TMCnet Online Community News

Leveraging Social Media on your Online Community to Connect with Customers

There are several approaches to take when designing an Online Community, not the least beneficial of which incorporates aspects of social media. Social media can provide an outlet for your business to connect with its customers on the most basic level. With buttons on your community that can hook up visitors to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (News - Alert), and more social media platforms, your Online Community can become a forum for business deals and educational conversations about your industry.

A social media section can boost visitor numbers, especially if it is strategically placed by one of your TMCnet designers. Your designer’s input is vital in creating the layout so the community is not just aesthetically pleasing, but tactically modeled to direct visitors to your most promoted areas.

In a recent article about integrating social media into b2b companies, Amelia Agathou mentions, “Social media platforms like Facebook (News - Alert), Twitter and LinkedIn have served companies for product launches, spreading the word and sometimes saving them money at the same time.” Proper leverage of these platforms enables businesses to reach out to existing customers as well as garner new ones through their social integration. 

Online Communities can help potential customers make informed decisions about which products and services will best serve their needs, and social media provides a forum for discussions about various solutions. Customers who already use a service can review it, and potential customers may weigh their decisions heavily based on these opinions.  “Online communities are continually forming and they are using many social media tools to discuss topics and learn from each other.  As a marketer, many of the participants in these communities may also be good customer candidates,” wrote Matt Goddard, CEO of R2integrated, in a recent white paper. “They are active in the subject matter, spend time learning and are reachable.  In fact many communities form to help us make better decisions about what products to purchase and they share knowledge and advice.  If you are able to build a relationship with this community, marketing and sales opportunities will come with it.”

So, use your TMCnet designer, your marketing expertise, and good judgment to leverage everything that social media has to offer when developing your Online Community. New and existing customers will benefit, and so will you.

To discuss how to implement the methods outlined in this article on your own TMCnet Community site, please contact a member of your dedicated TMCnet team.

About TMCnet Online Communities

TMCnet Online Communities are news-generated, content-rich portals that position your company as the leading “go-to resource” for your industry group. TMC (News - Alert) has been building Online Communities for over 10 years, and continues to be the market leader at developing these successful communities for our customers.  To learn more about the TMCnet Online Community program, please contact Anna Ritchie [email protected] or call 203-852-6800 x 107. You can also visit us online at http://www.tmcnet.com/community/Default.aspx

Juliana Kenny graduated from the University of Connecticut with a double degree in English and French. After managing a small company for two years, she joined TMC as a Web Editor for TMCnet. Juliana currently focuses on the call center and CRM industries, but she also writes about cloud telephony and network gear including softswitches.