How to build a community that RAVES about your brand - Carole Searle

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00:02 Hi everyone, and thank you so much for joining me for my presentation on how to build a community that raves about your brand. My name's Carole Searle and I am a community and launch manager and I've had my own business for around 8 years now and have honed in on my expertise helping clients, turning their audiences into super fans. And that's exactly the the tips I'm going to be giving you today as well.  

00:36 So first of all, why do communities matter? Basically people don't buy from products, they they join movements. So we need to, we need to basically think about why a community of people is so much better than ads. Ads are basically, while absolutely they are amazing, ads, emails, social media posts, they are all absolutely amazing and they all have their place in helping sell your offer and your service and your program, whatever it is that you want to be selling.  

01:11 But to have a community of people, it's, it's just a totally different thing all in itself it's basically it's loyalty and it's word of mouth. That's what you're building when you have a community. And that is what you want to be, to be advertising and sharing about your brand with everyone on your behalf.  

01:38 So what makes a raving community? You have connection, you have value, and you have identity. Basically, communities thrive when people feel seen, when they're gaining something, and when they belong. So if you're paying attention to everyone, all the different members in your community, paying attention to them, engaging with them, asking questions about them, taking an interest, they're going to feel seen. If they have any questions about anything and you're sharing your insights and your expertise with them, then they're going to be gaining something from you.  

02:16 And all of this will then build their identity and making them feel like they, they belong in your community. And it's, it's a great sense of feeling to have feeling that you belong somewhere.  

02:37 So how are you going to do this? First of all, you need to know your people. You need to stalk them lovingly, of course, not in a weird way. You need to basically dive into who they are, what they need, and what keeps them awake at night. You want to make sure that your ideal clients. You know everything about them. You know where they hang out you know what what their social media platforms are that they like to hang out on. You want to know exactly what it is that they need need what their their pain points are, what questions might keep them awake at night about their businesses or if it's obviously not not all communities and to do with businesses, but any questions that might keep them awake at night to do with your kind of membership.  

03:25 You want to make sure that you know exactly what these are and then therefore you can address them within your community and help everybody out.  

03:42 So to create a strong brand personality, you want to make your communities fun, bold, helpful and empowering. You want to be somebody that they actually want to hang out with. We, we don't want any corporate robots going here. You, you want to be, yes, you are this figure, you are this expert in whatever your, your area of industry is, but you're also human. So you, you don't want people to think that you're untouchable, that they can't approach you, that they can't ask you things.  

04:15 So you want to bring out your fun side you want to be able to share with people what's been going on in your days, what you've done on your weekends all all the fun side any any funny little stories that you might have to share with them any any jokes if if you have like a jokey personality, let that show through let people see that they can relate to you and they feel they feel comfy and happy to approach you with any questions that they might have. You want to make sure that you're bold so you're you're sure of yourself you, you want to position yourself as that expert in your community so you know what you're talking about.  

04:55 You also want to be helpful with people as well. So anyone who does have any questions, if they're stuck on anything, you want to be helpful with them as well. And all all of this all together, it empowers you it empowers the members of your community as well. If people are enjoying being in your group, if they're seeing you as not just not just the experts in your industry, but also as a fun person, as a human person, it, it empowers you, it gives you that strong brand, but it also makes your members feel so much more comfy and welcome within your group.  

05:38 And consistency is queen. So you need to make sure that you keep the same vibes going across all of your posts, all of your emails, all of your DMS everywhere. Because building trust, which is the same tone, the same energy over and over and over. This is what is going to help with your consistency and building that belief and the the strength in your brands that everyone wants to share.  

06:04 If you're, if you're coming across as really quiet in one way and then really loud in another, if you're serious in one in one social media platform and then you're joking other ways, people are going to get confused and they're going to, they're going to wonder like who is the real person here? So make sure that you are consistent in everything that you do across all platforms, all emails and all your DNS.  

06:40 And you want to roll out the red carpet for all of your new members you want to be treating them like their VIP guests because they they really are they're so important without them, you don't have this community and they they are spending their time, they're taking time out of their day to come into your membership and see what's going on there, engaging with others, engaging with you. And it's just so fantastic that people actually want to do this so you need to show that gratitude you need to show them that they are so welcome you need to show them that they are so valued and you absolutely love having them on this journey with you because first impressions stick as well.  

07:23 And if you don't make them feel at home straight away, are they going to come back? You want to make sure that your group is the first group that they want to check every single day because they know that they're welcome and appreciated within your membership.  

07:46 But then also it's, it's not just welcoming them in, you also need to give them a reason to stay you don't want them turning up so they've, they've followed your, they've followed all of your social media posts you've got them to join your group, You've given them this amazing welcome. And then it's kind of like tumbleweeds and they're like, oh, OK, now what? So you need to give them a reason to stay within your group because if you're, if you're feeding them this magic, then they're they're just not going to be wanting to go anywhere else and you, you also need to be making sure that the magic you share with them, they can't get anywhere else.  

08:23 So you want to make sure that you're sharing tips with them, any insider information you might have, any free resources and then any entertainment as well. So you need to be thinking about if you have any new services or offers coming up, share this with them. If you have any free resources with new information that they can have, share these with them. Entertainment, you can be thinking of challenges, you can be thinking of Q and A to have guest experts come into your group sharing Q and as with them, you can also just include them with polls as well. So making sure that you're you're definitely offering everything they want.  

09:06 Put some polls into the group, ask them questions what can I do for you to make this group even better than it already is.  

09:21 And let them lead the way? So UGC user generator content. Let members Co create so as I say, you can be put in polls in your group asking them exactly what it is that they could they could see in your group to make things better for them what it is that they already like in there. You could ask members to have like a takeover day. So one member comes in one day a week and they can, they can just basically not do what they like, but within, within set limits, they can take over your group for the day they can maybe do their own posts if it, if it's a group, for example, full of businesses, they can do posts promoting their own business, not just full of promotions so obviously, but giving, giving valuable content that will be useful and relevant to other members of the group as well.  

10:16 So yeah, let members feel again that you value them, that you want them to be part of your membership it's not all about you and just preaching at people. You want them to be able to give to other members as well as taking away, because that's what a community is it's not just about one person, it's about the whole group.  

10:44 And you, you want to celebrate the heck out of them. So if you're aware of any birthdays within the group, any small wins, large wins, size doesn't matter a win is a win. Any milestones that people have reached, you literally want to celebrate the hell out of it because it's all amazing. And, and you want people to, to feel like they can celebrate these things and, and that people are interested and they want to hear what's going on in their lives or in their businesses and they want to celebrate with you.  

11:15 So yeah, recognition it basically it can also if you have quiet lurkers in your group so those, those people who are just coming in and they're, they're just quite happily just watching everything that goes on the odd like on a post or on a comet here and there. By by celebrating people, you can encourage people to to come out of their shells, and recognition can turn the quiet lurkers into the loudest cheerleaders.  

11:50 Make sure you handle the messy bits as well. Not everything can go amazingly unfortunately, there's there's always a couple of messy bits along the way and that's fine. It's how you handle them that's the important thing. So don't shy away from them. First of all, make sure you do address them. So you need to be. You need to keep showing up within your group, and you need to adjust it when needed because perfection isn't the goal, connection is. So if there's any conflict within the group, make sure you stamp that out straight away. There's there's ways to talk to people, there's ways not to talk to people there's things that are appropriate to be to be spoken about in the group.  

12:32 There's things that aren't appropriate to be spoken about in the group. You want to make sure you stamp out any conflict. You want to make sure that all of your members know that your community is a safe community and people don't need to fear judgement or attack from each other if there's crickets. That can be totally normal as well. So again, just just make sure you handle it make sure you address it so make sure you're showing up consistently because if people show you show, see you showing up, then it brings them into wanting to show up.  

13:04 Take interest in people, ask them questions, try to bring them out of their shells and get that engagement going. But as I say that, the most important thing is to be addressing all of this, not just to be burying your head head and hoping things go away.  

13:25 So keeping the energy alive is, is paramount for, for keeping your community going. And there's, there's several ways you can do it. And you always want to make sure that you mix things up so that it's always fresh and always exciting. You don't want to be doing the same thing all the time. So week 1 you do this Week 2 you do that you want to, you want to bring in a little bit of excitement and something fresh each month as well. So you can be thinking of monthly themes.  

13:53 You could be thinking of challenges where maybe the the winner of the challenge in the group, they they get a prize from you. And then you can also be thinking of exclusive events. So yes, you might host master classes on your normal socials, but have things that are just exclusive as well to people who are in your community. So you can have a master class with you outside on your socials, but within your community, if people join that they have exclusive rights to see just you and maybe a guest having AQ and a so they're just learning that that little bit extra that they wouldn't get if they weren't in your membership.  

14:35 So again, it's given them more reason to want to sign up and join.  

14:46 And you want to remember metrics that matter. So engagement is is better that is greater than follower numbers. So follower numbers, absolutely of course, it's amazing if you have huge follower numbers, but if those followers aren't your ideal client, they're not your relevant audience and they're not engaging, then really what what is the actual point you need to be having people that want to engage with you and with each other. So make sure that you're focusing on on the depth, not the vanity because rave fans are just so much better than random followers.  

15:35 So a few example here of other communities within within the world so we have Lego. I'm sure you've heard of all these names Lego, Taylor Swift and Gym Shark Lego. They they invite fans to submit and vote on new ideas through, through Lego. It builds nostalgia and connection across all ages. It's I, I, I can speak from experience for my family, whether it's myself, my husband, the children, there is always something in Lego that relates to one of us and can build that nostalgia and that it's, it's just so much fun.  

16:08 They combine digital games, social content and they also have in person events that engage the fans. Then we have Taylor Swift. She makes herself feel real to people and like people can relate to her and and her stories are relevant to them. She she shares stories about herself so people can get to know a little bit more about her and also see the whatever might be going on in her world could be going on in their world as well.  

16:36 She rewards people, the Super fans, with surprise invites and exclusive drops, heartfelt interactions, and she's got this huge Swifty identity which fans just love and it gives them that sense of belonging. And then you have the the fitness as well. So you have Gym Shark, which it focuses on empowering fitness journeys, but it's not just selling the gym Ware, it's it's built its trust through fitness creators so again, it doesn't just have to be celebrities, the these amazing figures that you see on all social media it can be just fitness creators as well again, humans that people can relate to.  

17:17 So these are all amazing examples of communities that are already out there that we can learn a lot from.  

17:30 So why don't we get those quick wins to start today? Just three things, three actions for you to do once you're off this presentation. Go into your community and ask your members one new question. Make it a question you, you want them to come out of their shell and share something with you. Then I want you to DM 5 members, just five. Don't need to overwhelm yourself i know we're, we're all busy, we all have a lot going on so don't overwhelm yourself. Just DM 5 members. Just check in with them. Just check in. How's their day going is there anything that you can help them with, particularly at the moment? Just show that interest in them.  

18:11 And then last of all, if you're not already doing it, create a new member post. It's always, as I say, it's always good to treat all your members like those VIP guests. So create a post, welcome any new members in, thank them for being there, ask them to share with the Group One or two bits of information just so we we can all get to know each other and try and get some conversations going as well.  

18:45 And then the the big final thought I'll leave you with people want connection, not perfection. So it doesn't matter if you show up messy because you're being human and you're being real. And that's what they'll rave about people don't need to to see there's this big polished figure who speaks properly, who dresses amazingly, who never gets anything wrong their social media posts are just absolutely perfect. People don't care about that. People want to get to know you, they want to get to know the the real you behind your brand because you are your brand and if they see the real you and they love the real you, they're going to love your brand as well.  

19:24 And that is what is going to make them brave about your brand to anybody and everybody.  

19:35 So just your quick actions you can take today, start a Wednesday WINS post. Celebrate your community's wins weekly. Whether they're big, whether they're small, they're still wins and they all still deserve shouting about and celebrating with each other. Make sure you go and reply to five comments or posts from members and try and get a conversation don't don't just end the comment with a full stop, a death sentence. Try and end it with a question so you can draw them into a conversation and then again ask a fun question in the group.  

20:08 For example, if our brand were a drink, what would it be? me. Strawberry daiquiri. Fruity, fun, Lovely.  

20:24 So that's the end of my presentation today and I want to thank you all again so much for joining me. You can find me on LinkedIn, on Instagram and also on Facebook. So if you if you want to connect with me and have any questions you'd like to ask, I would love to hear from you all. But thank you so much for having me today.