Optimization. Activities in general can range from contests, polls, and interactive types of things. The more creative you are the better! Ultimately you want to encourage the community to get involved & draw out the lurkers.
On what do you put the focus regarding consumer opinions and participation: quantity of quality?
My answer is quality for user generated content. But there is also a goal to get everyone participating.
Which are your objectives as a community manager?
This varies greatly depending on the purpose of the community. In general, the role is to encourage participation, provide metrics, ensure growth & advocate for the customer.
Which variables do I have to take in consideration when analyzing results of the strategy? (for example in Tourism: number of visits on a touristic website, bookings etc.)
This depends on what your goals are? Once you identify the goals, then you’ll know what you should measure.
Can you give me examples for a specific touristic message focusing on a community?
A note of caution here – a community prefers to have the brand talking with them, rather than broadcasting messages. So I would prefer this question restated.
Nowadays, “group-software systems” (e.g. facebook) are the main tools for raising awareness towards a certain brand. Which social network are in your opinion the most important ones?
You should focus your presence on the social networks where your customers or potential customers are at. Spend some time listening before you engage in building brand awareness. Then you will know if it is Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google groups, etc.
When do you think occurs more participation/activity in the community, before or after using a service/product (e.g. before or after travelling)?
Many are using the web to research products. I have been making my purchase decisions based on online reviews for a long time. I personally don’t participate in a product’s community until I have a reason to or need assistance. The question to ask is ‘What is their affinity?" or "Why would they join the community & be there?"
What do you think? How much focus do companies put on this kind of marketing? (Estimation in %)
It is a small % yet of the total marketing budget. You can see statistics in the Tribalization Study.
What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages for companies by using this sort of marketing?
Disadvantage: Working with communities is more than technology. It requires the human touch of a Community Manager or Social Media Specialist. But the advantages far outweigh that. A thriving community offers brand building, word of mouth, product development, marketing ideas, shortens the product dev’t cycle, and public relations opportunities.
Now I’m going to call on my network to also respond. My friend Nando Llorando from Spain works in this field & is also located in Europe. Anyone else with ideas also please feel free to answer Christine’s questions either here or in Facebook.
