Creating Communities

In this column I would like to introduce the new marketing strategy which is creating community for your business. When the information age became substantial surely the marketing strategy changed in so many different ways. Internet has proven itself to create a great information flow without boundary. In the internet, people who live in an isolated area could be as famous as Brad Pitt. The hassle for long distance communication was eliminated by the existence of email, MSN messenger, and the highly engineered web cam. There are a lot of activities that were impossible could be done easily in this age.

One of the true values of internet in redefining marketing is its ability to create communities. All businesses are basically organizations. Moreover, organizations could be perceived as communities since “people factor” is actually the main ingredient. Therefore great business is actually a great community. Through community we could share our opinions, obtain important information, create relations, and learn more knowledge. A great company could communicate effectively to their customers. Likewise, within community we could communicate effectively as a family.

This important value somehow becomes important in marketing. Mr. Solomon posted a great article about blog and has proved how blogging could increase the customer’s awareness of the particular company. Blogging is a living proof of community creation since it allows anyone to communicate closely with another people. Through blogging people could freely express their thoughts and being heard by the global society. This phenomenon creates the sense of closeness between the company and its customers. No wonder a lot of great marketers such as Hermawan Kartajaya, Seth Godin, Al and Laura Ries create their own blog to communicate with their target market. Even the one and only Tiara Lestari becomes more famous through her blog. This community creation then further establishes the wonderful value behind any product or service.

The sense of closeness through community could actively involve the customers. The constant sense of being involved then would further encourage the comfort feeling within the customers’ psychology. By creating the huge comfort zone people tend to be loyal to our business.
Welcome to the community age!!!

David Herlambang