Just a few people and organizations who could use online communities in new and fascinating ways.
- Journalists/Regional newspapers. There are great experts (and expectations) here. Any journalist or newspaper who isn’t painstakingly building up their community might struggle to survive the next few years.
- Any TV show (esp. pilots). Any TV show that doesn’t leak their pilot and news on to the internet is crazy. I bet it’s much easier for execs to say yes to a new show (or keep an existing show) with a thriving online community.
- Local bars and clubs. Local bars and clubs should be using elements of online dating, gossip pieces and much more to build loyalty.
- Marketing, Design and interactive agencies. Connect your clients with each other, then include clients with those of your design, internet, PR and other partners you have. Soon you have a thriving B2B community.
- Airlines and hotels. What if you could connect with people today who would be on the same flight as you next week, or staying in the same hotel? There’s some networking opportunity here.
- Recruitment agencies. Why weren’t Brazen Careerist, LinkedIn and other community career sites not founded by recruitment agencies. Why don’t recruitment agencies foster a thriving hub of talented individuals for their sector?
- Book authors and publishers. What happens when an author has a 50,000 strong community? What happens when a publisher manages and curates the community? There are huge opportunities for first-movers here.
- Estate Agents. Why don’t estate agents connect people living in the same area? It would be great to meet similar newcomers to the area. Share advice and tips. Build longer relationships.
Don’t hesitate to add your own in the comments.
Interesting. I run a resale property portal in France and toyed with the notion of community in several possible forms (blog comments, forums,proprietary social network) on the site.
It was deliberately built on Web 2.0 with community in mind. I wholly subscribe to the notion that markets are conversations. I always want to be part of those conversations going on about our brand that curently I'm not.
My problem is that I need to come up with a strategy that makes sense. Before I do that I need to establish very clear objectives and goals. What is it exactly that I'm looking for by encouraging community? I hesitate because, in France, it's not always in an Estate Agent's interest to encourage community. Any strategy then needs to be implemented.
So, I wonder what the best mix is of what's out there that can be plugged in on a shoestring budget?
Of course, I have some idea of what's out there but the solution may be a mix. For example, for a forum to work, I imagine that I would need thousands of unique visits per day, a critical mass of opinion. We're in the hundreds but appreciate that communities can be viral and serve to increase visits to the site.
I will always happily listen to advise from others such as yourself who have made communities your business.
Posted by: Gerry | Monday, 12 October 2009 at 10:59