TMCnet Online Community News

Making Sure Your Online Community's Content is Effective

Online community developers and sponsors have many options when it comes to deciding how to populate the pages of their communities, and we have already discussed how content is king for every site. But, how exactly should online community sponsors maintain the effectiveness of said content, and what is the best way to ensure the content contributes to the sponsor’s brand?

A recent webinar conducted by TMCnet titled “Making Your Content Count: How to Develop an Online Community that Builds Your Brand’s Reputation and Drives Sales,” TMCnet’s CEO Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) brought up this vital component of consideration for any online community sponsor. Joining him was Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, and co-author of Get Content Get Customers, a book about why and how content marketing is vital for business decision makers.

Exploring how companies are investing in content marketing initiatives, Tehrani and Pulizzi discussed how important it is for company goals to be in line with content strategies on an online community.

Pulizzi stated, “To determine what is great content, you have to ask what impact it will have on your reader’s life….it’s not what you sell, it’s what you stand for. Think about Southwest. Even though they sell plane rides, what they stand for is everyone deserves to fly. You need to have a mission for your content so you can tell stories that make an impact.”

The content posted to an online community can have a huge impact on how a brand drives sales and traffic. Tehrani and Pulizzi explored the notion of building trust with readership through posting content that is relevant and timely for the audience, as well as incorporating lead capture.

Social media plays a huge role in broadcasting online community content, whether via Twitter (News - Alert), Facebook, LinkedIn or other networking sites, and Tehrani emphasized the importance of using the content itself to broaden the community’s readership. “It’s not just the one person who reads your content,” he stated. “You have got to get those individuals to share that content as much as possible. To accomplish this, you have to provide compelling articles and people want to read and that they want to share with others to read.”

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.

Connect with Us and Join the Conversation: What are some ways you’re ensuring your online content is effective?  

 Facebook  | LinkedIn | Twitter

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 sites 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.

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.